Quoted:

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here.

I fully agree fundamentals are best taught and learned at relatively close distance.

But the fundamentals are polished and refined and challenged at far distances.  

As has been noted, a lot of errors can be masked at close range and distance shooting offers more significant diagnostic data.  

You can royally screw up trigger control at close range and still print alphas.  Every slight mistake is going to be apparent at 25+.