“The one that controls the distance, controls the fight”
In a combative situation, both you and the enemy are at blows with each other. Whether it is hundreds of meters away from each other on the battlefield or within the confines of a MMA cage, the principle remains the same, ”The one that controls the distance, controls the fight.”
This basic yet simple principle has been taught by martial artists for thousands of years, from ancient martial artists to Bruce Lee to Rener Gracie. In the striking arts you have to utilize footwork to close the distance on an opponent to land your strikes and use your footwork to evade theirs. In grappling arts you have to close the distance on the enemy to prevent their strikes being effective, or to break distance far enough away.
The control of the distances during the fight is constantly in flux, one moment the distance is closed and the other moment the distance is too far away. Understanding distance control can be more important than the techniques to injure. If you are a serious martial artist, this specific principle can not go untrained.
What does a not-so-picture-perfect knife-attack scenario look like? Combat Focus Shooting expert Rob Pincus talks about that in his latest video, shot exclusively for Black Belt Magazine.
