🥊✈️ Strike Before the Storm

In partnership with

Hey Warrior,

There’s a moment in every confrontation…

...that split-second between rising tension and full-blown violence.

Some call it the flinch gap. Others call it the trigger point. But you can feel it.

It’s that flicker of decision when you know…

…“If I don’t act now… I might not get another chance.”

And that’s where today’s theory comes in…

In traditional martial arts, you’re often taught to defend first, block first, wait for your opponent to strike.

But in real violence?

Waiting gets you stabbed.

Pre-emption is the idea that you don’t wait for the first shot—you deliver it.

It’s not ego. It’s not dominance.

It’s taking away your attacker’s initiative before they can execute their plan.

Why It Works

The average street attacker is banking on one thing…

…the element of surprise.

They think you’ll freeze.

They think you’ll comply.

They think you won’t hit first.

So when you interrupt their script—when you launch a pre-emptive strike—they’re the one caught flat-footed.

You’ve just flipped the OODA Loop.

Legal vs. Tactical Pre-Emption

Now let’s be clear—pre-emption is not permission to beat someone up because you feel nervous.

It must be:

• Reasonable (based on a credible threat)

• Proportional (measured to the level of danger)

• Justifiable (articulated as necessary to prevent harm)

This is where situational awareness and threat recognition matter.

If someone’s clenching their fists, puffing up, scanning for witnesses, and invading your space while issuing threats?

You're not "starting the fight."

You're ending it before it begins.

How to Train It

Pre-emption doesn’t just live in theory—it has to live in your body.

Train scenarios where:

• You strike from conversation range

• You launch from passive posture (hands up, “I don’t want trouble” stance)

• You build the skill to deliver one decisive shot that creates the opportunity to escape, control, or dominate

Focus on targets that stop forward momentum—eyes, throat, jawline, groin.

Not for sport. Not for points.

For survival.

Pre-Emption in Context

Want to see this in action?

• That push kick you launched before the punch.

• That palm strike off the verbal de-escalation.

• That off-angle elbow before the guy clears his waistband.

These are pre-emptive not because they’re first—but because they’re decisive responses to imminent danger.

✅ Before You Go...

Take a moment this weekend and walk yourself through this question…

What’s my trigger?

What signs or cues would tell you now’s the time to act?

Because when you know that…

…you won’t need to “get ready.”

You’ll already be moving.

Stay sharp,
– Paul Simoes