Real Distance: Fighting Ranges

Real distance is the distance from the end of the aggressor’s longest viable weapon to the nearest part of the defender’s body to which that weapon can be applied. If your opponent’s longest weapon is a stick and your nearest exposed body part is your front hand, the distance between the end of the stick and your hand will determine the combat range.

However, a stick does not pose as serious a threat to your hand as it does to your head, so you also have to consider the vulnerability of the exposed target. Similarly, there is a high degree of danger when the opponent is in grabbing range of your hand because grabbing presents more of a threat to your hand than striking does. This is where relative distance will begin to blur the lines of real distance.

In real distance, there are four ranges: neutral, long, medium and short.