I think that your thought process needs to be ahead regardless of range, hopefully enough that it's not a surface thought but an instinct. Ranges as separate entities I believe are useful as a beginning aid to understanding, but the dynamics involved in flowing between them become more important later on. It's a matter of what weapons can reach what targets, both ways. In free movement, there are different ranges, too. The range where I can't reach you, the range where I can reach your lead hand, and the range where I can reach your face. Now take into account that I'm 5'7" and you may be 6'5" or have a warhammer or a handgun, things get complicated. Then we get into attitudes of using range- my main 3 are Crush your enemies, Stand your ground, and Burnt earth policy. Now it's really complex. I think if I have a point, its that ranges "blur" for lack of a better word. Is that why he comes up with "phases" as opposed to "ranges", or have I missed the point?