Self defense in a flash?

Never be a yessir-nosir guy. The old man was right to a certain extent. You should ALWAYS stand up for yourself. The old man didn't tell you all the different ways you can stand up for yourself, though. He only taught you aggression. There's pive aggression, plotting, revenge, etc. All kinds of good stuff. Machiavelli and The Prince are good reads. I recommend them to you.