Hoplology is commonly defined as the “study of arms and armours”, yet by extending the meaning of the term, we may recognise that only human beings are capable of designing, producing or, indeed, using arms and armours. In effect, Hoplology is therefore the study of human combative systems from an anthropological perspective.

Eskirmology maintains the imperfect subjective and non-scientific development of Combative Systems pre-dating any scientific method of invention/discovery. In which case, the martial arts are not always entirely logical, are heavily influenced by opinion, isolated experience and so may subsequently be defined as “isms”.

An “-ism” is defined as:

suffix forming nouns of action, state, condition, doctrine, from Fr. -isme, from L. -isma, from Gk. -isma, from stem of verbs in -izein. Used as an independent word, chiefly disparagingly, from 1680.

It may be recognised essentially as a set of ideas which is defended and or promoted to others amid many other examples or sets of ideas. In which case, all martial arts from Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon-Do cannot be defined as Eskirmological, but rather as Hoplologisms.

The term “Hoplologism” is made up of the suffix -ism, as well as the “Hoplos” element denoting human combatives from the anthropological study of Hoplology. The science of Hoplology is therefore essentially the coherent and legitimate study of Hoplologisms.