Sounds like you might want to look into taking up some martial arts classes or just join a fight club where the current members will show you the ropes at your own pace. I'm a really nice guy until someone puts me or a friend of mine in danger,(or random kids & women) then I become extremely violent.
When people make threats that start with "I'm gonna...." that's a sign of a BMP.(big mounth pussy) People who aren't BMP's are the ones you need to watch out for. In that situation, best thing to do(for your own sake and pride) is jump the BMP before the empty threat even has time to finish crossing his lips. One quick solid punch in the nose will bring his hands to his face & tears to his eyes blurring his vision, then you punch the breadbasket with everything you have, that knocks out the wind and doubles your BMP over at the waist. That's when you finish with a nice hard knee to the face with both hands forcing his head down into your knee since you want the nose shattered not just broken. If he still has some fight in him and you don't feel like fighting... One side kick to the knee will insure he doesn't run at you... And if all else fails kick that fugger in the bawls, grab an ear and rip with everything you've got, and dig your thumbs as far into his eyeball sockets as you can get... There are no rules in street fighting.
If you have a good powerful punch and don't mind breaking a knuckle or two then I'd suggest a one shot to the ear/temple area of the head. Even if you don't knock out your opponent, most people can't handle that blunt force trauma to the side of the head and will need to get off their feet. It'll totally knock their equilibrium out of whack, but a hit that hard hurts your hand and if/when you break knuckles that's something that takes lots of time to heal, and you can look forward to arthritis later in life.
When I was 19 I stopped using my hands for head shots and went to using elbows. You loose reach, but if you wait for a lean in it's all good. Worst thing about using elbows is that broken teeth mangle skin and make getting stitches almost impossible when getting your elbow skin stitched up is hard enough as is.
Worst case, you get your ass kicked. I've had my ass kicked several times, and I would re-fight those fights in a second even knowing I'd lose. Pain is very temporary in most cases,,, regrets hurt for a lifetime.
Sry to hear this happened to you, but just remember... With a little time and effort you can turn yourself into a real fighter. Even if you truly hope to never be in a physical confrontation it's really comforting to know that you can protect yourself and your loved ones from the unsavory side of society.
BTW: I don't fight anymore unless it's necessary, I used to fight for fun and clout. That all stopped when I was arrested for dual assault charges on the beach. I talked the cop into pulling over so I could piss.(45min drive to the jail) I tried to escape and beat the shit out of the cop(while handcuffed) when he tried to stop me. I got away for about 2hrs, then I got rearrested and 8 cops nearly beat me to death. I spent the first 5ish mins of the beating wondering if they were planning on stopping soon. Spent the next 5ish mins wondering if that was the pain limit for the human body. I think the beating lasted about 15-20 mins total, but I was out cold for the last of it.
I still hate cops, but I also don't break the law very much anymore.
