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Hand-to-hand Combat

Hand-to-hand combat is an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with handheld weapons such as knives, sticks and rifles with bayonets. These fighting arts are essential fighting skills to all soldiers. Laser weapons may be lost or broken, or they may fail to fire. When friendly and enemy forces become so intermingled that firearms and grenades are not practical, hand-to-hand combat become a vital asset in survivial.

Part One : Purpose of Hand-to-Hand Training

The battlefield may require silent elimination of the enemy, for example an enemy sentry. Unarmed combat and improvised weapons training should not be limited to forward units. With the rapid mechanized/motorized, airborne, and air assault abilities, units throughout the battle area could be faced with close-quarter or unarmed combat situations. In low-intensity or guerilla warfare conditions, any soldier is apt to face an unarmed confrontation with the enemy, and Hand-to-Hand combat training can save lives.

Basic Principles

There are basic principles that the hand-to-hand fighter must know and apply to successfully defeat an opponent. The principles mentioned are only a few of the basic guidelines that are essential knowledge for hand-to-hand combat. There are many others, which through years of study become intuitive to a highly skilled fighter.

A: Physical Balance

Balance refers to the ability to maintain equilibrium and to remain in a stable, upright position. A hand-to-hand fighter must maintain his balance both to defend himself and to launch an effective attack. Without balance, the fighter has no stability with which to defend himself, nor does he have a base of power for an attack. The fighter must understand two aspects of balance in a struggle:

How to move his body to keep or regain his own balance. A fighter develops balance through experience, but usually he keeps his feet about shoulder-width apart and his knees flexed. He lowers his center of gravity to increase stability.
How to exploit weaknesses in his opponent's balance. Experience also gives the hand-to-hand fighter a sense of how to move his body in a fight to maintain his balance while exposing the enemy’s weak points.

B: Mental Balance

The successful fighter must also maintain a mental balance. He must not allow fear or anger to overcome his ability to concentrate or to react instinctively in hand-to-hand combat.

C: Position

Position refers to the location of the fighter (defender) in relation to his opponent. A vital principle when being attacked is for the defender to move his body to a safe position—that is, where the attack cannot continue unless the enemy moves his whole body. To position for a counterattack, a fighter should move his whole body off the opponent’s line of attack. Then, the opponent has to change his position to continue the attack. It is usually safe to move off the line of attack at a 45-degree angle, either toward the opponent or away from him, whichever is appropriate. This position affords the fighter safety and allows him to exploit weaknesses in the enemy’s counterattack position. Movement to an advantageous position requires accurate timing and distance perception.

D: Timing

A fighter must be able to perceive the best time to move to an advantageous position in an attack. If he moves too soon, the enemy will anticipate his movement and adjust the attack. If the fighter moves too late, the enemy will strike him. Similarly, the fighter must launch his attack or counterattack at the critical instant when the opponent is the most vulnerable.

E. Distance

Distance is the relative distance between the positions of opponents. A fighter positions himself where distance is to his advantage. The hand-to-hand fighter must adjust his distance by changing position and developing attacks or counterattacks. He does this according to the range at which he and his opponent are engaged.

F. Momentum

Momentum is the tendency of a body in motion to continue in the direction of motion unless acted on by another force. Body mass in motion develops momentum. The greater the body mass or speed of movement, the greater the momentum. Therefore, a fighter must understand the effects of this principle and apply it to his advantage.

The fighter can use his opponent’s momentum to his advantage — that is, he can place the opponent in a vulnerable position by using his momentum against him.

The opponent’s balance can be taken away by using his own momentum.
The opponent can be forced to extend farther than he expected, causing him to stop and change his direction of motion to continue his attack.
An opponent’s momentum can be used to add power to a fighter’s own attack or counterattack by combining body masses in motion.

The fighter must be aware that the enemy can also take advantage of the principle of momentum. Therefore, the fighter must avoid placing himself in an awkward or vulnerable position, and he must not allow himself to extend too far.

G. Leverage

A fighter uses leverage in hand-to-hand combat by using the natural movement of his body to place his opponent in a position of unnatural movement. The fighter uses his body or parts of his body to create a natural mechanical advantage over parts of the enemy’s body. He should never oppose the enemy in a direct test of strength; however, by using leverage, he can defeat a larger or stronger opponent.

H. Stances

A fighter’s stance is the position he takes in readiness for an unarmed fight. He may launch an attack or defend from this stance.

A fighter’s stance not only places his body in a good position from which to attack or defend, but it influences his mental attitude and aggressiveness.
He holds his hands high to protect his head and face. His fists are clenched, but relaxed. His elbows are close to his body and his weight is evenly distributed on both feet, creating a stable base. He is light on his feet with his knees slightly flexed to allow quick movement in any direction.

I. Falls.

A soldier must learn how to fall to the ground without getting hurt, both during training and during combat. If he loses his balance or is thrown during a fight, his use of basic fall techniques enables him to escape injury or to quickly recover to protect himself.

Laying Side Fall: The laying side fall is a training exercise that teaches the basic movements for executing a side fall. To be safe, the fall is learned from the squatting position until soldiers can fall properly. From the squatting position the soldier extends one leg across the front of the body and raises his arm on the same side across his face. Then he rolls onto the exposed side, allowing the extended leg and side to absorb the shock of the fall. He slowly lowers his arm to stabilize his body. He raises his other hand to guard against future strikes.
Standing Side Fall: The soldier starts the fall from the standing position. He lowers his weight on the supporting leg and extends the other leg across the body. He then distributes his body weight by rolling along the exposed side from the ankle of the extended leg to the back muscle. The arm on the ground is used to stabilize himself; the other hand is used to guard the body.
Forward Rolling Fall:. The soldier starts the fall from the standing position. He raises one arm to expose his entire side, places both hands on the ground, and bends both knees. He rolls forward across the body along the hand, arm, and back to the opposite hip. He keeps his left leg flat on the ground, knee slightly bent. His right knee points upward and bends inward to help protect the groin. He keeps his right heel and sole flat on the ground behind the left leg.
Rear Fall: The soldier starts the fall from the standing position and keeps his head forward to reduce the chance of head and neck injuries. He then falls backward and lowers his center of gravity by bending both knees. As his buttocks touch the ground, he rolls backward to absorb the momentum of the fall. He keeps his hands cupped and slaps his hands and arms down to help absorb the shock of impact and to stabilize his body. He keeps his chin tucked on his chest. Then, his legs come down slowly with knees bent and make contact with the ground. He raises his hand to protect his face from kicks.

Part Two

In close-range combat, two opponents have closed the gap between them so they can grab one another in hand-to-hand combat. The principles of balance, leverage, timing, and body positioning are applied. Throws and takedown techniques are used to upset the opponent’s balance and to gain control of the fight by forcing him to the ground. Chokes can be applied to quickly render an opponent unconscious. The soldier should also know counters to choking techniques to protect himself. Grappling involves skillful fighting against an opponent in close-range combat so that a soldier can win through superior body movement or grappling skills. Pain can be used to disable an opponent. A soldier can use painful eye gouges and strikes to soft, vital areas to gain an advantage over his opponent.

Throws and takedowns

Throws and takedowns enable a hand-to-hand fighter to take an opponent to the ground where he can be controlled or disabled with further techniques. Throws and takedowns make use of the principles involved in taking the opponent’s balance. The fighter uses his momentum against the attacker; he also uses leverage or body position to gain an opportunity to throw the attacker.

It is important for a fighter to control his opponent throughout a throw to the ground to keep the opponent from countering the throw or escaping after he is thrown to the ground. One way to do this is to control the opponent’s fall so that he lands on his head. It is also imperative that a fighter maintain control of his own balance when executing throws and takedowns.
After executing a throw or takedown and while the opponent is on the ground, the fighter must control the opponent by any means available. He can drop his weight onto exposed areas of the opponent’s body, using his elbows and knees. He can control the downed opponent’s limbs by stepping on them or by placing his knees and body weight on them. Joint locks, chokes, and kicks to vital areas are also good control measures. Without endangering himself, the fighter must maintain the advantage and disable his opponent after throwing him.
There are five different throws and takedowns. They are:
1. Hip throw
2. Over-the-shoulder throw
3. Throw from rear choke
4. Head-butt
5. Rear strangle takedown

Strangulation

Strangulation is a most effective method of disabling an opponent. The throat’s vulnerability is widely known and should be a primary target in close-range fighting. Your goal may be to break the opponent’s neck, to crush his trachea, to block the air supply to his lungs, or to block the blood supply to his brain.

Counters to choke

A soldier must know how to defend against being choked. Incapacitation and unconsciousness can occur within three seconds; therefore, it is crucial for the defender to know all possible counters to chokes.

Eye Gouge
Shoulder Dislocation
Weight Shift
Counterstrikes to Rear Choke and Frontal Choke
Headlock Escape

Grappling

Grappling is when two or more fighters engage in close-range, hand-to-hand combat. They may be armed or unarmed. To win, the fighter must be aware of how to move his body to maintain the upper hand, and he must know the mechanical strengths and weaknesses of the human body. The situation becomes a struggle of strength pitted against strength unless the fighter can remain in control of his opponent by using skilled movements to gain an advantage in leverage and balance. Knowledge of the following basic movement techniques may give the fighter a way to apply and gain the advantage in grappling situations.

Wristlock from a Collar or Lapel Grab
Wristlock from an Arm Grab
Prisoner Escort
Elbow Lock against the Body
Elbow Lock against the Knee
Elbow Lock against the Shoulder
Shoulder Dislocation
Knee Lock/Break

Part Three

In medium-range combat, two opponents are already within touching distance. The arsenal of possible body weapons includes short punches and strikes with elbows, knees and hands. Headbutts are also effective; do not forget them during medium-range combat. A soldier uses his peripheral vision to evaluate the targets presented by the opponent and choose his target. He should be aggressive and concentrate his attack on the opponent's vital points to end the fight as soon as possible.

Vital Targets

The body is divided into three sections: high, middle and low. Each section contains vital targets. These target areas are:

High Section: The high section includes the head and neck; it is the most dangerous target area.
1. Top of the head.
2. Forehead
3. Temple
4. Eyes
5. Ears
6. Nose
7. Under the nose
8. Jaw
9. Chin
10. Back of ears and base of skull
11. Throat
12. Side of neck
13. Back of neck
Middle Section. The middle section extends from the shoulders to the area just above the hips. Most blows to vital points in this region are not fatal but can have serious, long-term complications that range from trauma to internal organs to spinal cord injuries.
1. Front of shoulder muscle.
2. Collarbone
3. Armpit
4. Spine
5. Nipples
6. Heart
7. Solar plexus
8. Diaphragm
9. Floating ribs
10. Kidneys
11. Abdomen below navel
12. Biceps
13. Forearm muscle
14. Back of hand
Low Section. The low section of the body includes everything from the groin area to the feet. Strikes to these areas are seldom fatal, but they can be incapacitating.
1. Groin
2. Outside of thigh
3. Inside of thigh
4. Hamstring
5. Knee
6. Calf
7. Shin
8. Achilles tendon
9. Ankle
10. Instep

Striking Principles

Effective striking with the weapons of the body to the opponent’s vital points is essential for a victorious outcome in a hand-to-hand struggle. A soldier must be able to employ the principles of effective striking if he is to emerge as the survivor in a fight to the death.

A: Attitude

Proper mental attitude is of primary importance in the soldier's ability to strike an opponent. In hand-to-hand combat, the soldier must have the attitude that he will defeat the enemy and complete the mission, no matter what. In a fight to the death, the soldier must have the frame of mind to survive above all else; the prospect of losing cannot enter his mind. He must commit himself to hit the opponent continuously with whatever it takes to drive him to the ground or end his resistance. A memory aid is, “Thump him and dump him!”

B. Fluid Shock Wave

A strike should be delivered so that the target is hit and the weapon remains on the impact site for at least a tenth of a second. This imparts all of the kinetic energy of the strike into the target area, producing a fluid shock wave that travels into the affected tissue and causes maximum damage. It is imperative that all strikes to vital points and nerve motor points are delivered with this principle in mind. The memory aid is, “Hit and stick!”

C. Target Selection

Strikes should be targeted at the opponent’s vital points and nerve motor points. Strikes to nerve motor points cause temporary mental stunning and muscle motor dysfunction to the affected areas of the body. Mental stunning results when the brain is momentarily disoriented by overstimulation from too much input—for example, a strike to a major nerve. The stunning completely disables an opponent for three to seven seconds and allows the soldier to finish off the opponent, gain total control of the situation, or make his escape. Sometimes, such a strike causes unconsciousness. A successful strike to a nerve motor center also renders the affected body part immovable by causing muscle spasms and dysfunction due to nerve overload.

Short-Range punches

During medium-range combat, punches and strikes are usually short because of the close distance between fighters. Power is generated by using the entire body mass in motion behind all punches and strikes.

A. Hands as Weapons

A knowledge of hand-to-hand combat fighting provides the fighter another means to accomplish his mission. Hands can become deadly weapons when used by a skilled fighter.

The Short-Range Punches:

1. Punch to Solar Plexus
2. Thumb Strike to Throat
3. Thumb to Shoulder Joint
4. Hammer-fist Strike to Face
5. Hammer-fist Strike to side of Neck
6. Hammer-fist to Pectoral muscle
7. Hook-punch to Floating Ribs or Solar Plexus
8. Uppercut to chin
9. Knife-hand Strike to side on Neck
10. Knife-hand Strike to Radial Nerve
11. Palm-strike to Chin
12. Palm-strike to Solar Plexus
13. Palm-strike to Kidneys

B: Elbows as Weapons

The elbows are also formidable weapons; tremendous striking power can be generated from them. The point of the elbow should be the point of impact. The elbows are strongest when kept in front of the body and in alignment with the shoulder joint; that is, never strike with the elbow out to the side of the body.

Elbow strikes:

When properly executed, elbow strikes render an opponent ineffective. When using elbow strikes, execute them quickly, powerfully, and repetitively, until the opponent is disabled.

1. Elbow strike to Face
2. Elbow strike to Temple
3. Rising Elbow strike
4. Elbow strike to Head
5. Elbow strike to Solar Plexus
6. Elbow strike to Biceps
7. Elbow strike to inside of Shoulder
8. Repetitive Elbow strikes

Knees as Weapons

When the knees are used to strike opponents, they are especially potent weapons and are hard to defend or protect against. Great power is generated by thrusting the hips in with a knee strike; however, use the point of the knee as the impact surface. All knee strikes should be executed repetitively until the opponent is disabled. The following strikes are the most effective way to overpower or disable the opponent.

1. Front Knee strike
2. Knee strike to outside of Thigh
3. Knee strike to inside of Thigh
4. Knee strike to Groin
5. Knee strike to Face

Part Four

In long-range combat, the distance between opponents is such that the combatants can engage one another with fully extended punches and kicks or with handheld weapons, such as rifles with fixed bayonets and clubs. As in medium-range combat, a fighter must continuously monitor his available body weapons and opportunities for attack, as well as possible defense measures. He must know when to increase the distance from an opponent and when to close the gap. The spheres of influence that surround each fighter come into contact in long-range combat.

Natural Weapons

The most dangerous natural weapons a soldier possesses are his hands and feet. This section describes natural weapon techniques of various punches, strikes, and kicks and stresses aggressive tactics with which to subdue an opponent.

A: Extended arm punches and strikes Extended arm punches and strikes in long-range combat, like those in medium-range combat, should be directed at vital points and nerve motor points. It is essential to put the entire body mass in motion behind long-range strikes. Closing the distance to the target gives the fighter an opportunity to take advantage of this principle.

In extended punches, the body weapon is usually the fist, although the fingers may be used—for example, eye gouging. When punching, hold the fist vertically or horizontally. Keep the wrist straight to prevent injury and use the first two knuckles in striking.
Another useful variation of the fist is to place the thumb on top of the vertical fist so that the tip protrudes beyond the curled index finger that supports it. The thumb strike is especially effective against soft targets. Do not fully lock out the arm when punching; keep a slight bend in the elbow to prevent hyperextension if the intended target is missed.

Kicks

Kicks during hand-to-hand combat are best directed to low targets and should be simple but effective. Stormtroopers are usually burdened with combat boots and body armor. Their flexibility level is usually low during combat and if engaged in hand-to-hand combat, he will be under high stress. He must rely on gross motor skills and kicks that do not require complicated movement or much training and practice to execute.

Different kicks:

1. Side Knee kick
2. Front Knee kick
3. Heel kick to inside of Thigh
4. Heel kick to Groin
5. Shin kick to common Peroneal nerve
6. Shin kick to floating Ribs
7. Stepping side kick
8. Counter to Front Kick
9. Counter to Roundhouse-type kick
10. Kick as defense against Punches

Note: Any and all illustrated combat techniques are for fictional knowledge only. The Empire and SWV is not responsible for any real life attempt of above techniques and we therefore request that no one attempts to inflict damage upon others in their normal lives.

~The Army Chief of Staff

-Originally compiled by General Munro Burton, from various internet sources

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