Quote Originally Posted by LANCER1562 View Post
Jake,

The 36 inch rule defines one's personal space. If someone approaches you closer than three feet, they have violated your personal space and the 36 inch rule. I generally allow one arm's length plus six inches for personal space, any closer than that is too close.
I never heard it expressed quite that way; however. . .

The way I teach my martial-art students is that your "ideal distance" is one where another person cannot reach out and touch you with a limb alone, but must move his "center of mass" to do so, if only an inch or two. It's much easier to see movement originating there, and at that distance.

Someone closer may or may not be intentionally invading your space; but I teach that if someone is within that distance (sometimes it's not reasonably avoidable) you should be touching them, however lightly/unobtrusively, as within that range you can feel and "read" another's movement tactilely more quickly than you can read/respond to visual input.

It has nothing to do with being paranoid or considering another person as a potential attacker. It's equally, if not more, about being able to effectively move to control their balance and body should they inadvertently stumble and fall into you, or be about to hurt themselves.

As it happens, that "ideal range" I first mentioned happens to be around 36 inches.