Now I have a mission to hunt you two down and hug you
I could actually do this.
No worries, XR-7, I won't. But I could.
Really, though, in my group of friends we don't have any no-hug no-touch rules. We bear hug, side hug, slam hug, normal hug, "chokehold," tackle, lean on each when going around curves in a car (hey, it's fun), use each other as backrests/pillows, and even sneak-attack tickle each other's sides into orbit.
My tip? Get closer to some of those friends you mentioned, if you want a hug. Break down the mental blocks, and you'll more than likely break down the physical ones too. Just... try not to be creepy about it. One of my friends does the creepy-guy thing with me, it's pretty... interesting at times. XD