Salutations differ from culture to culture from cheek-to-cheek kissing, to a handshake or to a full body embrace. The most accepted form of greeting among men is the “Man Hug” which is a combination of a half handshake and half embrace.

Why American males are afraid of intimacy with each other in public is the connotation of how that display of affection might be construed by society.http://www.alternet.org/story/55816/ Men from Europe and men from Brazil show no such constraints as they greet each other by “Cheek Kissing” which is a double kiss on both cheeks or a single kiss on one cheek.http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Cheek_kissing Why Arab men hold hands in their culture is because it's considered a normal way of life in how they show affection to each other and also is a sign of friendship.http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/weekinreview/01basics.html?_r=1

The Man Hug however is universally accepted as an adequate display of friendship without insinuating any form of intimacy. The hug can be quick, it can be doubled to show a closer bond between friends but usually it does not develop into a full embrace.

Men by their nature find it a necessity to show strength even in their acts of tenderness as not to be seen as effeminate or display even the slightest hint of attraction to the same gender sexuality. The Man Hug therefore is the most common salutation among men.

The foremost acceptable full body man-to man embrace is for grief over the loss of a loved one. All walls, barriers and taboos of society dissipate as only a close and tight hold lessens the pain. This full body embrace may last longer than any other man-to-man hug.

Swing the pendulum from the loss of life to the celebration of manly sports when a football team wins a championship like the Superbowl. Men will completely engross themselves in the excitement of the moment and explode into strong full body embraces as the joy of winning overshadows any hesitation or reservation of affection and it's absolutely acceptable in public.

Full body embraces are also acceptable among family members: fathers to sons, brothers to brothers, cousins to cousins and uncles to nephews. These hugs are a natural way of upbringing or during a family or friendship reunion in which a man is reacquainted with another with whom he was bonded in his youth but growing up, work, marriage or somehow life separated contact. Only a full body embrace can say what words cannot.

Best friends also have the liberty to clasp into full body embraces without any stigma attached to the action. Best friends are considered soul mates which bypasses any rules, borders or boundaries of what is culturally acceptable.

The Man Hug is a combination of the “cool handshake,” A-Frame Hug and Natural Hug with a slight variation as both males keep their arms above the shoulders.

First start with the cool handshake by placing your right hand out and wrap your fingers around the man’s thumb instead of the palm of his hand. Take one step forward and lean your chest toward his chest and his right shoulder, then take your left arm around his back and tap your hand on his back once or twice while squeezing your handshake simultaneously.

Pull away from him, squeeze once more with your cool handshake and then let go. It’s that simple!

If you are introduced to someone new you are not obligated to hold the Man Hug for more than a second or two. It’s more of a quick shake, wrap and let go.

A sturdy friendlier Man Hug requires all of the same steps but with a stronger squeeze in the embrace and a tighter grip on the handshake. After you let go there's an exchange between the eyes of mutual unspoken friendship.

The Man Hug is for men only ladies for only the male gender can pull off a hug with a grunt and tenderness all within one embrace.

1. “A-Frame Hug:” This is the most common hug among men and women. First you lean forward, chest to chest; both males then aim their arms up over the shoulders of each other and hold for a few seconds creating an A-Frame formation with their bodies. Two gentle taps on the back with both hands and then pull away.

2. “Natural Hug:” You open your arms wide and place one arm over the shoulder and the other arm under the shoulder of the male recipient in a diagonal form and squeeze while hugging or to keep it less intimate two or three taps with both hands on the back will do.

3. “Ape or Gorilla Hug:” This is a variation of the natural hug but more primal and less affectionate. Go through the steps of the natural hug but then “slap firmly and with gusto” two or three times on the back of the individual and then quickly pull away.

4. Bear Hug: The most fun of all hugs as it brings a smile to every recipient's face from men, women and mostly to children. You aim squarely for the chest, place your arms under his arms and lift him off his feet and hold for a few seconds while squeezing tightly around his ribs. Giggles will ensue, guaranteed!