weaponless

Weaponless is an adjective describing actions or individuals that do not involve weapons. It can refer to a person who is not carrying a weapon or to activities conducted without weaponry. The term is used across military, law enforcement, sport, and everyday life to distinguish between armed and unarmed approaches.

In military and security contexts, weaponless operations or engagements occur when combatants employ no arms or when training emphasizes unarmed techniques. Such concepts also appear in policing and civilian safety discussions, where de-escalation and hand-to-hand skills are prioritized in certain scenarios.

In martial arts and combat sports, weaponless disciplines teach techniques for neutralizing an opponent without weapons. Examples include many bare-handed systems such as boxing, judo, wrestling, karate, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts when practiced without weapons. Some arts also incorporate situational disarms or handling of improvised tools, but the focus remains on unarmed skills.

Legally, the concept of weaponless use of force is central to self-defense standards, where justification hinges on the absence of weapons and proportional response. Jurisdictions vary on whether resulting force is lawful, necessary, or reasonable.

Historically and culturally, some traditions emphasize weaponless conflict resolution, nonviolence, or pacifist principles as alternatives to armed confrontation. In popular culture, weaponless depictions highlight skill, timing, and physical prowess over armament. See also unarmed, empty-handed combat, self-defense.