One additional resource on this topic is my other website, .Īs the name implies the focus of this website is the martial arts, self defense and self protection end of things. Master one range at least, and then develop a familiarity with all the other ranges too. But a basic familiarity with the main attacks and main defences at each of the 5 ranges of fighting could quite literally save your life some day. There aren’t enough hours in the day to become an expert on every weapon and every art at every range. If you’re mostly a ground grappler that’s great but you should also have one or two basic takedowns and an understanding of the clinch range.Īnd be able to throw a stiff jab and cross at striking range.Īnd know how to swing a stick and stay outside the arc of a knife in handheld weapons range.Īnd maybe have fired a handgun or shotgun a few times in your life just so you understand how those weapons work. You need to have at least a basic idea of what to do at every range! If you have any interest in self defense and self protection then it’s important to not have giant blind spots for anything that could happen outside of your preferred range. Just because you’re grappling on the floor doesn’t mean that your opponent can’t pull out a knife and try to stick you with it…Īnd just because you’re a wrestler in the Olympics doesn’t mean that your opponent isn’t ‘accidentally’ head butting you while shooting and clubbing you with his forearm during snapdown attempts (hence the picture at the very top of this post).īut as a first order approximation, these 5 ranges of fighting are pretty good! Now here’s the important thing… There can be overlap and exceptions for sure.įor example, if you’re fighting with sticks you can still punch the other guy in the face… Now of course this 5 zone approach isn’t a perfect categorisation system. Here they’re usually fighting for positional dominance and submissions like chokes, cranks, leglocks and armlocks. Ground grappling is the home of BJJ practitioners, submission grapplers, newaza specialists and catch wrestlers. The closest distance is the ground grappling range. Most of the time in these martial arts the goal is to establish grips and throw your opponent to the floor. This is the range of judo, wrestling, sambo, the Thai clinch and many other standing grappling systems. Past striking range we end up in standing grappling range, otherwise known as the clinch. Typically the goal for these martial arts is to end the fight with punches, kicks, elbows and knees. These arts include karate, boxing, kickboxing, kung fu, karate, etc. In the striking range we’re into the hand-to-hand combat that so many martial arts specialise in. If the combatants move a little bit closer they end up in striking range. Weapons used at this range include sticks, swords, clubs, knives, staffs, and many more. Some martial arts that specialise in this range include kendo, fencing, some traditional Japanese bujutsu systems, the Filipino martial arts, and many more. Next, closer than the projectile range but still not at the hand-to-hand range, comes the handheld weapons range. Projectile weapons include firearms and rifles in a modern context, archery and javelins in a historical context, and flinging rocks and other improvised weapons at someone in a streetfight. Projectile range can include any art that uses weapons that fly through the air. Ground fighting range (mount, guard, side control, rear mount, etc.).Clinching range (overhooks, underhooks, collar ties, lapel grips, sleeve grips, etc.).Striking range (punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, etc.).The Submission Formula, with Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting.The Guard Retention Formula with Rory Van Vliet and Stephan Kesting.Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu Book by Brandon Mullins and Stephan Kesting.Omoplata 2.0, Your Complete System for the Most Versatile Submission in Jiu-Jitsu.
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