I see what you are saying, but if the taller person has really long arms then he has no choice but to take long steps if he wants to get in range to punch. I was sparring this dude who is 6'4-6'6 and I'm 5'11 and there is no way I'll have enough time to get inside if I took short steps. All it takes is one long step to get in and while stepping, you can throw a quick short hook to the body.