So how did things go?
The unfortunate thing is that this was an example of escalation as opposed to showing "toughness".
I would have recommended various other courses of action, but it appears that the first attack was done because of some sort of (opportunist) perception of weakness.. which is difficult to overcome. I wonder at a past history.
Bringing "the boys" over may well have been a good thing to do, as a show of strength and of the sorts of consequences which can be expected for the original unprovoked event.
Me, I would have trained with secreting and readying a simple folding pocketknife (the smaller the better). He with whatever small army drops by another time, and very relaxedly are received, while I keep moving from strikes and wait for a good moment.. and *click* comes out a knife at close quarters.. alongside a very calm gaze.. stops the fight then and there.. then away it disappears.
Then again, the culture here is very different from elsewhere.. like from you gun-toting maniac americans. Eesh. I'm sure the psychology would be quite different.. but hey, I just came from a class filled with knifework.. I need to dream my dreams. =)