Sun Tzu said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”. Distance, in weapon based fighting, can be the key.
In the practice of weapons, especially in FMA, practitioners are often taught to think that the weapon one is using should be the extension of the hand.
This kind of thinking helps the practitioner master his weapon, that is, it helps him avoid the chances of him getting hit by his own weapon and having the ability to use the weapon’s one hundred percent potential. By repeatedly practicing with the weapon, the practitioner would then have developed the skill to move without having to be concerned about getting hit by his own weapon. This is one aspect of weapons training among many more.
Another aspect which is often neglected in some Martial Arts and also in some FMA is the practice of correct, or right distancing. This aspect of weapons training is usually practiced only as one part and then ignored later when technique practice overshadow the practice of basics. Sometimes this is usually due to the difficulty of incorporating scientific distancing in practice since it involves a lot of ‘estimating’ or ‘feeling’ your opponent which is somewhat a difficult thing for a beginner to grasp. However, it is also because of the meticulousness of practicing proper distance that it becomes annoying when practiced. Distance practice, coupled with right body positioning, as I just have realized recently, should be embedded in all techniques practice for the reason that it gives you the ability of hitting without getting hit therefore giving your techniques one hundred percent possibility of functioning.
In FMA there are three basic types of distance. These are: Largo – the long range distance, Medio – the medium range then Corto – which is the close range.
In the Largo (Long range) distance, the aim usually is to successfully apply a technique called ‘Defanging the Snake’ – that is, in this distance, what you are aiming to hit the hand of the opponent (in order for him to be disarmed or demotivated to continue the fight). Usually, in this kind of distance, the ‘alive’ hand or the hand without a stick in solo baston (hand with knife in espada y daga and rear hand in doble baston) is not able to reach any part of your opponent’s hand/weapon and body.
In the Medio (Medium range) distance, the fight tightens and the fighters get close to each other. In Medium range, there usually are two sub types as I know; the medio largo (Medium Long range) and the medio corto (Medium Close Range). There are many interpretations of these two, but I like to put it this way: In solo baston, if your ‘alive’ hand or ‘bantay kamot’ can reach the wrists of your opponent but not necessarily the body, then that is Medium Long range. On the other hand, if your ‘bantay kamot’ can reach the elbow of your opponent and you can hit the opponent with the middle part of your stick, and sometimes your ‘bantay kamot’ can hit your opponent’s body or face, then that is Medium Close range.
Corto (close range) is now the range where your alive hand could clearly reach the body or face of your opponent. It is the range where the butt end or ‘punyo’ of your stick could scrape and hit your opponent. Elbows and punches now function very well in this kind of distance. If your surroundings restrict wide range or long range motion, the knowledge in fighting within the Corto distance could give you an advantage.
Of course, these distances would not mean anything without the practice of accuracy, power and proper body positioning. Some Arnis styles even make the study of body positioning an essential part of their curriculum, since they know that a certain position could lead to victory or defeat.
How does the study of distance contribute to victory or defeat? It helps you chose your style of fighting and techniques. It narrows down your selected techniques into the ones that would truly matter in your fight. For example, the technique ‘Defanging the Snake’ which is a technique that usually is done by hitting your opponents weapon hand with your stick, would lose its effectiveness if the fight gets closer, where, mano-a-mano and hitting the body or head of your opponent, gouging his eye out, elbowing to his face or crushing his genitals would do more damage than trying to catch your opponent’s weapon hand and hit it with your stick. (FYI. Defanging the Snake could also mean, disarming and destruction of the limbs)
The awareness of distance would also give you a hint at proper body positioning. It would help you study the locations and in relation to your opponent which will help you be at an advantageous position where, as I have said, hit your opponent without you getting hit.
These are just meditations on the use of distance in relation to using techniques and being able to be safe by using only an adequate amount of energy and maximizing your chance of victory. To know more about the concept of distance, accuracy, body positioning and striking first, it is better that you find a good teacher and study diligently.
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