New poster looking for help

I think fixed is for suicidal maniacs... not me just yet. I've just taken the rear disc off my hardtail. I'm going to see what it's like for a few commutes and decide, based on that, if I can run front only brakes.

If your front brake, cable, pads, lever or various mounts fail you will have no way to stop your bike. This is why you need two brakes.

A fixed wheels bike can be stopped (or at least the speed scrubbed) through the drivechain or the front brake - so if one fails there is always an alternative.

Running a single speed with one brake is very much more dangerous than a fixed wheel bike with only one hand brake.