To aristocrats, all combat, if not war itself, was inherently 'fair' before advent of crossbow archery and guns

When efficient killing meant having to use a sword, axe, club or spear at very close (hand to hand) range, aristocrats ( aka WASPs)  felt that combat was inherently 'fair' and not 'sneaky' ---- no wonder, given that the likely victors were inherently taller and stronger than their opponents.

People who were inherently bigger, taller, stronger --- like the very well fed protein-stuffed aristocracy - loved this form of combat, because they always won.

(Today a close form of this sort of combat it is only found in contact sports - which aristocrats and WASPs also love.)

But all too soon peasant soldier archers ,with very small bodies but employing wind-up crossbows, and while safe behind distant rocks or trees, could pierce the best of aristocratic armour from long distances.

Low tech peasant rebels often simply combined plentiful farm tools into becoming deadly poleaxes, again multiplying their small strength and their short reach to deadly effective against their taller and bigger aristocratic opponents.

To the suddenly much threatened big tall aristocracy, these deadly small guys were fighting 'dirty', 'sneaky' - terms their descendants still use to describe the North American aboriginals (or guerillas everywhere).

Today's M-16 type weapon is the ultimate combat equalizer : a light weight rifle with little recoil that fires a rapid spray of light but lethally high speed bullets such that even a small child can use it to kill a giant of an adult man at a distance, from behind a wall or tree.

But when a standing (white) policeman, with a gun already drawn, confronts a seated (minority) car driver with no gun at all or with gun in pocket, fighting is finally 'fair' again......