"No matter how fast you are able to parry, if a man is close enough to you he will arrive with his point, for the nature of an attack is such as to give the advantage of the initiative to the attacker. Likewise in attacking, however accurate, fast and timely your attack may be, it will fall short unless you have calculated your distance well. There, it is essential that each may learn his own attacking and defensive distances."

--Julio Martinez Castello, "The Theory and Practice of Fencing"