Have you ever been in a physical fight?

I know a lot of us at some point in our lives have been picked on by bullies. Have you ever had to physically defend yourself in a fight? For me, I fought a lot of times as a kid, mainly because I'm short, bullys saw me as an easy target. I never lost a fight. I'm honestly afraid to get into fights. Not afraid of losing, but afraid of what I might do. The last fight I got into years ago somebody had to pull me off because he thought I was going to kill the guy. I just see pure red when I fight and don't know when to stop. Thankfully I haven't fought in years because I have become a master of avoiding conflicts. Do you guys still have problems avoiding confrontations today?

I've been in alot of fights back in middle school due to shitheads bullying me about my weight. I whacked pretty much everyone whom I fought, but it came with alot of consequences as well. That's why I did everything I could to avoid fights all together. Still people would try to egg me to fight them. The only time I lost was when one guy ambushed me, I was trying to get a rematch with him, but could never get it due to me being forced to transfer schools. Sigh talking about this brings back shitty memories of dealing with bullies. I guess that's why I have a seething hatred for people who can't live and let live and actually wish death upon them. Avoiding confrontations as an adult seems to be alot easier for me nowadays. The only confrontations I would get, would be with people online, but other than that no, since people don't give a shit about my weight and I usually keep to myself.

^your story is mine in a nutshell except for the bullying factor. I wasn't bullied physically but verbally. But then it would turn physical. Back then though people didn't take verbal abuse as anything. So if someone got pushed or shoved they just saw the physical aspect to it and not what led up to that. It sucks, I was labelled a bully at one time but I felt it was all in self defense.

Oh, but I haven't been in a fight since I was a kid. I eventually saw my lashing out at people as being something I learned, or rather, inherited from my family. As soon as I realized I didn't want to go through life as an enraged psycho I calmed down. Not passive aggressive necessarily, but just laid back. It takes a lot to get me to a point that I'm pissed off. My job makes me go bananas sometimes but no one would say it's unwarranted.

Annnnnd also, I never faught girls. I was suspended once from school. Had bloody noses, black eyes, etc etc. but I didn't get into trouble until the suspension. I would tell my mom, hey, this kid keeps picking at me saying... And she and my older brothers would say, "Kick their ass." I feel like it was a set up.

^ I wasn't really touched by many of the bullies, they'd always say shit to me first in hopes I'd retaliate, but if I ignore them, or be a smartass with them then a fight occurs. It's sad that it took many suicides from bullying for this issue to be taken more seriously.

Words can definitely be used as weapons. I used them alot to defend myself after my last fight where I almost went too far. For instance, this one kid who didn't know who I was tried to goad me into fighting him. He said something like, "What are you going to do about it, huh?" I just shrugged and non-nonchalantly replied, "Well I have my car keys in my pocket. I could stick them in your throat and see if I can turn on the ignition.". The guy just walked away and never talked to me again. My dark joke made people think I was a stone cold killa. But hey, never had a problem with bullys again.