Combat reenactment is a side of historical reenactment which aims to depict events of battle, normally a specific engagement in history, but also unscripted battles where the 'winner' is not predetermined.

The term is often used to distinguish combat-related events from living history, which is the other main focus of many reenactment groups.

Equipment

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For detailed descriptions of the weapons used in each period, see Category:Weapons by era

Many modifications are done to create weapons which are safe to use in simulated battle. For example, in earlier historical periods, swords are made from spring steel to deliver less of an impact. Points are blunted (typically 1.5 inch minimum radius , arrows have rubber tips, and weapons which are difficult to use safely (for example, the flail) are rarely used. In modern combat, strict rules prohibit the presence of live ammunition or may even prohibit functional firearms, altogether, substituting "side-discharging" or "blank-loading only" replicas.

During preparation for battle, the armour, padding, shields, helmets and gloves used by fighters in primitive combats provide an important aspect of safety for the participants. Groups that perform primitive combat tend to impose specific construction requirements on this equipment.

Safety

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At the level of individual fights (for meleé weapons), typical safety measures involve pulling blows, aiming only for certain areas of the body, and parrying blows away from those targets. In addition to equipment prohibitions, some firearm combat may require a minimum angle of elevation and engagements may be required to occur at greater than a minimum specified distance. Ramrods may be prohibited from a combat, as well, to prevent their accidental deployment as lethal missiles. Artillery very often is fired at a much slower than actual combat rate, to reduce over heating and the chance of human error resulting in injury or death.

Many events use safety officers to identify and remove unsafe combatants from a battle.

Historical reenactment