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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
weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...
s) 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 sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opp ...
s 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 upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conve ...
(covering the treatment of people in war), medieval chivalry, the Marquess of Queensberry rules (covering boxing) and several forms of combat sports.


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 Clinch fighting is the part of stand-up fighting where the combatants are grappling in a clinch, typically using clinch holds. Clinching the opponent can be used to eliminate the opponent's effective usage of some kicks, punches, and melee we ...
*
Ground fighting Ground fighting (also called ground work or ground game) is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground. The term is commonly used in mixed martial arts and other combat sports, as well as various forms of marti ...
* Stand-up fighting


Military combat

Military combat has always been between two or more opposing
military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
in
warfare 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 regul ...
. Military combat situations can involve multiple groups, involving
guerilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run t ...
groups,
insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...
, 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 A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
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
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 ...
/
battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
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 The law of war is the component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (''jus ad bellum'') and the conduct of warring parties (''jus in bello''). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territor ...
, which govern its purposes and conduct, and protect the rights of
combatants Combatant is the legal status of an individual who has the right to engage in hostilities during an armed conflict. The legal definition of "combatant" is found at article 43(2) of Additional Protocol I (AP1) to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. ...
and
non-combatants Non-combatant is a term of art in the law of war and international humanitarian law to refer to civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities; persons, such as combat medics and military chaplains, who are members of the belligeren ...
.


References


Sources

*
Martin van Creveld Martin Levi van Creveld ( he, מרטין ון קרפלד; born 5 March 1946) is an Israeli military historian and theorist. Life and career Van Creveld was born in the Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam to a Jewish family. His parents, Leon a ...
: The Changing Face of War: Lessons of Combat, from the Marne to Turkey. Maine, New England 2007.


Further reading

*
Wong, Leonard Leonard Wong (born 30 December 1958) is a Research Professor of Military Strategy (Human and Organizational Dimensions) in the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College, who focuses on the human and organizational dimensions of the ...
. 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