I'm on the side of Seamus and Mandotim. If I am wrestling on the floor with my seven year old son, you will rightly surmise that I am a pussy cat and use about as much force. I have trained in martial arts several times a week for many years now, so I have been taught to watch my manners at all times and never fight unnecessarily. It would be unwise to expect me to use the same tactics if you mugged me in a back alley though!
The level of your response depends upon the situation you are in. Like Seamus, my primary aim is to keep myself in a position to entertain the audience. I don't mind a heckler getting in a line or two at my expense, but I am getting paid to do the job - and I'm buggered if I'll hand the job over to a drunk.