I was a non functioning alcoholic and ran with some rough types in my late teens/early 20s and have both kicked ass and had my ass kicked. Mostly drunken barfights.
One time someone legitimately mistook me for someone else and started cussing at me, so I started cussing back and pushed him to the ground. He got up and did a really neat move actually where he faked a kick and then socked me right in the cheek, knocked me on my ass. I apologized, got up, we figured out the misunderstanding and he bought me a beer.
I was 27 and traveling. I had some time to kill so headed to a local bar for a few drinks before I turned in for the evening. Of all the people in this fairly crowded bar, I get a loud drunk guy that thinks he knows me, he keeps putting his arm around my shoulder, trying to act chummy, telling anyone who will listen that “we’re cool, old friends”.
I got fed up and stressed he didn’t know me, to keep his hands off me. well, he took great offense to this, exchanged some words and stormed off. I figured that was that… But some time goes by, he returns and again throws his arm around me. This time I forcibly removed it. Before I could even process the whole situation, his other hand came around and punched me square in the face knocking me on my ass.
I hopped up, pushed him through the crowd and put him through a standalone table. He was pretty hammered and didn’t get up immediately, the bartenders started yelling at me acting like I was the aggressor. I bolted straight to the door and got the hell out before anything came of it, dunno what happened to the guy and I was back on the road bright and early.