Great story. I grew up in Carson, California which has more Samoans than the capitol of Samoa. They are very large and fun-loving. The culture is different, and hitting another person is not that big of a deal there. Interesting to note that culturally speaking you did the right thing. If you back down or become passive, you would probably been whacked around. By standing up and giving back some smacks, you gain their respect and friendship. Same in the Hawaiian culture. I know a Hawaiian family where a caucasian guy married into the family. The girls dad was not thrilled, and there was a strained relationship between the guy and the father-in-law. One day, they came to blows, and the mainland guy gave pops some good shots, and fought back hard. After that, he was totally accepted into the family without any hard feelings at all. Culture operate differently, and you did the right thing. Good thing you train realistically. Can you imagine what would have happened if you practiced trapping flow drills all day?
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"If you want to learn how to fight, you must practice fighting against someone who is fighting back!" Burton Richardson
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