So I am now in the clinch.
I use uppercuts, hooks, elbows.
I would like to ask especially those with experince in something like myau thai, what is your aim in the clinch and how you to try to achieve it?
The trick with the clinch is to make sure your arms are on the outside of your opponents. Preferably aboves his arms and around his neck. This allows you to use side and down elbows on his head. Things like uppercuts in a proper clinch are not very powerful although in a not so good one they can work well, just something to remember.
If you are having difficulty against their knee attack, simply lift your knee up and put your foot on the offending knee. this will give you a crucial moments respite to think of next move. If they have control of the head, and are attacking you with knees, you can use your elbows to be the target of their knees (just above the bone for maximum effect). This should make them think twice about using knees. Another thing to remember about knees is that they can come from multiple angles especially if the opponent is good. Straight up, from the side and even down (you'll know what I mean by that some point) so be wary of that.
Also remember that although you should know what to do when you get into a clinch, my recommendation is do not stay in the clinch. This place is more of a exchange of blows place. So how do you get out. The obvious is you hit the so hard they let go lol.
This becomes grappling terratory. So pratice takedown moves from this position.
First off, ground yourself and keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Remember, the clinch is more then just a range to use your in-fighting tools, it's also takedown central.
Use his head and neck as the primary target of manipulation, where the head goes, the body will follow. Monitor his attacking tools with your own. Remember, striking from the clinch is basically pure offense, in a real fight if you wan't to smash him with in-fighting tools you MUST set it up (straight blasts are great for this).
There are limitless positions you could be in while clinching. There's the Thai style, where your hands are wrapped around his neck, you're sucking his face into your chest and adding pressure by squeezing with your forearms. If his hands are protecting his face, use your knee's (strikes to the solar plexus, ribs, stomach, inner-knee, inner-thigh, groin, kidneys, head, etc.). When he lowers his hands to defend, switch lines of attack, go upstairs and start elbowing or headbutting the face. A great technique I find very effective is when you have him tied up Thai style, using the body mechanics of the hook, you shoot your are straight out while twisting your hips and hit his head with the INNER elbow. The straightening of the arm causes the elbow to quickly snap inward. Now you may think this won't do much since the inner elbow is soft, but do it to somones arm and you'll see how far they'll fly. This move is so quick and so disorienting it easily sets up the more powerful in-fighting attacks. There's also Greco-Roman style clinching, both could have one hand on the back of their opponents heads, the other monitering the arm that's grabbing their heads (holding the tricep provides good leverage). Or you could be gripping his kidney and tricep, etc. Like with everything else, there is an unlimited amount of things you can do and positions you could be in while clinching.
Manipulation is extremely important, if you just stand there, arms clinching each other, you'll get your ass kicked. You must be moving constantly while maintaining as low a center of gravity as possible. Think of your opponent like a rag doll, you swing him around by the neck as hard as you can. This is a great defence against his attacks since it instantly off-balances.
The more you practice clinching, the better your sensitivity will become, and the more you'll be able to feel which way to move your opponent to take him down with minimal energy.
This message has been edited by Masamune_77 on Mar 6, 2004 1:36 PM
Jack wrote:The trick with the clinch is to make sure your arms are on the outside of your opponents.
I respectfully disagree. Although overhooks are a great tool, the real key to clinch work is gaining Underhooks. I know that overhooks are easier to obtain, but underhooks give you a control that is stronger, and it leaves you with many more opportunities. You should check to see if you have a Greco coach in your area as they are amazing with it.
Clinch work (to me) is one of my favorite aspects of training. The major tools (aside from striking) are Underhooks, Overhooks, Neck Tie, Whizzer, body locks and more. A good Clinch game can be a life saver for a mostly stand up fighter that wants to out off going to the ground.
Hmmmm....I'm no Muy Thai expert, but I play one on TV. Actually I'm no Muy Thai expert but I've trained clinching with a couple of different MT guys and they were STRONGLY stressing getting the "inside" position of the arms. I guess there are possible advantages to both, but I get the strange feeling that outside position = eating elbows. But, like I said, I'm no expert.
That would make sense. The neck tie in Muey Thai is done exactly as you stated...with the elbows on the inside. I am talking about something different. Although we do play that game, I am more of a fan of the Greco Underhook.
I think perhaps what I said may have been misunderstood. My explanation is a bit poor. It is necessary (and this is Muay Thai tactic) to get the arms outside and above the opponents arms. This does not mean you allow your opponent to come on the inside and grab you. You use your position to prevent that from happening i.e. You keep your body close.
Trying to write techniques down is very difficult.
Your underhook technique is very interesting Sean, I have seen it done but lack the knowledge of correct application. In England wrestling coaches are few and far between.
I have a cousin who did Greco Roman wrestling for many years, I wrestled with him a couple of weeks ago, he was quite amazing. although I am much stronger than he is, he could control me with absolute ease. If heŽd know submissions, he would have easily beaten me
I had a few friends, all bigger and stronger than me, try the underhook buisness on me. It was really easy to get out. In fact it was easier the bigger they got. Now they probably had something missing in their technique although it looked right. So my question is, is it normally easy to escape the underhook? If not, how do you prevent the escape from the underhook?
Oh and I also discovered a lovly new elbow strike right through the Muay Thai clinch. Very painful.
No, it isn't easy to escape the underhook without really exposing yourself to something else (takedown, strike, etc.) The way most people try and power out of underhooks won't work if they guy has superior position on you. Plus, the way that most people do it just sets you up for a throw-by or a duck-under.
You prevent the escape from the underhook by having a good position, which is: Hand on the deltoid, a pulling motion toward you while simultaneously jacking the elbow of your opponent up. Your forehead should be tight into your opponent's jawline. You control the opponent's far arm at the wrist or bicep. Finally, you step your near leg between his feet, getting your hip in tight to him to split his stance/structure and rob him of balance. Forward pressure also plays an important part.
Do those things and you create an underhook which is very difficult to escape from. It sounds like a lot of stuff, but it really isn't.
Actually I'm no Muy Thai expert but I've trained clinching with a couple of different MT guys and they were STRONGLY stressing getting the "inside" position of the arms. I guess there are possible advantages to both, but I get the strange feeling that outside position = eating elbows. But, like I said, I'm no expert.