Good thread. Shame that most of the folks on this board are too young and invincible to pay any heed. I was young once too so I get it.
Like others have said, the two best tactics in a potential "combat" situation are 1) de-escalate, and 2) run. Only when both options have been ruled out do you stand and fight with whatever weapon you have available. But even then, force should be limited to whatever it takes to either flee or disarm the situation.
But SA (situational awareness) can usually keep you out of these situations in the first place. Usually.