In a self-defense situation, knowing how to control the distance between yourself and your attacker is crucial. It allows you to strike or defend effectively and also to create opportunities for escape.
One of the most important things to understand when closing the distance is to never walk straight towards the attacker. This gives them the opportunity to attack you before you can reach striking range. Instead, move at an angle to the attacker, while keeping your eyes on them at all times. This allows you to maintain awareness of their movements and be able to react quickly if they attack.
Another important aspect of closing the distance is to use proper footwork. This means using quick, small steps to close the distance, rather than long strides. Using quick steps allows you to maintain your balance and also to be able to move quickly in any direction, if needed. It's also important to keep your feet pointed towards the attacker to ensure that you can quickly move in any direction.
Once you have closed the distance, it's important to control it by maintaining the proper distance from the attacker. This is the distance at which you can strike or defend effectively while still being able to move quickly if needed. It is different for each person, it depends on size, reach, weapon and style. It's important to practice with different partners and in different scenarios, to find the right distance that works for you.
When controlling the distance, it's also important to be aware of your surroundings. Knowing where the exits, obstacles, and other potential weapons are, can help you to create opportunities for escape or to use them to your advantage.
It's also important to understand that the distance is not always a fixed point. In a real-life self-defense situation, distance is dynamic, it can change rapidly, so it's important to be able to adapt quickly to changes in distance, knowing how to close and control distance effectively can give you the edge in a self-defense situation.
In a self-defense situation, knowing how to control the distance between yourself and the attacker is crucial. It allows you to strike or defend effectively and also to create opportunities for escape. It's important to understand how to close the distance effectively, use proper footwork, maintain the right distance, be aware of your surroundings, and be able to adapt to changes in distance. Remember, it's important to practice, practice, practice, under the guidance of a professional, to master these skills and be able to use them effectively in real-life situations.