"Once an opponent first initiates an attack you are in damage limitation and survival mode—you have no time to psychologically or physically prepare, you have to take the fight to them as soon as you can, get close and stay close. I am not suggesting that fighting/sparring in a ring or mat is at all easy—because it’s far from that. You need to be a dedicated, highly-trained athlete to compete. Wherever you fight, and for whatever reason, both take skill, stamina, determination, confidence and a degree of luck (or opportunism), but in a competition you are not truly fighting for your life without anyone there to assist you, stop the fight or attend to any injuries."
-- Spread of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe's article from the upcoming Issue No. 16.
