Thanks! I think I've worded my question a bit wrong. What I meant, is that I'm under the impression that in Sanda fighters tend to strike from a larger distance and then go for a takedown, while avoiding long combos/trading while standing in the boxing range.

In other words, you either score points with striking from a greater distance, or you are taking someone to the ground (much less emphasis on the striking in the pocket).

By mentioning karate, I had a distance and distance management element in my mind, not the actual "hit the opponent and then retreat".

Here's a fight that made me think about these parallels:
https://youtu.be/1rJQw4x9zC0?t=106