The Muay Thai Clinch 101: - Page 4

**King Kabuki** · 08-15-2005, 04:38 PM

Overlooked I think, my bad. I don't fight orthodox so I'm not quite certain. I've almost always entered the clinch with a punch combination, or against grapplers you don't even really have to do much aside from know how to avoid a takedown attempt and remain standing. The one way I named to enter it without throwing punch combinations is the best way I know how that works consistently when you're not throwing punches. But I don't use many specific punches, just if a guy gets defensive your lock him up and bomb him with knees.

tokian · 08-15-2005, 06:29 PM

Let it be known i ducked down in a clinch yesterday and got a knee to the forehead. Keep your head up.

DaGREATkabookie · 08-16-2005, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Kabuki

Overlooked I think, my bad. I don't fight orthodox so I'm not quite certain. I've almost always entered the clinch with a punch combination, or against grapplers you don't even really have to do much aside from know how to avoid a takedown attempt and remain standing. The one way I named to enter it without throwing punch combinations is the best way I know how that works consistently when you're not throwing punches. But I don't use many specific punches, just if a guy gets defensive your lock him up and bomb him with knees.

THANKS

tokian · 11-02-2005, 12:25 PM

BUMP!

on a sidenote:
----

Kabuki's threads have been the only ones around here to have any qualititive merit. Some others, including myself, have been close to matching the necessity of communication he achieves, but everyone else is just asking questions that should be awnsered in the gym, on the mat, through experience and hard work.

Not much needs to be said when it comes to fighting, but theres a shitload that needs to be done. Train. Train. Work! Stop wondering why something isnt fitting together in your mind and let it come together in your body. The mind needs constant refreshment and challenge, but not on a level where it is trying to figure out things only your body can tell it. TRAIN!

ULTRAmanLH · 11-02-2005, 06:54 PM

Great post. I'm copying and pasting that onto a document in my harddrive.

I must say I have no Muay Thai experience, first of all, but I wrestled for 2 years in highschool. I don't know if this works in Muay Thai but in wrestling when we'd escape the clinch we'd simply pummel with the other guy. When they would gain position with their hands and arms in a wrestling clinch, we would pummel our arms in and combat our arms with their arms for the clinch position. I'm not sure how to describe pummeling, or what I learned it to be, but by this I mean, say they have their right hand behind your head with their forearm against your neck and elbow against your chest, then you come around with your left arm over their right arm from the outside (come to think of it, it might even work from the inside) and shove your arm down over theirs to get an underhook. I tried to show this to a friend with no fighting experience recently and he didn't understand the leverage involved and I couldn't explain it. It just came from experience wrestling I guess, but it seems this would get you out of the Muay Thai clinch as well.

RunWithScissors · 11-03-2005, 12:06 AM

Great stuff Kabuki,
My 2c... One thing I try to do when I train, is spend at least 4-5 rounds shadow-clinching...
I'll squeeze a 20lbs medicine ball in-between my forearms, knuckles facing forward to get the right muscles working, and I'll practice moving it left and right, all whilst throwing up knees.. It really helps with proper hip/shoulder movement in a clinch... And it really helps develop that 'pinch' you mention... In fact, I think the clinch is probably my most comfortable fighting range for that very reason...

Anyway, great post man.

Cheers

Keir

**King Kabuki** · 11-03-2005, 06:30 AM

I never thought of using the medicine ball, good idea.

cemelianenko · 11-03-2005, 08:38 AM

thanks alot. Your contribution to SHERDOG is greatly appreciated.

KillaKix · 11-03-2005, 09:49 AM

thanks...im a kickboxer going into mma and i have been really working my clinch so thanks for the tips

Frederic · 11-03-2005, 10:10 AM

Another way to escape from the clinch or at least reduce the pressure on your neck to is to push your forearm on their chin and crossface. it turns the clinchers face back and away and makes it hard to maintain the downward pull on the neck.

A good drill to practice the MT clinch is pummeling where you swim for the double hands behind the head (plumm position). We usually start out with one hand - say left - behind the head and the other - right - on the opponent's left tricep (which is important for preventing the person from dropping his one hand on your neck for an elbow across your cheek). From here, you try to get your other (right) arm to the back of his head and your opponent will react by trying to do the same. If both succeed, you're in the same (but opposite side) position as you started. Through timing or blocking your partner's attempt, you can achieve the full plumm position. From there (in this drill), you can either release and start over, or have your partner try to cross face you, or spin him around (done best by stepping your front foot back and around the back foot (which shifts your body 90 degrees and hence their body)), or some combination there of.