It all begins with measure of distance: When you begin in open guard with an opponent in front of you, one of the first considerations in your assessment of what you need to do to get your game started on the right track is that of DISTANCE. If your opponent is nervously backing away, you must be able to CLOSE distance. If he is aggressively coming forward, you must be able to MAINTAIN or MANAGE distance. This requires skills of movement and framing. A common error is to reach with arms and legs to close distance. Be wary of this as reaching limbs are easy to pass and submit. Use MOVEMENT rather than REACH to get to your opponent. Use your outstretched feet and knees as the fundamental measuring stick. If he is at the line of your feet you are ready for offense; if he is at the line of your knees, be ready for defense. Just as a good boxer is keenly aware of the importance of distance in fisticuffs, so too a good grappler is keenly award of the importance of distance in grappling.
