I don't believe in this, if someone is significantly weaker than you, it is a sin in my book to punch them in their face. Using submission moves, take-downs, head locks is all that is needed to contain the fight. You're being the better person by not fighting. And I believe it takes a true man or a woman to talk their self out of a fight (even if you know you can clearly kick their ass).
It is also a sin in mine, but that is completely independent of the fact that it is also a sin for a weaker person to punch you in the face. And let's not get it twisted; if an average woman takes a proper, pissed-off swing at your face, it does actually hurt.
The way I see it, I did talk myself out of the fight. Sure, you can overpower them without hurting them - restraint, submission - but that doesn't calm them down, and even that is getting physically confrontational. It also reinforces the "I will now physically overpower you" aspect. Instead, I basically said "You're not allowed to do that, and technically I have some sort of right to retaliate, even - but I'm not going to, because I'm against violence. I'm not going to be in a relationship with any kind of physical violence - if you start getting violent, I am not going to put up with it by physically restraining the situation, because that's not a long-term solution - no, I'm going to walk out." You're being the better person by restraining them instead of punching them, but you're being an even better person by not using any form of physical force.
Also to clarify, I didn't mean "I'm walking out of this house right now, and if you hit me again, I'm gonna clock you right in the jaw." I told her that if she continues pulling this kind of shit - ie. throwing heavy objects and hitting me with a closed fist - and I force myself to stay in this situation, then at some point it'll go too far and I'll throw one back. I wouldn't have, because the whole point was that I would rather pre-emptively leave than face that situation.
I wasn't so much defending the right of men to hit women - and I really hope that's not what you took from my post - as much as I was criticizing the inference that a select few women draw from this: that they are allowed to use violence, but you are not. Nobody gets to punch anyone, or else I'm leaving.
I have never hit a woman and will always run from a fight if I can, or try to talk it out. I just felt that it was a pretty concrete way to clarify my stance on violence and the future of the relationship: either both commit to non-violence, or I'm outta here. If you can't promise not to hit me but justify it with the fact that I'm bigger, then that's not a relationship I want any part in.
Seems like these days, you have too many punk kids wanting to fight everyone (Generation Z kids), both men & women. It seems like everyone is so prideful & self centered about getting recognition (especially around their friends).
Everyone is so worried about getting punked or looking bad, so they revert to fighting
I've actually talked myself out of fights with drunk guys in bars. I'd say I'd end up befriended them, and sometimes even buying them drinks.
I have noticed the same thing and it pisses me off; when I was a kid, I had both respect and fear for my elders - I wouldn't start running my mouth on the street to guys that are taller than me, have facial hair and tattoos and shit. I've also never thought of it as anything other than intelligent and respectable to run from a fight.
Summa summarum: It is never OK for anyone to hit anyone.