First, thank you so much everyone in this subreddit for your insight and brilliant empathy--I wouldn't have had the courage to confront my dad this morning otherwise.
an update: I didn't run away, instead confronted him and asked him not hit me and almost got beat with a baseball bat.
he made me, by holding a baseball bat to my face, agree that it's a parent's right to chastise their children and he can hit me all my life if he wanted to. I hesitated. he swung at me, I dodged.
i said let's talk it out, words. he said that didn't work last night obviously. swung at me again, I avoided, he said "what gives you the right to avoid me?" I just kept putting my hands up. "Put your hands down, now."
He wanted to commit suicide so many times, this is so hard for him to discipline me and he can't do this anymore (whilst holding the bat up to my face), swung at me, stopped 1 inch from my face, I didn't flinch cuz I was just ready to end it and wanted a reason to report him.
he noticed, said "what were you going to do if i don't stop hitting you? Take revenge and report me huh? You fcked up POS, that's what's wrong with you, you hold a grudge. You sister's better than you, you only think about yourself so selfish, you're no different from an animal (cuz I don't the empathy to think about the fact he's doing this FOR me, to make me better) etc.
I just said nothing. Looked off into the distance, this drove him crazy. One minute he's saying look at me, and the next, look down and show some respect etc.
Then when he finally let me speak about what "bothers me so badly", while nudging a glass teapot and teacups while on the nearby coffee table, as if threatening to smash it if I dare said anything.
he ordered me to stand closer to him and his bat. i moved a bit, and he said closer.
i said it bothers me when you hit me especially when I'm sick. It hurts.
He hit my legs.
he said then "Then you should think about how you shouldn't put me situations where you leave me with only that option, right? retarded pos"
he kept holding a bat at my chin until I acknowledged it's a parents right to hit their children and all cultures have their way, good or bad and this is the right way since we're Asian.
Conclusion is: I'm cutting my dad off once I move out after graduation (one more year). I'll say unless he says he will never hit me and is sorry for hitting me in the past, I won't speak to him anymore and only to mom. thanks everyone