There are some quests in the game that wants you to kill commona tong members. so no choice really.

I never could taunt them into anything. I ain't got the patience. I just killed them straight out. If you're at low level and have a house in Balmorra you *cough* cleared out and claimed as your own, if the fight get's too rough you can concentrate on one at a time , kill one, run back to house, rest, repeat.

You'll have a huge bounty though, enough that the guards will kill you on sight. If you don;t get back to the guy in the fort without getting caught by a guard, even after he clears your name, when you walk back outside, they will attack. I just used Mark and recall to avoid the hassle.

Yeah I like uh.... erm......"clearing out" houses as well.....I have recently added a nice summer house in balmora

I did the kill and run trick. Took the guy out on the top floor then sneaked down to the bar and took on the three. I kept getting killed until I realised that only one of them down there actually has a weapon, the other two fight with their fists. So I criticaled the weapon wielder and then took the other two out nice and slow. Fists against a claymore? I don't think so?