Father in charge lifting clenched hand — he's no fighter (8)
I believe the answer is:
pacifist
'he's no fighter' is the definition.
(a pacifist doesn't want to fight)
'father in charge lifting clenched hand' is the wordplay.
'father' becomes 'pa' (pa can mean dad or father).
'in charge' becomes 'ic' (abbreviation for 'in charge').
'lifting' says the letters should be written backwards.
'clenched hand' becomes 'fist' (I've seen this in another clue).
'ic' written backwards gives 'ci'.
'pa'+'ci'+'fist'='PACIFIST'
(Other definitions for pacifist that I've seen before include "Believer in non-violence" , "Person who believes in resolving quarrels by peaceful means" , "One who's anti war" , "Person who believes in settling disputes without war" , "Anti-war person, believes in peaceful settlements" .)