noun
grappling; hand-to-hand fight; scuffle
Refers to close-quarters combat where opponents grab each other, often without weapons. Can describe both sportive grappling and real fights.
二人の兵士が組み打ちを始めた。
The two soldiers started grappling with each other.
酔っ払い同士の組み打ちが店の前で起きた。
A scuffle between drunkards broke out in front of the shop.
noun
defeating an enemy in close combat
Historical or literary term for vanquishing a foe on the battlefield, often in hand-to-hand fighting. Rare in modern everyday language.
武将は敵将との組み討ちで名を上げた。
The warlord made a name for himself by defeating an enemy commander in close combat.
Rare variant of 組み討ち.
Compound of 組み (kumi, 'grappling' or 'joining together', from 組む) and 打ち (uchi, 'striking', from 打つ). The combination suggests a fight involving both grappling and striking.