[combat] giant issue in weapon reach question

[Bruno]

Spear skill, on its own with no related skills (like Staff) and no supporting perks (like Form, Reach, and Grip mastery) is the foundation of Spear use throughout history - mostly involved with working in groups. Massed soldiers, or raiders/hunters vs one target.

Simple spear use by yourself is most useful when hunting small animals - fish in a stream, small mammals, lizards, and snakes, and anything that lives in a shallow hole in a tree or the ground but might bite you if you stick your hand in to get it out. You don't have to stoop, you stay a yard or two from your prey so you never get bitten, you can even throw it.

It doesn't cover the sort of spear training covered in spear-focused martial arts taught these days, because no single skill in GURPS covers an entire martial art style. Martial arts are a combination of basic skills (usually more than just one!), tactics, techniques, and perks. If you're just using Spear skill, you're a simple spear user.

A bunch of people above-thread has already provided simple spear user tactics that are perfectly good. But if you're looking to capture your own martial art training (it sounds like you are) you definitely want to look into more than just one skill.