A philosophy I heard was that bravery wasn't the opposite of fear, it's doing the right thing in the face of fear.
In any case, I think fighting is perfectly acceptable in many cases. It's a natural instinct, and although it should be avoided if possible, not knowing how to defend yourself when it CAN'T be avoided is incredibly risky.
An interesting anecdote I heard went like this:
A white belt in martial arts was walking along in the evening when he spotted a dangerous looking person. They met and the person pulled a knife on him: they struggled, and the white belt was stabbed.
A black belt found himself in the same situation. He and the person met, they struggled, and the culprit was stabbed.
A master of martial arts found himself in the same situation - he crossed over to the other side of the street.
I think one should always provide himself with as many options as possible. Not being able to defend yourself limits your options.
-Ramon http://razor.ramon.com
