Turns out, it's not just tennis. I was 15 then; I am 12 in this incident. As in, I'm still 5cm (2 inches) shorter and \~30 kilograms (70 pounds) lighter than my dad.

&amp;#x200B;

My family was out vacationing and after eating dinner, mom didn't feel so well, so she started complaining, and when mom is upset she likes to play cold (and she can be really infuriating with it). She demands a cup of hot water at some place, but dad rushes us "home" (to the apartment we were staying at). On the subway, she stands in the adjacent car and won't talk to any of us. When we get home, mom and dad argue, and it escalates into a fight, with dad punching her. I saw him grab a knife, but I was still shocked, and 12-year-old me didn't have any balls to fight an angry, 80-kilogram (170-pound) dad. Now, I knew dad wouldn't use the knife, since even when he's really mad he usually threatens with excess force that he'll never use, but I've never seen him pull a knife before. I think \*Oh, this is serious, even though no one's getting stabbed it still shows that he's the angriest I've ever seen him\* (to this day it still is), snatch mom's phone, and call the police. Mom tries to run outside but dad pulls her back in. Police come, no one presses charges, but dad is super mad at me. Now it's nighttime, and I usually sleep in the same bed as dad, but this night I'm scared and sleep with mom and a very upset younger sister. She locks the door for good measure, but at 2 in the morning dad picks the lock with a knife, drags me out of bed, and lashes out at me for calling the police. He tells me never to do it again, and that "we're family and we should keep it in," that the police will only do worse, and that he can lose his job over this. I think of all the counterarguments, but arguing with this guy is like trying to douse a fire with alcohol, so I don't. (Quick r/legaladvice: if no one presses charges but the police have to take him away because someone's hurt, can his employer see his record? This thing would be a misdemeanor—no one was seriously hurt; mom only got a small bruise.) 