Why Range in a Fight Matters

The Winning Formula

The formula for winning a fight is pretty easy: It’s about landing as many strikes as possible and not let your opponent do the same to you. Yes, that’s very oversimplified but if you have ever done any type of sparring or been in a fight, you know you will jam some strikes and miss a whole lot more from not being close enough. In fighting, be it boxing, kickboxing, or MMA, you often hear commentators talk about a fighter, “Being able to find his/her range,” or “Not being able to find his/her range.”

Some believe a ring or cage fight is different from a street fight and that the dynamics change the basic fighting principles. 

Fighting Principles 

Yes and no, is the answer to that statement. Yes, there are many more variables in a street altercation, such as space, weapons, multiple attackers, etc. However, there are also a lot of similarities. A punch is a punch and a kick is a kick and whether you’re standing inside a cage or on a street, you want those punches and kicks to land and preferably, if the attacker in front of you doesn’t land his or her strikes.

To learn your range is key in order to maximize your force in your strikes. The scientific explanation is if you can put your attacker at the very end of your punch, it allows you to create as much acceleration as possible, which is half of the formula for force (F=MA). 

Yet, the range is something that is not nearly practiced enough. If the range isn’t perfect in practice when there is no real threat, stress, and adrenaline, it certainly won’t be perfect when there is. Not being able to step within range means not landing any strikes, which in turn is both tiring and leaves you exposed to be hit yourself.

And it doesn’t matter how hard and technically correct a strike is if it’s not landing.

Learn your range with all combatives: Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and even headbutts!