Range Training

[Drew Howe]

I agree with you Thai Bri. At the Oakland JKD school James Lee taught JKD Chi Sao which was much different than traditional Chi Sao. I think if you were introduced to that and trained it for a while you would see the advantages of JKD Chi Sao drills.

[Patrick G.]

The "concept" of range was useful insofar as it reminded us of the need to be able to fight at all distances. But, once we had got the reminder, it became harmful. Why? Because it creates artificial barriers which we then struggle to overcome. We do a bit for boxing....then a bit for grappling......then a bit for......etc etc. And then we invent ranges that don't actually exist, i.e. Trapping. This isn't a range at all. There are plenty punches and plenty grappling attacks that can come from the so called "trapping" range. They just shoved it in their to make it sound as if it fits. And I personally think trapping is a waste of time anyway, but thats another thread.

Fighting is fighting, and you're either in range or not. The rest is a distraction.

Excellent points...I think the whole concepts (or theories if u want to call them) of ranges serve to make the martial artists more aware of distancing and what techniques are better suited for which distance. But once that awareness is achieved, these range distinctions should be absorbed and discarded. I NEVER did like the "weapons,kicking, punching, trapping, grappling" connotations, and simply referred to ranges as "long, mid, and short". Weapons can be used in any range, the same as kicks, and punches, so why label a range after a particular technique(s)?