Kira beating up Damar. Totally ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that Damar can't defend himself against a woman, no matter how well trained, half his size ?
Actually, it may be one of the few Kira combats that
wasn't "totally ridiculous." You're supposed to assume, I think, that Damar had been drinking for much of the day before their encounter—a customary occurrence—and was by no means at his fighting peak. In addition, his intense dislike for Kira and all Bajorans caused him to give her absolutely
no repect as a combatant once their very brief exchange began: He flailed at her, employing easily blocked roundhouse swings, while she very precisely and ruthlessly hit him again and again, as hard and as often as she could, until he went down—which is precisely what one
must do when fighting a larger, stronger opponent.
I have little doubt the Cardassians never bothered to learn where Bajorans are particularly vulnerable, in a structural sense: They were the conquerers, and far more physically impressive, so it was hardly necessary to receive specialized training. Simply overpowering them usually served quite well. On the other hand, I'm sure Bajoran freedom fighters/terrorists learned every freakin' dirty trick in the book, and studied Cardassian anatomy with an eye towards gaining the advantage in close quarters. Think about Kira's encounter with Damar's buddy in the Cardassian Liberation Front: After she pulls a move on him and he comments about having struck a nerve, she does so literally
and intentionally. You can't do that to another species unless you're
quite familiar with their weaknesses.
I have more of a problem with her dropping armed Klingon shock troops who attack her with both intent to kill and sobriety intact. Now
that's absurd.
As to the double-fisted chop, well ... that's simply a time-honored
Trek convention.
I've always assumed that a Damar who'd
not been swilling
kanar and afforded Kira even
half the respect she deserved in a fight would drop her like a bad habit. Frankly, I think she was quite close to death directly after making the comment about the kinds of people that give such orders in the wake of his family's execution.