Countering the Muay Thai Clinc, any form

[KO By Knee]

--Story behind the question---
Question about countering a good Muay Thai clinch, im sparring a guy who is a pro level Muay Thai fighter and supposedly a pro in the game with 7ws I didn't ask how many L's....lol. Anyway we spar and my boxing really lights him up so I take it easy mostly countering and working my movement jab here and there-when we grapple it's no contest I submit him everytime very fast, the only reason I don't play here is because my grappling is bad his worse- he has tree trunk legs so he is good at kicking me off most of the time. However when get get close he grips the clinch and up close I put my arms up blocking my body stand square and make sure we are hip to hip to avoid knees and stretch his clinch.


Fun Fact: We both have the same name

---Question--

When I am squared up and we are hip to hip I have my arms infront of my body for blocking-but also because a quick slide of the hips and I can rain down 3-4 strong finishing body hooks my stance is perfect for it at this point..Now this has worked but since we are only sparring I only throw them about 30% and he only knee's me about 40% but he sometimes does land good knee's in there- almost feels like if I didn't land those shots powerful in a real fight i'd be done. He has good timing and catches me when I open up for the body shots

What else can I do when in this spot? Should I not be squaring up and getting close? Not even engaging in the clinch?


Wrong forum If a mod could move to stand up please and thank you.

[Im so Moldy]

Head to chest double leg
Uppercuts/hooks over the top
Push him against a wall
catch a leg after he knees you and single leg

[KO By Knee]

Originally Posted by Im so Moldy

Head to chest double leg
Uppercuts/hooks over the top
Push him against a wall
catch a leg after he knees you and single leg

Heh double leg good idea, I'm usually too focused on separating and making space to strike

[NAKMUAY18]

If he has a double coller tie and you drop your hands to protect your body, in a real match he'd rape you. As you drop your hand to protect your body he'd be smashing you in the face with his elbow, then when you defend your head he'd knee you in the body, then when you try to defend that he'd swing you and knee you in the face.
Ether put some time in to learn Muay Thai clinch, cross face him, or drive him to the fence and grab him round the waist.

[Appylion]

Originally Posted by Im so Moldy

Head to chest double leg
Uppercuts/hooks over the top
Push him against a wall
catch a leg after he knees you and single leg

this.

[Gavster]

You can help separate his clinch by dropping your shoulder and feeding your arm in, like under hooks. But that's playing his game, best thing I found is you keep your neck high, step in with your hips close to his and wrap your arms around his waist/lower back - get very close, pull with your arms and lean with your upper body while moving the rest of your body close to him, this should force him to sit down and you end up in mount.

[Solexe32]

If you don't know the clinch game and he is really good at it, your best bet is to not play it with him. A few easy counters/ pointers might help you out.

1. Do not pull away from him, unless you can do so without ducking your head. Ducking to get out of a clinch is very bad.
2. Essentially just bear hug him as tight as you can until you get split up.
2a. Get your hips in. If you are holding on to him do not allow any space for him to get a knee up.
3. If he is able to get his elbows on your collarbone and prevent you from coming in for the bear hug, throw your arms over his and with both hands (crossed at the wrist) push up and back on his face/ chin. Then just walk towards him.
4. The idea is to avoid or stop the clinch as much as possible. You need to do one of the above as soon as you realize you are in/ about to be in the clinch. If you wait too long he should start dragging you around and spinning you, etc. When this happens it is much harder to counter and get out of the clinch as you will be off balance most of the time.

[Cannon_6]

Originally Posted by KO By Knee

---Question--

When I am squared up and we are hip to hip I have my arms infront of my body for blocking-but also because a quick slide of the hips and I can rain down 3-4 strong finishing body hooks my stance is perfect for it at this point..Now this has worked but since we are only sparring I only throw them about 30% and he only knee's me about 40% but he sometimes does land good knee's in there- almost feels like if I didn't land those shots powerful in a real fight i'd be done. He has good timing and catches me when I open up for the body shots

What else can I do when in this spot? Should I not be squaring up and getting close? Not even engaging in the clinch?...

1. You shouldn't be protecting your body with your arms. Keep your hands on him -- on his arms, around his head/neck, around his body, somewhere -- to keep him from controlling and destroying you. If he's as experienced as you say, I don't know why he isn't pulling you around, pounding you with knees, and/or throwing you across the ring.

You can twist or turn your body to avoid knees, or at least to take some of the pain out of them. If you can time his knees, a quick pull or twist in the right direction, a sweep, or a knee to his supporting leg can unbalance him or even bring him down. But for any of these to work, you have to keep your hands on him.

2. Throwing punches from that position isn't a good idea, either. Forget about "land(ing) those shots powerful in a real fight"; in a fight against a good clincher, you'd be "done" as soon as you started throwing them.

I think Solexe32's advice above is good for you.

[ssullivan80]

Originally Posted by Im so Moldy

Uppercuts/hooks over the top

The uppercut may help you avoid the clinch, but you'll never have room to fire off an UC if your in a good double collar clinch.

As for a hook over the top, probably the single worst idea you could have if your tied up in the clinch with a high level MT fighter, ya might as well start doing the YMCA dance!........ You'll get flung around and wake up with smashed ribs and pissing blood! real quick!

Originally Posted by NAKMUAY18

If he has a double coller tie and you drop your hands to protect your body, in a real match he'd rape you. As you drop your hand to protect your body he'd be smashing you in the face with his elbow, then when you defend your head he'd knee you in the body, then when you try to defend that he'd swing you and knee you in the face.
Ether put some time in to learn Muay Thai clinch, cross face him, or drive him to the fence and grab him round the waist.

Yep..... pay attention TS......

Cross face, body lock or into the fence is gonna be your best bet.

If your tied up in the clinch with a good or high level MT fighter, you're first priority should be defending the clinch and regaining position. Initiating offense (drop down body punching) while being in the clinch is a big no-no. Defend the clinch first, then transition into your offense afterward or as your transitioning.......... Sparring at 30-40% is gonna create some real false confidence, shit changes really quick when your violently having your neck/head twisted, pulled and yanked into knees. The first time that happens will be the last time you consider offensively attacking vs. defending the clinch first.

[SummerStriker]

Originally Posted by ssullivan80

Yep..... pay attention TS......

Cross face, body lock or into the fence is gonna be your best bet.

If your tied up in the clinch with a good or high level MT fighter, you're first priority should be defending the clinch and regaining position. Initiating offense (drop down body punching) while being in the clinch is a big no-no. Defend the clinch first, then transition into your offense afterward or as your transitioning.......... Sparring at 30-40% is gonna create some real false confidence, shit changes really quick when your violently having your neck/head twisted, pulled and yanked into knees. The first time that happens will be the last time you consider offensively attacking vs. defending the clinch first.

I love the cross face. The cross face has stunted my clinch skills growth because after I learned it, I never felt like I needed another move.

That said, it doesn't work on everyone. Some people can fight through it or are just too good. So the body lock -

When I was taught it, we looked up at the ceiling, thrusted our hips forward, and pulled them into a bear hug / double underhooks, then maybe throw them over a leg. I never liked this move because I always feel like I'm begging for the biggest, nastiest head butt you can imagine.

What do you think of putting the forehead into the chest / sternum, or even the face if you can, and still pulling them in with hips forward, double underhooks?