[comment caption=Is Dunedin becoming more violent?]"It was the sort of situation where you wonder what is going to happen next," James said.
"I fought back as best I could.
''I tried to rugby tackle them for a bit.
''Then they pretty well changed their attention to my head so I put my hands and arms over my head to protect it."
James, who is a full-time night shift worker, and his partner have a 2-month-old baby.
Last Friday night, he had been out for drinks after work and then went to a friend's house to watch the cricket test between New Zealand and England.
He decided to walk home, as he often did, about 2.30am.
As he was walking along Princes St, he became aware of the whispered voices of two men on the footpath behind him.
Feeling slightly apprehensive, James (not his real name) decided to duck into the Empire Hotel, but it was closed.
So instead, he planned to turn off Princes St and head up Carroll St.
He had not got far when he heard a couple of quick footsteps and was jumped on from behind, and knocked to the ground.
He jumped up and "remonstrated" with the two young men, using what he admitted was "fairly colourful language".
The two men fired back similar abuse.
James then attempted to defuse the situation.
"I said to them that I was not a big guy, but they should be careful because they could come across someone that was a `hard ass' and would attack them."
"That's not you mate", they shot back.
He then caught a glimpse of brass knuckles on one of the man's hands.
"That's beyond a couple of lads having a bit of fun.
'That is pretty serious."
He tried to run, but was again knocked to the ground and the two men started raining punches on his head and kicking him in the body.
He tried to get up but repeated punches to the kidneys had made him weak.
Again he tried to tackle them, but that just made the situation worse because the men attacked his head.
"The knuckle-dusters felt a lot worse than a normal punch.
''The damage it inflicts is significantly greater."
The knuckle-dusters opened wounds, leaving numerous cuts to his back.
They then kicked him, before grabbing his wallet and running off.
He cannot remember much of the attack, but estimated it lasted about three minutes.
James suffered concussion, a broken nose, bruises to the eyes and cuts, grazes and bruises all over his body.
James said the men were very aggressive and he believed they were looking for any excuse for a fight.
"Why else would you go out with knuckle-dusters on?"A taxi driver who saw the end of the attack, helped James off the road and rang for police and an ambulance.
The police arrived soon after.
Two brothers, aged 16 and 19, were later arrested at a city address.
James said he often went out for drinks after work but, until now, had not felt threatened in Dunedin.
"I don't know whether I was in the wrong place at the wrong time or whether that was indicative of violence in Dunedin," he said"You see idiots and drunks squaring up to drunks.
''But you don't see people as being nasty in that regard.
''Only time is going to tell whether I end up changing my approach."
He said he had been getting headaches this week and ached all over, but did not know whether the knocks to his head would have any long-term effects.
Being attacked not only affected him, but his family as well.
"Anything that impacts on [my family] takes on a whole new level of seriousness."
