Looking at that clip of Connery being interviewed by Walters now, I cringe.
However, I'm not so naive as to not understand that sometimes men and women go ape and physically hit each other. (I know, I've had 3 women physically attack me - in each case, they took a shot at me and shocked the shit out of me.)
There's a big difference between an arguement between a man and a woman that escalates into fisticuffs and the guy who comes home from work loaded and just wants to beat the shit out of the old lady because he's an abusive prick.
I'm thinking that that is what Connery was referring to, but if a woman is just busting balls verbally, a man does not have the right to lay hands on her in an attempt to shut her up.
(Interestingly, in 3 the three times I've had women attack me physically, they all surprised me, they all connected (one pretty good too) and I never raised a hand back to any of them. Nor did calling the cops even cross my mind.