The four-step combat loop
Start with observation. Give the opponent enough room to reveal a pattern, then identify the action that changes the situation. Move to a position that preserves an exit, commit to one response, and immediately check whether you can recover. This loop is deliberately plain: it gives you a way to compare attempts instead of relying on a highlight moment.
The most important spacing rule is to keep a route out of the fight. Walls, slopes and nearby targets can turn a correct response into a bad trade if they remove the space you expected to use.
- Observe one readable signal
- Position with an exit
- Commit to a proportionate response
- Recover and reassess
Why repeated hits happen
Repeated hits usually come from a mismatch between information and commitment. You may be attacking before the signal is clear, retreating in a straight line, losing the camera, or spending a resource that leaves no recovery option. Name the mismatch before changing equipment.
A good retry changes one variable. Try a wider position, a shorter sequence or an earlier retreat, then compare the result with the previous attempt. This is slower than panic, but it builds a reliable answer.
- Camera loss is a positioning problem before it is a damage problem
- Long sequences need a planned exit
- A failed attempt is useful when the changed variable is recorded
A simple practice drill
Choose a repeatable encounter and run three attempts with the same equipment. Attempt one is observation only. Attempt two tests one response. Attempt three repeats the response while changing only the exit position. Note what happened, not only whether you won.
The drill makes a vague feeling measurable: you can see whether the issue is timing, distance, resource use or the route itself. It also gives future updates a baseline for checking whether a change is real.
- Same encounter, same baseline
- One tested response
- Three attempts before a conclusion
- Short note after every attempt