For the record I'm not trying to justify everyone's childish behavior. I'm trying to demonstrate how kung fu jacket guy is not the better man, even though he was trying to be one. He patently failed to be the better man and was even the first to stoop too low in the story.

antagonized everyone around him

I disagree. He was bitching at the person who was causing the initial disturbance, then the third character entered the story.

verbally instigated the chef dude.

Dude invited himself into the situation. By definition he is an instigator. Not the sole instigator in the play, but one of them.

the bald man threw the first punch,

But kung fu jacket guy made the first attack. This is after he had already made a verbal challenge against the angry man's right to use his obnoxious words to shut up an obnoxious person.

Some believe that in itself is enough to fight for. I'm not the kind to fight or bitch someone out in public, (I fight and bitch for sport in controlled environments). But if for some reason I felt I had the right and reason to do so I know I would be resentful of someone else telling me not to.

These aren't the things a person who doesn't want to fight says.

Not as such. His words make fairly clear the conditions under which he is willing to fight.

However, should he have inserted himself in between the man and woman? No.

Precisely, this is exactly when the fight started. The fact that there was space to insert himself was a clear indication that he wasn't needed there. You can see that the bald man keeps a good foot or so beyond arms' length from the woman he's yelling at.

So here's a situation with raised voices but no violence or threatening gestures. So what was our orange belt trying to do? Impose a "shut up or I'll shut you up" order? Does that not make him a thug himself?

To me it makes him worse than the bald man, because while the bald man's clear intent was "shut up or I'll shout you down", KFG clearly intended "shut up or I'll beat you down." Then he made the push, and it bears repeating that this was the first physical attack.

But the bald guy almost punched a woman

He had the presence of mind not to even when she was putting herself in the way. He was in pretty good control in spite of his anger.

I'd probably have said something to him too, especially after he told her "You are going to hell".

That's foolish though, you're inviting yourself into a world of hurt, for what? Some stranger's potentially hurt feelings?

You may have said something but when he got in your face I hope you would have the wisdom to back down. Restrain all violence until an unsolicited attack occurs. It's really the only legal and moral choice. And besides, they're just words. Let people froth at the mouth and say whatever stupid shit they want. It's not worth medical bills and legal fees.

It's the greater man's duty to keep peace. Telling people "Shut up or I'll fight you" is not keeping the peace and it is not the act of the greater man.