Yes, there are some badasses in the fascist crowd who are ex-military and skilled with arms. Do you admire them for that? Fascists glorify violence. The right of the strong to dominate the weak is a major tenet of theirs. Antifa are not nearly as skilled at the art of fighting as your Proud Boys. That's why I feel it is important for others, myself included to stand with them and show fascists they can't win no matter how many heads they beat in and there are always a few victims among the counter protesters. It's the fascists who do all the killing too.
In Portland, the fascists were outnumbered 5 to 1. Fascists were scared and many carried guns because they knew they couldn't win in a pitched battle otherwise. They stayed behind police barricades while my side insulted them and threw rocks and bottles at them.