by Mark Bukovich

Created on: February 25, 2009

People have debated throughout history on what is the most effective way to fight. Many martial artists are familiar with arguments about whether grappling or striking is better, whether kicking or punching is more effective. However, any serious practitioner must be honest and understand that both grappling and striking are equally viable ways of winning a fight. The question becomes a matter of strategy, of how effectively the martial artist can use his/her skill set. The topic of strategy can get very complex, but there is a very convenient viewpoint that can greatly simplify the matter. Most strategy ultimately comes down to effectively managing the distance between oneself and the opponent.

The distance at which one fights can be broken down into several ranges. Kicking range, punching range, and grappling range are the three main divisions, and each of these can be further divided. The punching range has the close range at which a martial artist can trap the opponent's arms and land hooks and uppercuts and the long range where the opponents are just close enough for straight punches to land with power. There are various subdivisions in the kicking range. At a shorter distance right outside of the punching range, front leg roundhouse and sidekicks can be landed with power. Beyond this is the range at which a back leg roundhouse may be landed as well as a slide-up roundhouse or side kick. These are the basic two subdivisions for kicking, but there are more that have to do with various types of footwork. In grappling, there is pummeling, clinching, and bear hugging. There are even variations of fighting distance on the ground though ground fighting has more to do with pure positioning.

It logically follows that if a person is more skilled at kicking, it is best to adopt a general strategy of remaining in the kicking range. The kicker should be able to move sideways well in order to maintain the distance without getting cornered. Against a boxer, a kicker should remain in the longer kicking range to make it more difficult to counter the kicking attacks. A martial artist very skilled with hand techniques should try to keep the distance at the short punching range where it will be difficult for a kicker throw any kind of effective kick. Against a grappler, the boxer should remain just inside the kicking range or long punching range and try to catch the grappler with a strong cross during his inevitable advance. If a person is more skilled at grappling, then it

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