Willie D,
You bring up an interesting point. You may or may not have the opportunity to do so, but a human bite can be an awful thing. Never underestimate it. Unlike dogs (who use instinct, and have mouts large enough to get around a throat), humans have the cognitive ability to bite where it counts. Like on the wrist that's holding a club. This gets back to another thread about moving IN on an attacker - It's not what they're expecting. A club or other blunt instrument is a good example - a knife is a very bad choice to move in on.
Biting may sound like a sissy move to some, but I'd rather be a sissy than a John Doe. I'm not above popping their ears or kneeing them in the groin either.
This is a firearms thread, but sometimes you need the chance to safely remove your weapon. I'm not going to go for it while one thug has me in a choke hold and the other is punching me. As for getting along in years, we weere given the innate ability to get smarter as we get older. Having been in a few bar-room brawls in my younger days (and MA training when I was a bit more mature) has taught me a few cheap tricks that I'd be more than willing to employ.
Also - not a bad time to use a BUG as first line of defense provided you carry it smartly. You need to telegraph your move when going for the waistband, but from the fetal or prone position, you might be able to get at that little mousegun and give them something to think about while you go for the big boy.