The eight situations
A fight moves through eight recognisable places. The Style, Strategy and Tactics are all described in terms of them.
The first four are indexed by distance — how far apart the two fighters are. The last four are indexed by position — who is attached to whom, and who is on the ground. The seam between Clinch and Takedown is the last decision a striker still controls.
Striking — by distance
| Out of range | Nobody can land anything. The only decisions are about distance: close it, hold it, or draw a reaction. |
|---|---|
| Kicking range | Long weapons land — kicks, long straight punches. The end of the kick is a place some fighters live and others hate. |
| Boxing range | Hands land. Close enough to trade, close enough to be hit. The pocket. |
| Clinch | Attached and upright. Grips decide everything: collar ties, underhooks, bodylocks. Knees and elbows live here, and so does the takedown attempt. |
Grappling — by position
| Takedown | The exchange itself: one fighter changes level and shoots, the other sprawls or concedes. A moment, not a place, but one with its own habits. |
|---|---|
| Standing grapple | Attached, upright, usually on the fence — wrestling without the shot. Stalling, tripping, hand-fighting, short shots. |
| Top position | On the ground, on top. Posture, passing, ground and pound, riding, or choosing to stand back up. |
| Bottom position | On the ground, underneath. Getting up, sweeping, attacking off the back, surviving, walking up the fence. |
Why eight
Fewer and the answers blur — 'striking' hides the difference between a fighter who loves the end of the kick and one who only feels safe in the pocket. More and the matrix stops being something a coach can fill in between rounds. Eight is the number that a real corner already thinks in.