An experience I had the other night:
Flying back from a fight over the ocean to a CV in my FM2 at about 1K ft, I'm bounced by a high LA7. He repeatedly zooms and extends, taking zero risk.
I'm running low on fuel and am trying to work back to the CV, dodging his zooms, trying to lure him into at least making one decent attempt.
I run out of fuel and ditch in the water. Then he opens up on me on channel 200: "You coward! Who were you flying that F4F, you know who your are, ditching on me...blah blah." Huh?
When I told him he ran me out of fuel and asked who the coward was, he claimed not to fly LA7s very often.
Fine, I told him I'm coming back with full tank.
On the way, I get bounced by a high P51. I've no idea if it's the same guy, but the MO was the same. Zooming at 400+mph, extending, repeating. Taking no risk whatsoever. Flying like that he has no chance of killing me.
I was having to cut my manuvers very narrowly, letting him close on my 6 to less than d400 and get some pings otherwise he wouldn't commit enough for me to even get a decent snap shot.
Just as I was fearing that I'd have to ditch again, out of fuel (remember I started with a full tank), he must've been low too 'cause he peeled off for home.
Fly however you want, but you're not going to get any better if you refuse to take risks and I don't for the life of me see how anybody can have fun this way.