a thing that takes place at metal concerts in which people basically kick the living shit out of each other.

The ultimate way to show your love for your loud, pounding music taste. Controlled violence. The thing about the Mosh Pit is NOONE will take offence at you whacking them in the face...(I personally congradulate those that get a good shot in) there are different type of "pits" you can participate in, here are a few.

Closed Pit: Tight, hard to move and hard to breathe. A closed pit will usually happen during popular heavy songs like Slipknot - Duality or a S.O.A.D song.

Open Pit: Generally the worst/best you can pick a target and reach them, throw them across the floor punch them, barge them. There's enough room to just dive about punching everyone still causing little offece (Do be prepared to be hit back...a lot)
songs that will get open pits are the less popular but heavy ones.
Motograter music gathers a lot of open pits.

Circle Pit: The larger or stronger Moshers or Metal heads will run around in an empty circle punching those on the outside of the circle and pushing the runner infront until he either leaves or falls to be trodden on. these will happen on most slayer songs.

Slam-dancing Pits: Created by "Wooble" of Wolverhmapton fame. One hand will be behind back at all times (usually holding your beer) and the other one will be swinging side to side, whaloping other slam-dancers and headbanging to yourself.
Lamb Of God - Now Y...

Mosh pits are when a group of headbangers or moshers or anything like that start to fight amongst them selfs.

This usaly includes:
Throwing your arms around to protect your own personal space.
Teaming up with a friend and spinning around so that you can both go flying into the crowd that soon gathers around.
Frantic pushing and shoving to get into the middle of the pit and join in with the singing(but more likly screaming) of the lyrics.

I have encountered three forms of mosh pits, grudge pits(where you pick a foe and dont stop fighting with them untill the music carms down), Open pits(where you can actually move and possibly hit other people), and closed pits(in these you can move very little)

Getting beat up in a fun way; people that like punk rock music run around in a circle and crash into each other for fun.

Formed by Metalheads/Rockers/Moshers/Punks as a form of dance and can (sometimes) be used as a highly effective death sentence for Chavs

The area near the front of the stage at punk rock and metal concerts where fans will run into each other continously. This is also known as slamdancing. It is not uncommon for people to shove their friends into the pit. Normally, the pit isn't very dangerous, and most will follow the rules of a friendly pit. For example, if someone falls down in the pit, the other moshers are expected to pick them up and get them out of harms way.

There are also variatons on the mosh pit, including circle pits, and the wall of death.

was started to punk music in the 70's usually caused by large masses of people slamdancing