I agree with hailtoyourvictor.

 

There's no expectation to retreat if you're in fear of receiving bodily harm so long as the threat of violence is justified through something to support it. If she punches you, you have every right to punch her back. 

 

This idea of not hitting women (in self-defense) is noble, but it leads to A LOT of serious injuries for the victim. It could be the woman landing the perfect punch, that despite the differences in sizes, allowed her to knock him out. I see women escalate the physical violence too. They see that their punches don't cause the damage they're looking for so they use a weapon or object to do more.

 

That happens all the time. 

 

Granted, if for some reason my girlfriend decided to punch me, I wouldn't punch her back. That has more to do with a willingness to accept the risk over hurting her. If a stranger decided to attack me, you better believe I'd hit her back. I've seen too many men fall into the perception that women can't hurt them when they certainly can.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that you don't know the female's level of training. She may very well have the ability to knock you out and she's waiting for you to walk away.

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