Combat
Purposeful violent conflict
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Combat may comply with, or be in violation of, local or international laws regarding conflict. Examples of rules include the Geneva Conventions (covering the treatment of people in war), medieval chivalry, the Marquess of Queensberry Rules (covering boxing), and the individual rulesets of various combat sports.
Hand-to-hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat (melee) is combat at very close range, attacking the opponent with the body (striking, kicking, strangling, etc.) or with a melee weapon (knives, swords, batons, etc.) as opposed to a ranged weapon.
Hand-to-hand combat can be further divided into three sections depending on the distance and positioning of the combatants:
- Clinch fighting
- Ground fighting
- Stand-up fighting
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Military combat
Military combat involves two or more opposing military forces meeting in warfare. Military combat situations can involve multiple groups, such as guerilla groups, insurgents and domestic or foreign governments.
A military situation may be known as a duel, action, affair, skirmish, engagement, combat, battle, campaign, or war, depending on the size of the fighting and the geographical areas in which it occurs. A combat between two armies that decides the fate of a war or a separate theater- or campaign-sized operation is a pitched battle. An encounter battle does not affect the outcome that can be caused by the previous case. A combat between two armies that had less definite results than a pitched battle, but led to a more or less significant change in the situation in the theater, is simply called a battle. Clash of independent parts of two armies, namely corps or divisions, is called a combat or engagement. Clashes of even smaller formations are called an affair, action, skirmish, or also engagement. However, all of these terms may be used in different ways depending on the context. In naval warfare there is also a term fleet action.
Combat effectiveness has always demanded that the personnel maintain strategic preparedness by being sufficiently trained, armed, equipped, and funded to carry out combat operations in the unit to which they are assigned. Warfare falls under the law of war, which govern its purposes and conduct, and protect the rights of combatants and non-combatants.