Martial arts

Combat Skill

Further increases bare-handed damage when no weapon is wielded. Can be used with weapon gauntlets.

Nothing stops you from enhancing martial arts as soon as you have enough training and free skill slots. The link to bare-handed combat is in the training instead: kicks train martial arts at any time, but unarmed hits train bare-handed combat until your effective bare-handed combat level reaches Grand Master, and only then train martial arts. A worn headband of martial prowess adds two levels to that effective level, so while you wear it, unarmed hits train martial arts once your bare-handed combat is Expert or better.

Martial arts bonuses come on top of what you get from bare-handed combat. The to-hit and damage bonuses in the table are totals with bare-handed combat at the same skill level, as the game's own skill screen shows them: each level above Unskilled gives +4 to hit and +3 damage from martial arts, and +3 to hit and +2 damage from bare-handed combat.

Until your martial arts skill reaches Basic, a hit with your bare hands or with weapon gauntlets adds only half of your Strength damage bonus. From Basic on, it adds the full bonus.