Roman hand-to-hand

[M. Demetrius]

instead of my poor conjecture

I thought that was pretty good conjecture, based on solid knowledge of Roman culture.

I don't think Kungus Fu had been quite invented yet, but it's realistic to expect grown men who were soldiers to be able to fight with whatever was at hand, rocks, clubs, kicks to the, er, you know...biting, eye gouging, pinching, wrist twisting, just like no holds barred brawls today. Actually, they may have been rougher than most today, because odds are the soldier could get away with more.