Hand To Hand Combat
Since the moment weapons were lost, broken, or simply too slow to use, soldiers have always fallen back on their own bodies. Military hand-to-hand combat systems exist because battlefields are chaotic ranges collapse, formations break, and survival can come down to who has better training in a few brutal seconds. Long before modern firearms, wrestling, striking, and grappling were already part of warrior culture, forming the foundation for what would later become formal military martial arts.
Different nations refined these systems based on culture, doctrine, and battlefield needs. In Japan, Jujutsu evolved as a way for armored samurai to fight when weapons were unavailable, focusing on joint locks, throws, and leverage. This later influenced modern systems taught to soldiers. China developed multiple battlefield-focused martial traditions, including Shuai Jiao, a practical grappling art used by military forces for centuries, emphasizing throws and balance disruption. Russia’s Sambo, developed in the early 20th century, combined wrestling, judo, and traditional fighting styles into a highly efficient combat system designed specifically for soldiers, valuing speed, control, and adaptability.
The United States took a more modular approach, drawing from multiple traditions to create programs like the U.S. Army Combative Program (MACP) and Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). These systems blend wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, striking, and weapon retention, focusing on realism, aggression, and integration with modern gear. Rather than tradition, the emphasis is on what works under stress, in full kit, and in unpredictable environments.
This opens up a huge space for discussion in Warthunder Infantry. Hand-to-hand combat systems could influence animations, takedowns, look cool, and situational advantages in close quarters. Different nations could even reflect their historical doctrines through unique combat traits or styles. This thread is here to get those ideas flowing whether historical, practical, or experimental so please share concepts, knowledge, or documents that could eventually turn into full infantry feature proposals. We are all putting our brains together here in this discussion so we can make infantry more physically engaging!
Good Luck out there Martial Artist
