I just had kids trying to 'mug' me

Wasn't even a proper mugging. Just had three kids follow me late at night, one of them kept running in front and trying to block my way. They started by saying they wanted to talk to me and I asked what they had to say, and it soon became apparent they were just being pricks. Then I heard one, maybe the one in front, telling me to give them all my money. They didn't have a knife or anything so I just kept walking and telling them to fuck off. I thought they gave up but suddenly one of them chucked their headphones round my neck and tried to strangle me. I took them off, went jesus christ as they laughed their asses off and that was the end of it.

I'm home all fine but I just can't stop thinking how as a grown man that was pathetic of me. I'm not the most blessed physically and I didn't want to have a go at them, but it just feels like I was being a pussy. Surely there was a better way of handling it or teaching them a lesson than keeping my head down and walking hoping they'd leave it there. What if they didn't? I had no plan to defend myself against a few kids that were just making fun of me.