mutual combat
Agreed-upon physical conflict
Mutual combat is a fight in which both parties willingly engage—neither is purely victim nor aggressor.
The term appears most often in legal contexts, where it can affect assault charges or self-defense claims: The judge ruled it was mutual combat, so both men were charged.
Some jurisdictions treat consensual fighting differently from one-sided attacks.
- physical altercationBodily conflict between people
- affirmative defenseDefendant's excuse admitting act
- heat of passionIntense temporary emotional disturbance
- provocationAct that triggers response
- legal justificationGrounds making something lawful
willing participants · fistfight · throwing hands · assumption of risk · implied consent · melee · bar fight · reasonable force · street fight · culpability · criminal intent · sparring · dueling · roughhousing · honor codes · physical confrontation · consent · recklessness
- legal defensesself-defense, alibi, affirmative defense, insanity defense, insanity
- self-defenseself-defense, martial arts, self-protection, karate, pepper spray
mutual combatassault
Violent offensive act
unprovoked attack · battery · attack · self-defense · aggravated assault
mutual combatvictimization
Being made to suffer
persecution · bullying · beating · mob attack · gang assault
mutual combatpeaceful resolution
Conflict ended without violence
negotiation · mediation · reconciliation · de-escalation · diplomacy
mutual, mutually, mutuality, combat, combats, combated, combating, combatant, combatants