🥊✈️ The #1 Mistake Fighters Make Under Pressure

In partnership with

Hey Warrior,

First off. Happy Canda Day to our Canadian friends. 🍁🍁🍁

Let’s be honest…

…fighting doesn’t bring out the best in people.

Just look at the bullshit going on between the US and Canada!

Fighting, and it doesn’t matter if its verbal or physical, brings out peoples fear, pride, and usually… worst decisions.

We’ve all seen it. We are seeing it.

It’s the real danger in a fight. Not the other guy’s hands—but your own head.

Let’s explore deeper…

Everyone wants to be fast. Everyone wants to be strong.

But in real self-defense, I’ll take calm over both—every single time.

Why?

Because fighting isn’t linear. It’s not a flowchart.

You’re not moving from “block A” to “counter B” like it’s a kata.

Real violence is chaos.

It’s messy, unpredictable, and full of bad options.

So when your heart’s pounding and your vision’s tunneling and your hands start doing things before your brain can catch up—you’re not fighting.

You’re reacting.

And reaction, without strategy, is just desperation with muscles.

Staying calm is what gives you the space to think.

To recognize patterns. To change plans.

To see openings instead of swinging for them.

A calm fighter can assess.

A calm fighter can wait.

A calm fighter doesn’t get pulled into dumb exchanges that drag the fight out and make things worse.

Remember…

…The longer a fight goes, the more chances there are for things to go wrong.

More time for you to trip.

More time for someone else to jump in.

More time for a weapon to come out.

So calm isn’t just looking cool under pressure.

It’s focus, to help end the fight faster—with less risk.

Train to Think Like a Weapon

Let’s get practical.

How do you actually build this kind of calm?

I can tell you it’s not by telling yourself to “stay calm” and hoping for the best. That’s fluff.

You build calm by training in conditions that trigger stress—and staying present inside that stress.

Here’s what that looks like…

1. Add Stress to Your Drills

Start simple with a head-lock escape drill.

Now add resistance.

Now add a time limit.

Now add noise.

Now have your partner shout at you while you try to breathe and move.

You don’t need to simulate a real fight. You just need to simulate the feeling of one.

2. Watch Your Breath

Every panic response starts with bad breathing.

When you're gassed or angry, your breathing gets shallow and fast.

Flip it. Nasal inhale. Slow exhale.

No matter what’s happening.

If you control your breath, then you control your state.

3. Measure Your Emotional Control

After a hard round, ask your partner the following questions.

“Did I look stessed?”

“Did I rush anything?”

“Did I miss opportunities because I was too focused on one thing?”

If the answer is yes, then you’re not ready yet.

That’s okay. Keep working. But be honest with yourself.

4. Run Decision-Making Drills

Not every drill needs to be physical.

Try “freeze” moments in training where you pause and ask:

“What are my options right now?”

“Where’s my exit?”

“Am I in control—or am I just reacting?”

Do this enough times and it becomes a habit.

You teach your nervous system that clarity comes before combat.

Before You Go…

Fighting isn’t just hitting. It’s thinking.

The moment you stop thinking, the fight starts controlling you.

If you’re serious about becoming harder to kill—calm is not optional.

It’s foundational.

So this week, I want you to notice something…

…during training, during sparring, even during daily conflict…

When do you start to feel reactive?

And how fast can you bring yourself back to neutral?

That space—the space between stimulus and response—is where fight intelligence lives.

That’s where we train. That’s where we win.

Stay sharp,
Paul Simoes