Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful

violent Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...

, or can be used as a tool to impose one's will on others. An instance of combat can be a stand-alone confrontation or a small part of a much larger violent conflict. Instances of combat may also be benign and recreational, as in the cases of combat sports and mock combat. Combat may comply with, or be in violation of local or international laws regarding conflict. Examples of rules include the Geneva Conventions (covering the treatment of people in war), medieval chivalry, the Marquess of Queensberry rules (covering boxing) and several forms of combat sports. Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales

Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales

Hand-to-hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat (

melee A melee ( or , French: mêlée ) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as " air battle in which ...

) is combat at very close range, attacking the opponent with the body ( striking,

kick A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

ing, strangling, etc.) and/or with a

melee weapon A melee weapon, hand weapon or close combat weapon is any handheld weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, i.e. for use within the direct physical reach of the weapon itself, essentially functioning as an additional (and more impactful) extension of th ...

(

knives A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...

, swords, batons, etc.), as opposed to a ranged weapon. Hand-to-hand combat can be further divided into three sections depending on the distance and positioning of the combatants: * Clinch fighting * Ground fighting * Stand-up fighting

Military combat

Military combat has always been between two or more opposing military forces in warfare. Military combat situations can involve multiple groups, involving guerilla groups, insurgents, domestic and/or foreign

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

s. A military conflict is known either as a battle or a

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, depending on the size of the fighting and exactly which geographical areas in which the

/ battle occurs.

Combat effectiveness Combat effectiveness is the capacity or performance of a military force to succeed in undertaking an operation, mission or objective. Determining optimal combat effectiveness is crucial in the armed forces, whether they are deployed on land, ai ...

has always demanded that the personnel maintain strategic preparedness by being sufficiently trained,

armed Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...

, equipped, and funded to carry out combat operations in the unit to which they are assigned.North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO Standardization Agency AAP-6 – Glossary of terms and definitions, p. 80 Warfare falls under the laws of war, which govern its purposes and conduct, and protect the rights of combatants and non-combatants.

References

Sources

* Martin van Creveld: The Changing Face of War: Lessons of Combat, from the Marne to Turkey. Maine, New England 2007.

. 2006.
Combat Motivation in Today's Soldiers: U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute
"''Armed Forces & Society'', vol. 32: pp. 659–663. *Gifford, Brian. 2005.
Combat Casualties and Race: What Can We Learn from the 2003-2004 Iraq Conflict?
''Armed Forces & Society'', vol. 31: pp. 201–225. *Herspring, Dale. 2006.
Undermining Combat Readiness in the Russian Military, 1992-2005.
''Armed Forces & Society'', Jul 2006; vol. 32: pp. 513–531. *Ben-Shalom, Uzi; Lehrer, Zeev; and Ben-Ari, Eyal. 2005.
Cohesion during Military Operations: A Field Study on Combat Units in the Al-Aqsa Intifada
" ''Armed Forces & Society'', vol. 32: pp. 63–79. *Woodruff, Todd; Kelty, Ryan; Segal, Archie Cooper, David R. 2006.
Propensity to Serve and Motivation to Enlist among American Combat Soldiers
" ''Armed Forces & Society'', Apr 2006; vol. 32: pp. 353–366. *Dienstfrey, Stephen. 1988
"Women Veterans' Exposure to Combat."
''Armed forces & Society'', vol. 14: pp. 549–558. {{Authority control Military operations by type

Hand-to-hand combat

Military combat

References

Sources

Further reading