I hate witnessing a fight or one on the verge of happening. Can't take watching people try to hurt each other. The aggression and the violence freaks me out. Particularly.... I mean even without fighting, it's that intention of harm and violence. The rage in their eyes, the tension in their bodies and voices, the force they're building up. That intention to decimate just gets to me. To see one person want to make a person disabled, in pain and/or lifeless... it's horrible. To see a person just not care at all.
In saying all this I am like miyachanfan in that when something important to me is threatened I will stand up against it and fight if it seems necessary. So far this has only been verbal fighting however. There have been a couple of times when I have put myself in a dangerous near-fight situation to help someone who was being victimised, fortunately I didn't need to physically fight but I definitely would have if the aggressor took it there.
I find casual fighting hard to understand. Fighting is one reason why I disliked going out at night in one city I lived in - the bar/club scene there often seemed to involve guys getting into pointless fights. And jostling between bouncers and drunk/aggravated people. A flatmate once tried to explain to me about how fun fights are - he'd fought with friends at home where they ended up shattering glass everywhere, breaking furniture and of course feeling quite sore the next day. He was quite happy as he talked about how sometimes it's just the right thing to go out and have a punch-up, it's actually a nice experience. I suppose it gives him a sense of being alive, plus soothing from endorphins. I still think causing hurt for no good reason is despicable.
I do really love martial arts and playfighting though. I like having the skills and strength. But when I would accidentally hurt someone while sparring I would feel really bad. So it was kind of an odd mix. I guess I enjoy having an outlet for aggressive energy, but I don't want people to suffer for it.
but I still feel my heart rate go up.