Have you ever been punched or punched someone?

Nope. The need to hit someone a proper belt never arose nor have I ever earned one. I played a share of sport in my younger years and have been on plenty of messy nights out since then but it never came to throwing punches.

I am a man of peace.

Easily well over 100 people. Mainly fellas.

*in sparring

In my teens and early 20's I have received and given a quite few, some in sport and others after a few pints! Im 43 now and id say I have not even come close to a situation in 20 years!

Age and maturity has a lot to do with it I would say!

Quick sand!

The nightlink wasn't called the fightlink for no reason...

Never liked getting physical, but after one particular night after getting a slight concussion after getting stuck in the middle of a scrap, and a few other close encounters, I thought enough was enough and joined boxing...

never started anything, but being in town at a certain time around certain people will inevitably involve some arguments....

always given as good as I got, was good to be able to swing a few digs, move fast and get the **** outa there....

gladly those days ae long gone.... still boxing though, so get punched in the face weekly (I'm not very good)

Once on the receiving end. Think I mentioned it before… strolling through temple bar on my own… attacked from behind by some random brass monkey…. Left pouring with blood from top left back and side of my head… the single shot must have been driven with some amount of anger and force because I was left a bit unsteady and light headed…. It was no slap. I doubt it had a knuckle duster but the impact felt somewhat harder then just a fist, maybe the slithering urchin had a load of cheap sovereigns on his fingers, dunno..

last time I punched a fella I was around 18/19… self defence, a quite delightful situation which was payback to a little psycho who’d gone from a nice guy, to a miserable little muppet to a little jealous, antagonist, intimidatory and violent person….

I worked as a bouncer in Limerick and beyond during my younger years. Did a variety of doors around the town and usually managed to deescalate rather than steam in.

Still ended up in a lot of scraps though, that said working outside of Limerick was always rougher. Dundrum and Nenagh in particular.

Also played a lot of rugby, plenty of digs thrown in contact.

I generally take the role of peacemaker and it works more often than not but, on the occasions trying to becalm a situation didn't work? I had the size and experience to win.

I am too old for it these days tho 😉

Who? Do you mean Brian Fitzgerald?

A bouncer had friends? friends of a bouncer? And they got away with shít...?

What does that have to do with my own post you quoted other than job title? How is your post congruent to thread? Or is it just a general comment? Or is there more to be added?

Termights....I loved the place. Nearly gave the guy who ran it a box in the mush for his attitude one time...

Got nose broken by a savage head butt trying to defuse a gang who took umbrage with a pal of mine. Lucky not to be stabbed tbh. O'Connell Street, Dublin late 90's.

Myself and my brother got jumped by 7 or 8 local scumbags one night when I was 17. Surrounded, knocked to the ground before we could even try to defend ourselves and kicked and punched multiple times, including a parting kick right in my face as they ran off. Surprisingly we weren’t hurt and it could have been much worse.

I’ve punched two people in the head. One was a friend, one was a stranger. Both were the instigators and deserved it 100%, neither were hurt (well, the friend got it in the ear like the one Edward Norton gives Brad Pitt outside the bar in Fight Club), neither punched back, and I felt bad about it afterwards both times.

The last punch I got was when I was 12 years old and it was a sucker punch that did permanent damage to my teeth, so I've avoided punching or being punched ever since.

In a lot of cases where a confrontation arises there's an imbalance, especially when dealing with gurriers, they have little to lose but you have a lot even if you win. Losing a tooth won't affect their ability to draw the dole or sell drugs but might raise a few eyebrows when you're on a video call with international clients or make life difficult having to explain to your kids why someone knocked your tooth out.

I've had a chain (not jewellery!) put around my neck from behind, been threatened by a syringe, and nearly got hit by a huge chunk of wood.

However, in all cases I escaped unscathed. My self defence is:

• Try to talk my way out
• Run as fast as I can.

Actual fighting is a mugs game.

I am from a working class neighbourhood in a city in Eastern Europe. I had to fist fight several times a year during my primary school, my nose was broken twice, I was fully knocked out once. Simple times.

I've been punched maybe 15-20 times but always in the face or side of head with fists, sounded like a golf ball being hit to me a few times. It didn't hurt until later on. Have punched a few people usually defending myself or with good reason.

Only once did it last very long which was the most memorable . I was lucky to get out of that one as it was a crowded area. Fighting with an obese chef in 25 degrees heat down a Thai city street. Rescued by the city police and then fined €5

It helps if you can defend yourself in any city as things can happen.

Its not like even when I was growing up 20 years, these days a knife is used very quickly. Yes you can kill someone with a single punch and they hit the ground but 99.9% you'll just leave a bruise or break a bone. Fights escalate to someone sticking a knife into someone and not caring what organ or damage they cause happens way too easy.

I had to think long and hard about this. I don't remember having either received or given a punch. My primary and secondary schools had reputations for being rough but I passed through unscathed. Having gone to those schools saved me in a few situations years later when a gang would come over looking for trouble, only for one them to say something like "Leave him. He's OK I was at school with him"