I'm not sure if this will make any sense in words, but here goes -
If you stand still the range between you and your opponent can only shorten. This also applies to orbiting around them, because the range is still constant if they keep turning to face you.
The action can only get faster (space shortens, so does time to do stuff) because you are both in range straight away if either moves. Not so much a problem if you don't mind fending off some blows and maybe taking a little damage, but much more of a problem if you want to avoid the double death.
Create distance however, and now you have essentially made time. I'm talking here of the backward half of the pendulum, not imbalanced backpedaling.
In general going backwards is a bad idea because someone going forwards will always be faster, but if you can sneak step, angle off, and slide, to subtly change the range they think they see they will have to recalibrate whether they do it consciously or not. The more you can do to screw with their PERCEPTION of where your actual position is, the more chance that you can catch them in an error.
This requires motion.
Basically you have created a target moving in 4 dimensions (3 +time) and this means your opponent must move too if they want to hit you. And they want to hit you. Remember that.
Be there, and then take it away.
RELATIONAL movement means you can freeze, entice, and maneuver your opponent much more easily.
Of course you must be the one leading this dance, not the one following, so move first.
