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search Brandon Harada (Sho-Tokyo Dojo) in transition from Itto-
ma to Chikama against Eiga Naoki in chūdan-no-kamae (on the
right). Demonstration at Mori Hai Memorial Tournament, Jan 29,
2006, Norwalk, California. Japanese name Kanji: 間合い Hiragana:
まあい  Maai (間合い?), translating simply to "interval", is a
Japanese martial arts term referring to the space between two
opponents in combat; formally, the "engagement distance". It is
a complex concept, incorporating not just the distance between
opponents, but also the time it will take to cross the distance,
angle and rhythm of attack. It is specifically the exact
position from which one opponent can strike the other, after
factoring in the above elements. For example, a faster
opponent's maai is farther away than a slower opponent. It is
ideal for one opponent to maintain maai while preventing the
other from doing so,[1] meaning that they can strike before the
opponent can (rather than both striking simult