Maai: Mastering the Space Between – Control the Distance, Control the Fight.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on JUL 02, 2025

Maai: Mastering the Space Between – Control the Distance, Control the Fight.

(Approx 1 minute 40 second read)

The one who controls the distance in an encounter controls the situation – whether that’s to escape or, if you have no choice, to fight.

Those of us who practice a more practical type of karate often dismiss the endless step-kumite drills common in modern dojo. Many defend them for teaching timing and distance – but timing and distance for what?

In Japanese, this concept is called maai (間合い) – the “interval” or “space between”. It means the optimal engagement distance in combat, covering not just physical separation but also the timing and rhythm of attack and defense.

Maai is not just distance – it’s distance and timing.

It’s not one fixed distance either – it’s two sometimes very different distances.

My maai in relation to you will always be different from yours to me, even if the gap stays the same (because of reach, reaction time, and other factors).

Picture two people of different heights: one six feet tall, the other five. If they both stand at arm’s length from me, I might be inside the taller person’s maai but outside the shorter person’s. Yet they’re both inside mine. This depends on each person’s reach – so your maai is your ideal fighting distance.

It’s also about how long it takes to cross that gap – and from what angle, and in what rhythm. Stepping in from six feet away in a neat straight line might look great in class, but in reality, it’s rarely the ideal distance, timing, or rhythm to strike with effect.

So timing, rhythm and distance blend together. By reading this flow and using it well, you find the moment to strike, defend – or escape.

Maai is the constant judgement of shifting space – different for every opponent, every encounter, every attack.

While some styles drill to hold a precise maai, Okinawan styles develop a feel for it through tegumi (grappling) or kakie (pushing hands).

For me, this is exactly why I’m against step-kumite – because the distance, timing, and rhythm it teaches are rarely realistic or optimal.

Master the distance, and you master the fight – anyone can throw a punch, but only those who understand maai decide when it lands. As Vince Morris of Kissaki-Kai reminds us, controlling distance is one of the simplest and most important rules of combat: too close, and you get grabbed; too far, and you can’t strike effectively. Simple.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo