In Muay Thai, ranges are particularly significant in the application of techniques. For instance, if you are to close to your opponent you will find it very difficult to power angle kick or push kick. If you are too far away you will not be able to elbow, knee or clinch without first moving forward to alter the distance thus 'changing the range'.

There are five main ranges below, also listed are some common techniques suited at the given ranges:

Outer Range

Recovery, observation

Long Range

Kicks i.e. push kicks, power angles

Mid Range

Jabs, crosses, long hooks, long upper cuts, long knees

Short Range

Hooks, upper cuts, elbows

Inner Range

Clinching, elbows, circular knees
The range that you are in can determine the best techniques to use; similarly the technique suitable can also determine the range that you should be in. So, if you feel that a technique is working well against your opponent you would need to position yourself in the correct range to strike with it effectively, on the contrary you may see the opponent moving into a certain range preparing to launch their attack against you, this may call for you having to react with techniques effective at that given range.

The more that you practice applying Muay Thai techniques such as in sparring, or in competition, you will discover the techniques that suit you best. You will find out things that work for you more often then not. Understanding what ranges suit you best is crucial in developing winning strategies. You may need different strategies against different opponents. You may find that an opponent is stronger then you in a given range and it would be wise to try and avoid spending too much time in this dangerous zone. Finding out as soon as possible the ranges that your opponent is stronger then you in, and the ranges that you are stronger then them in is critical in developing and executing a winning game plan.

To be able to control the fight you must control the range, working in to ranges that you are likely to dominate in but staying out of ranges that your opponent is favouring. Quite often you will need to adjust the range, footwork is extremely important but, as important, are the techniques that you use to change the range. Simply walking in to close range from outer range is unlikely to work against an opponent with experience, instead you may consider faking the opponent first, or using different strikes concurrently as you move forward e.g. a lead leg kick, then, stepping in to mid range delivering a right cross and then, adjusting your feet throwing a left hook before finally clinching up your opponent. This example has moved you from long range to inner range but you have used positive techniques to distract and score on the way in.

Bag work is a good place to practice changing ranges and execute techniques that are best at these ranges. Practice controlling techniques such as lead leg push kicks or a jab which would catch your opponent as they attempt to close the distance between you. These techniques also of course can be used to measure the distance between you and your opponent and are an indicator of what techniques are currently available at that instant. If you measure your opponent using a push kick, you instantly know that to enter punching range the distance needs to be reduced. Similarly if you can land your jab, you know that you can land a cross and both long range hooks and uppercuts but you would need to get closer into short range to utilise the elbow.

A good drill is to practice warming up all your ranges with a partner. Both agree to start in long range for the first round, then move into mid range in the next, then the close an inner ranges only using techniques effective at that range. This should help you to develop an instinctive sense of correct distancing and you should also start to find out the ranges that you feel more comfortable in. It is important to do this drill with different training partners because the distances can change due to physical factors when up against a person of a different build. For example, if you are up against a taller opponent, they will have a longer reach and they will be able to land a kick when, against a shorter person you would be in the outer range.

Once you have warmed up all the ranges it can be useful to play with the ranges. Each round designate one to yourself and a different one to your partner. You may be designated long range and your partner mid range. Here your aim would be to keep work at ensuring your partner is at long range where you can strike only with the long range techniques, your partner on the other hand will be aiming to work into the mid range zone and stay there striking only with mid range techniques. This game is designed to help you understand and practice fight strategies for a fight scenario. You can imagine that you would be losing your fight when your opponent is in the mid range zone, but you can nullify them and score heavily when you expose their weakness at long range. Therefore you aim to control the range which is proving the more successful.

To summarise, in your sparring practice and any interactive application in the gym, consider what range you are most comfortable in against your partners, what ranges do they seem to feel more comfortable in?, attempt to control the range and dictate what distance there is between you, and also practice the transition between the ranges, working from one range into another trying to get caught as little as possible by your partner when you are in each zone.

Contributed by Steven Ryan