🥊✈️ Train Your Eyes Like You Train Your Fists

In partnership with

Hey Warrior,

Ask the average person what they’d do in a fight…

…they’ll tell you about what they’d hit.

The nose.

The throat.

The groin. The classics.

But ask a professional? What would they say?

Let’s explore…

Professionals wil talk about what they saw coming.

Because in real violence, survival isn’t throwing the first punch.

It’s seeing the whole picture…

…and responding before your attacker finishes their plan.

The Skill Most Fighters Don’t Train

We drill strikes. We drill blocks. We drill takedown defense.

But do you train your eyes?

Do you actively build the habit of reading a room…

…instead of just reacting to one?

Most people fixate on the person yelling, the one taking up space.

But the guy who hits you isn’t always the one in your face.

Sometimes it’s his friend.

Or the person behind you.

Or the one who walked out of your view 30 seconds ago…

…and came back with a weapon.

That’s where scanning comes in.

It’s the difference between winning the fight and walking into a setup.

How to Start Scanning (Without Being Paranoid)

Scanning isn’t twitchy paranoia. It’s building environmental awareness into your muscle memory.

You can start building this right now—no partner, no gym.

Here’s how:

• Pick any public space—coffee shop, gas station, parking lot.

• Watch hands first. Not faces. Hands. Because that’s where the danger lives.

• Clock posture. Is someone angling off-line? Is their weight shifting? Are they circling or blocking an exit?

• Run mental reps. Ask yourself, “If he did this right now… what would I do?”

This turns every environment into training.

And it rewires your brain to recognize cues before they escalate.

Bring It Into Training

In your next class or session:

• Add a second attacker to your drills—even if they’re just standing there at first.

• Practice “interviews” where you’re talking to someone and another person steps in.

• Train from social distances—hands visible, movements subtle.

• Build the habit of glancing, checking, repositioning.

If your footwork is solid, use it to angle out and keep everyone in view.

Don’t wait until the punch is coming.

Spot the shift before the setup even finishes.

Before You Go…

Most people train for the first punch.

Fewer train for the second.

Almost no one trains for the friend coming in behind them.

Be the exception.

Train your vision like you train your strikes and you’ll win before the fight even starts.

Stay dangerous,
– Paul Simoes