Hand-to-Hand – Where the Soldier Becomes the Weapon

Imagine you’re a soldier—highly trained, armed, and with exceptional weapon skills. Your gun is in hand, and your confidence is soaring at 200%.

You feel unstoppable, untouchable. That’s the power of being prepared. That’s how it feels when everything goes right—when your weapon functions perfectly, and every round counts. But in combat, things don’t always go according to plan. Weapons jam. Ammunition runs dry. You could be caught in a surprise ambush or thrown into close-quarters combat where pulling a trigger just isn’t an option.

That’s when it hits you—all that confidence built around your weapon is suddenly stripped away. What you’re left with is your body, your instincts, your training. That’s when hand-to-hand combat becomes not just a skill, but a lifeline.

Soldiers are trained in hand-to-hand combat to prepare for situations where close-quarters fighting is unavoidable, such as in urban warfare or when weapons are lost or malfunction. This training equips them with the skills to defend themselves, subdue enemies without lethal force, and maintain effectiveness even without firearms.

Building Combat Confidence at McConnell AFB

Members of the 22nd Security Forces Squadron performed front kick drills during combat operations training at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, on May 29, 2025. These kicks were taught both as offensive techniques and as tools for managing distance, helping Airmen enhance their hand-to-hand combat abilities and overall physical preparedness.

3rd ID Soldiers Battle in Combatives Tournament

Dogface Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, took part in a combatives tournament during Spartan Day at Johnson Gym, Fort Stewart, Georgia, on May 9, 2025. The event focused on combatives—a structured hand-to-hand combat training system aimed at equipping Soldiers with effective close-quarters fighting techniques.

Sosa-Rodriguez Dominates in Close-Combat Training with Threadford

Tech. Sgt. Hansel Sosa-Rodriguez, a fire team leader with the 927th Security Forces Squadron, successfully gains control over Tech. Sgt. Douglas Threadford during a hand-to-hand combat drill at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, on April 12, 2025. The exercise was part of a training session aimed at enhancing combat readiness and refining close-quarters fighting techniques.

Service Members Train in Marine Corps Martial Arts at Camp Arifjan

Service members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve participated in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on February 2, 2024. This intensive training session was designed to enhance their proficiency in hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat, which are essential skills for modern military operations.

Throughout the program, participants engaged in a variety of drills and techniques that emphasized discipline, physical conditioning, and tactical awareness. MCMAP not only focuses on combat effectiveness but also instills the warrior ethos and mental resilience required in high-stress environments.

Marines Engage in Hand-to-Hand Combat During Green Belt Training

Lance Corporal Tanner Angiletta of the U.S. Marine Corps, seen on the right, participates in a hand-to-hand combat exercise during the final event of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, on March 13, 2025. The training is part of the Marines’ progression toward earning their green belts, focusing on sharpening combat techniques and reinforcing a warrior ethos.

Originally from Connecticut, Angiletta serves as an aviation radar technician with the 12th Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, part of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

Marine Instructors Spar During MCMAP Training

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Quinn Higgins, a second-degree instructor with Marine Aircraft Group 49’s Martial Arts Program, and Sergeant Keanu Bingo, a first-degree instructor with the same unit, engage in sparring at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, on January 7, 2025.

Marines Watch Rear Choke Move During Training on USS Boxer

U.S. Marines from Charlie Battery, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, observe a demonstration of a modified rear choke technique during nonlethal weapons training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4).

The training took place in the Korea Strait as part of routine operations conducted by the Boxer and elements of the 15th MEU within the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility. The 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, regularly works alongside allies and partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Airmen Learn Knife and Combat Skills

Members of the 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron sharpen their hand-to-hand combat techniques during training outside the 90th Security Forces Group Building.

This training, which includes close-quarters combat and knife defense, equips defenders with the skills needed to handle a wide range of real-world scenarios they may encounter while on duty.

Pfc. Gaona Battles Toward Belt Advancement

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Emlanie Gaona, an administration specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, spars in a ground fighting match during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) belt advancement course.

These courses help Marines build hand-to-hand combat proficiency, strengthen mental resilience, sharpen moral judgment, and reinforce leadership traits and teamwork.

Marines Battle in the Mud

In the picture, two soldiers spar in the mud and water as they participate in a Martial Arts Instructor course at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Dec. 21, 2023. The three-week course includes intense physical training, hand-to-hand combat, grappling, weapons sparring, and memorization of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program syllabus to certify Marines as instructors for belt-level progression.

The Fight Room

As we can see in the picture, coaches and support staff wait for the competition to begin for their Soldier in the fight room. During Infantry Week at Fort Moore, Soldiers participate in a fight room competition. The purpose of this fight room is to simulate entering a building when you may be required to use hand-to-hand combat to subdue the enemy because firearms are not an immediate option.

Pfc. Jappah Executes Counter Move in Combat Course

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Philomena Jappah, a Minneapolis, Minnesota native and administrative clerk with Headquarters Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve, performs a counter maneuver using a mokuju bayonet trainer during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) course at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans, Nov. 28, 2023.

Against the Red Man

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Dayshus White, a protective services specialist with the 816th Security Forces Squadron, spars with a Red Man participant during the Pre-Raven course at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on April 11, 2025, an exercise that simulates real-world threats and helps Airmen refine their hand-to-hand combat skills.

Rangers Lead Hand-to-Hand Combat Demo

Members of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion from Fort Moore demonstrate a variety of hand-to-hand combat techniques during a Ranger combatives exhibition at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on Oct. 25, 2024, one of many military demonstrations and performances featured during the 2024 JROTC National Raider Challenge.

Recruits Learn to Fight with Hands and Rifle

Recruits with November Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, practice Marine Corps Martial Arts Program techniques at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, on July 21, 2023, learning essential hand-to-hand combat and rifle skills needed for real-world combat situations.