At the time, I felt that a bear hug was the best way to avoid an actual fight, and it worked. If you want to co-write a post on de-escalation techniques, I'd genuinely love to! What would you have done in that situation to defuse it?

Walked away? I don't think I'm the slightest bit interested in ever collaborating with you on anything, sorry.

So, you wouldn't have gotten what you wanted, and the other person would've gotten the wrong lesson from this episode. Got it. Given your tactics, I don't think I want to collaborate with you either. Maybe a discussion/debate?

hahaha, man, I hope he joined that boxing gym like I suggested last month. Get the bad blood out, man. It's good for you.

I got back into fencing. Thanks :) I still stink at it, and am likely to keep stinking at it, but it's a good workout in a competitive environment.

Take care of yourself. And with all due respect, pump the brakes, man. The behavior you are claiming to indulge in is NOT OK.

The episode I related above was from either 2005 or 2006, I forget.

The last time I was in a fight, was in August of 2013, someone in a very altered mental state came at me with a knife. I believe at that point a therapeutic hold (bear hug and lift) is more than justified :)

I'm a big guy and that gives me some power. Power comes with responsibility, like "don't call the cops and potentially get some crazy person killed when you can handle it yourself and then call an ambulance".

Thanks for the advice! I have, generally, followed it.