I don't really go for the legal seperation of fight and self-defence; I think that assumes your morality is necessarily based on the law.
I'd pretty much go with Patricks original seperation and I think the distinction is enormously important in self-defence training.
Many martial arts developed 'sports' aspects for fitness esp. for children. Aikido is about dealing with an altercation. The graded response it allows (n comparison to competitive martial arts such as karate) enables you to prevent a fight; and I don't mean in a wishy washy fight avoidance or 'lets all hold hands man' way. Simple grip breaking techniques and body movement can prevent a fight ever starting.
For example, down a night club one night there was a drunk bloke who kept trying to bounce into us ferociously; I moved out the way, just utilising timing, and he fell into the middle of our group flat on his face, and never came back to bother us again; try and simulate that in a competition!
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