I find this argument strange...
I've watched my son perform the equivalent of CaGI several times in his Martial Arts tournaments. He intentionally fakes an opening. His opponent leaps in to take advantage of it...and my son scores some points as he takes advantage of his opponent. I mean, they teach it his class (multiple variations of it even)!
Is thus just case of people being unfamiliar with IRL fighting? (OTOH, I obviously don't know how well it would work on an ooze or ogre.)
To go even further:
My son recently participated in a tournament with a pulled muscle in his leg which was only partially healed. He knew he couldn't really kick for the match (only body and head kicks counted in this tournament) and, by the championship match*, so did his opponent.
Smartly, his opponent drove him into positions that forced him to use the injured leg more, but my son was faster and after several rounds, they approached the end of the match with my son a point behind and his opponent only one point from victory.
When the official yelled "begin!", my son leaped sidewise in a new direction, and then performed a lovely 3-point kick to opponent's head using his wounded leg. He then crumpled to the ground and nearly crawled back to the line to hear the result. Even though he was walking and icing it, and even performed a form with later, there was no way he was going to kick like that again that day.
I distinctly remember thinking to myself "Did the kid just use a martial daily to win that match?"
Make of that what you will.
*My son is far better than I ever was at this stuff, despite several attempts at it for me.
Are the opponents ignoring the ranged weapons in hand or deadly afraid of whatever weapon your son is wielding? I don't think anyone is saying CaGI can't ever function or that there is no real-world equivalent. I know I have no problem if it were handled as a champions-style presence attack or a mind control effect limited to affecting those not opposed to that action anyway. I'd still like the character controller to perform the actual movement so for example, the characters don't run over a hidden trap they know is present.