Know which battles to fight. The real skill is not how to fight. It is knowing which battles to pick and which to walk away from.
.
If your response to all things is to fight, this is bad thinking, bad practice. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to fight. Sometimes the best self-defense you can use is to walk away. Therefore, you must choose your battles wisely.
.
Martial artists must know better. Most genuine martial arts teachers should teach their students that their increased ability in combat should be used only in self-defense.
.
A martial artist has the ability to take the fight beyond the legal limit, and therefore must assume the responsibility to know not too. Martial artists learn a myriad of techniques to use in combat situations. And choosing the right ones, especially in a stressful self-defense situation, isn’t always easy. But one tantamount rule must always apply….. that only enough force needed to stop the situation is used, and nothing more.
.
Martial arts training gives you the confidence to walk away from an argument before it escalates into a fight. Knowing that you have the ability to physically handle your opponent, should mean that you can react calmly and with presence, hopefully without getting angry.
.
Anger, which can enhance performance by increasing adrenal levels, clouds judgment. The best martial artists should be calm, even when fighting. Anger interferes with selecting the right technique(s) and the execution of that technique.
.
To start solving this problem, you need to find where you draw the line between letting something go and engaging in conflict.
.
With power comes responsibility. Martial artists are given the power to hurt others, and this power must be tempered by increased responsibility. The martial arts, as well as being combative, are well regarded for being great exercise, moving meditation, and a means for increasing self-esteem and confidence. But at their core are techniques for combat.
.
All skills require practice over time, and the importance of practice in choosing your battles cannot be understated: We can’t forget that fact. 
.