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Close combat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Close combat has two close meanings which sometimes overlap; close quarters battle and hand to hand combat.
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The basic meaning of the term close combat relates to a close battle between groups of armed warriors. Synonyms for close combat at that meaning are the medieval Mêlée and modern Close quarters battle. Military tactics generally perceived as close combat are Shock attacks and especially the Charge tactic, Dueling and aerial dogfight. Urban warfare is considered a warfare environment saturated with close combats.
In modern times close combat also came to describe hand to hand combats (which is also know as close quarters combat). In this sense close combat usually relates to people fighting outside a military environment. Hand to hand combat is usually carried out without the use of firearms, but using the body and sometimes utilizing cold weapons. The knowledge or martial arts is quite essential for an adequate implementation of hand to hand combat. Most of the modern day armies train their soldiers, especially those belonging to special forces, at close quarters combat. The use of hand to hand combat in the military further dims the distinction between the two meaning of close combat