yes, of course it is abusive on her part - hitting a kid repeatedly harder and harder just to get them to admit it hurts. terribly abusive.
i think some kids react like you did (it's not weird) as a defiance to their parents' abuse. it's like they don't want to let the parent know they're hurting them don't want to give in to it, or it's the child's way of standing up to the parent, not letting the parent have the upper hand, so to speak, 'i'll show you - i'm not going to cry' kind of thing. i think a lot of kids do that. it didn't happen to me, but i've heard of others doing it. it wasn't weird or silly of you, but a way to show your strength in the face of insurmountable odds. there's nothing wrong with you for doing it. you're a fighter!