Hi WOGK
The style we practice is Okinawan Goju Ryu. Goju means hard and soft. In reality, soft means heavy sticky movement, or in the Okinawan dialect & "mushimi."
There are 3 concepts that we abide by.
One is to disrupt. For instance, if the target is the face, I would disrupt by first attacking the knee.
Another concept is to stay up close to your opponent. Which would mean you stay within arms length of your opponent.
Lastly, move off center line. To accomplish this, move yourself to the side of your opponent in a perpendicular or a 45 degree angle to the attacker. This is vital to protect the center of your body. Whoever controls the center, controls the other person.
Another advantage is protection of your vital organs which reside in the center of your body.
None are more important than the heart. Are you guarding your heart by what you are listening to? Do you also guard your heart by what you say to yourself? Who's protecting your center?