I want to refer to someone who fights using their hands and feet, knees, elbows, etc. But I don't want to call them a martial artist (even though that is what they are - martial art simply means war art).
The reason I don't want to say martial artist is because people immediately think "Japan", "China", "Karate", "Judo", and many other eastern, etc.
What could I say instead of martial artist that would still convey a close-combat fighter using whole body as a weapon skilfully without immediately bringing up the image of an eastern fighter?