another reason why i will never be governor of california

A graduate student and I are having a problem with flaky participation from a person that we need to press our project ahead (NO ONE affiliated with the UW sociology department). When the student sent me a message saying that this person had failed yet again to show up for something we had arranged, I confess that it was perhaps not the most professorial of me to reply "I think I now would like to kick [person's] ass." The reply from the student, however, provides a good indication of the aura of intimidation that I exude around here:

No offense, but I have a hard time picturing you kicking anyone's ass.
Although [person] wouldn't be much of a challenge, especially with his broken
leg. You probably could take him. I'm just having a hard time picturing
it. Although it would be amusing.