Combat is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed or unarmed. Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or can be used as a tool to impose ones will on others. An instance of combat can be a stand-alone confrontation or a small part of a much larger violent conflict. Instances of combat may also be benign and recreational, as in the cases of combat sports and mock combat.
