Have you ever been in a proper fight?

[MaryPoppins]

I responded to the poll with, nothing more than a playground scuffle.

I then remembered one incident some years ago with my best mate, which neither of us has mentioned since, and which no one else knows about.

We lived together at the time, while she was a student at uni in Bristol. I had just fallen into contracting, while she was sitting at home stoned nearly every day, doing very little. Fun times didn't last long, as she's a lazy bugger and started borrowing more and more money from me in order to try to keep up the fun times.

Eventually I had to ask her to pay me back what she owed me (I hate these situations) and she reacted rather oddly, responding with a firm 'no', and somehow implying that I was out of pocket as I was silly enough to lend her the money.

The camel's back well and truly broken, I finally saw red. I can remember that moment very clearly - I'm not proud of it.

We were both eating pot noodles at the time. I started shouting at her, and can vaguely remember advancing on her with my fork and one clear thought - I'm going to stab her in the head with this fork. We had a minor scuffle, during which tops were ripped, she ripped trackmarks in my neck with her nails, I tried (unsuccessfully) to stab her, she kicked me in the head, and I punched her in the cheek.

I never did get that money.

[kandr]

I've always it's better to run away and not get hurt than to win a fight and get a bit hurt. I also have a bit of a suspicion that men who like fighting with other men really just want to have sex with other men, but are too repressed to express it.

If you run away (or make a pathetic attempt then back down) then you are seen as a coward, this has the unfortunate effect as making you a punch bag for any number of cretins. (See SY).

This is all based on the potential fight being sensible.

[Old Greg]

Mich likes rugby, which is sort of half-way in-between fighting and shagging. Mich, comment?

I certainly had rugby in mind, but it expresses itself in soccer. Look at professional footballers' practising 'spit-roasting'. Having sex with the same woman at the same time is a proxy for having sex with each other. IMHO of course.

[kandr]

Mich likes rugby, which is sort of half-way in-between fighting and shagging. Mich, comment?

Why is it sensible to fight someone, even if you know you'll win? What do you hope to achieve?

If someone is giving you no choice but to fight or run, then why wouldn't you fight?

[MaryPoppins]

If you run away (or make a pathetic attempt then back down) then you are seen as a coward, this has the unfortunate effect as making you a punch bag for any number of cretins. (See SY).

This is all based on the potential fight being sensible.

I think your comments are valid for schoolboys, but not perhaps for adult people.

I do agree with OG that men who have regular scuffles, want to do kissing with boys really.

[Old Greg]

We were both eating pot noodles at the time. I started shouting at her, and can vaguely remember advancing on her with my fork and one clear thought - I'm going to stab her in the head with this fork. We had a minor scuffle, during which tops were ripped, she ripped trackmarks in my neck with her nails, I tried (unsuccessfully) to stab her, she kicked me in the head, and I punched her in the cheek.

I never did get that money.

Now you'll get them started.

[MaryPoppins]

Now you'll get them started.

No, it wasn't pretty at all.

[kandr]

I think your comments are valid for schoolboys, but not perhaps for adult people.

I do agree with OG that men who have regular scuffles, want to do kissing with boys really.

I am talking about rare situations, I don't mean go out looking for trouble.

[northernladuk]

If you run away (or make a pathetic attempt then back down) then you are seen as a coward, this has the unfortunate effect as making you a punch bag for any number of cretins. (See SY).

This is all based on the potential fight being sensible.

But you also get to walk away without being knifed, glassed, brain damaged, needing facial reconstruction and so on so seems a win to me. Fighting on the rugby pitch is fine. You get one or two swings in before it stops but out in public? Hell no, not anymore.

[FiveTimes]

If someone is giving you no choice but to fight or run, then why wouldn't you fight?

Its about the situation you find yourself in ?

If your kids/wife are with you walk away, if you want to be a big man have a go. But I'd walk away every time