This video lesson is more on trigonometry for the martial arts. Here I look at the 3-4-5 triangle, or a squared plus b squared equals c squared, and how it helps you understand distance. It is for martial artists, boxers and self-defence students who want to manage range properly.

Once you understand the concept, you can begin to understand your maximum distance for both offence and defence. You also understand that same distance for your opponent, and their intended target areas.

Why Distance Is Everything

Almost every mistake in a fight comes down to distance. Too far away and your strikes fall short. Too close and you get hit before you can react. Most people judge distance by feel, which works until they are stressed, tired or facing someone with a different reach.

Geometry gives you a better way to think about it. Your arm, your step and your angle form a shape. So do your opponent's. When you understand the shape, you understand the range.

How the Triangle Helps

The 3-4-5 triangle is a right-angled triangle whose sides have a simple relationship. The longest side, across the angle, is always longer than either of the other two. In fighting terms, moving at an angle changes the distance between you and the target in ways a straight line does not.

That helps you see:

  • How far you can reach when you step and strike on an angle
  • How a small step to the side can take you out of an opponent's range
  • Where your opponent can reach from where they are standing
  • Which of your targets they can get to, and which they cannot

You will not calculate any of this in a real situation. You learn it in training so that the right distance becomes a habit.

Using It for Defence

In self-defence, knowing an attacker's range is as important as knowing your own. If you know how far they can reach, you know when you are safe and when you are not. You can keep just outside that range, or step in on an angle when you choose to.

How to Practise

Use a partner, or a bag and some tape on the floor. Mark the distance you can reach with a straight strike. Then step at different angles and find where your reach changes. Swap with your partner and do the same for them. Practise at low speed and with control, so you learn the distances safely.

Take It Further

Distance and angles are part of the foundation of the Pressure Point Self Defense Course. For more on how angles work with balance and targeting, read Pressure Point Fighting: The Complete Guide.