The Muay Thai Clinch 101:

[StikyIcky]

To be honest a lot of people seem to want to find creative ways to avoid the MT clinch. I say, don't try and beat it - join it. The best defence to the MT clinch is your own strong MT clinch. Too many people don't realise the depth of Thai clinch work, watch more Thai fights and note the use of underhooks, overhooks, and various mixed holds etc.

True and it's actually a lot of fun. Even if you're getting you're getting schooled while practicing.

To neutralize the MT clinch you don't have to be an expert. Just have a proper understanding of it and practice. You don't want to stay in it versus a MT master, like Franklin did versus Silva in the first fight. Just neutralize, escape or even reverse into a takedown.

 

[TangBai]

To neutralize the MT clinch you don't have to be an expert.

My MT trainer taught me a simple way to counter a strong clinch, put whatever hand (or both hands) you have free into his face and push his face back, it should open up his body and let you get in a knee or move into a stronger position in the clinch. Don't be gentle with it, shove his face and head back hard.

He's an expert, I'm definitely not, and I can usually get out of his clinch with this. Works best with gloves (10 or 12 ounce) and works ok with no gloves doing drills.

Ive never tried this in an MMA situation so I don't know how well it would work there.

 

[TangBai]

but can you actually KO someone with knees to the body, and if so, where do those shots need to go? I completely understand that knees to the head will put even the best fighter on the mat since it's the most powerful blow you could land, but curious about bodyshots.

Yes. You can KO someone with a knee to the body. The ones I've seen lately are more straight knees to the midsection rather than a side knee to the outside (where a body hook/rip would normally go). Tonight I seen a tall fighter land a nice step-up knee to the midsection, goodnight, thanks for coming.

Look at your knee cap, flex your foot back upto your hamstring, hit it with your hand, its very hard and has a very large surface area. Compare it to your fist, you know that knee was made for hurting people. Now imagine someone winding up and with all their effort jamming that big hard err... knee straight into your stomache. It going to hurt, alot.

 

[Deleted member 145018]

have to up this great post, because many people need to read this. Agree with everything in this post and hopefully people will check this out...

 

[Pabo]

The four basic postures of Muay Thai clinch are illustrated in this article--

GTR Muay Thai Clinch

 

[JNick]

great post. helped alot with some questions i had.

 

[thirteen]

That gtr clinch article is great. I've found the mt clinch has come naturally (tieing up like in wrestling, but with some changes). We had a saying in wrestling "control the head, control the man".

 

[LaurieDaley]

We train clinch for about 30 minutes every night at my gym(its a muay thai gym). You can know all the techniques in the world but until you actually get a feel for clinching you will get destroyed by anyone who trains.
The Clinch is very technical at times that is why even at my gym i see small thai blokes manhandle massive white fellas.
Timing and balance is crucial both in attack and defense, the clinch is not a game where you stay still and just hold your opponents head down. Movement is a crucial key, pulling n pushing your opponent will create both space and opportunities as well as keep them off balance.
In all it is a skill that has to be tried over and over and over to get a feel for.

 

[thirteen]

Golden rule of clinching = don't just stand there, do something!

 

[aries]

Interesting thread. I came across it looking for more a description of a technique I have seen many times used by the thais but to my surprise I couldn't see it mentioned even once in the entire thread!

Basically you just wedge a shin horizontally across their hips and this jams them so they can't throw knees. You see it all the time in pure Muay Thai matches. More often than not it totally neutralises the knee threat and the clinch gets broken up after ending in a stale mate.

Say you use your left leg, you would rotate your knee anti-clockwise so that your knee rests just outside your opponents right hip and your foot is outside their left hip. This totally takes away their knees because you have jammed their hips.

 

[Ron Powell Jr]

Didn't know Sinister/KK was into Muay Thai in a past life.

 

[Ron Powell Jr]

This writeup is a little rough, but sorta interesting.

EDIT: This seems more like an MMA application of the clinch.

 

[Cannon_6]

Interesting thread. I came across it looking for more a description of a technique I have seen many times used by the thais but to my surprise I couldn't see it mentioned even once in the entire thread!

Basically you just wedge a shin horizontally across their hips and this jams them so they can't throw knees. You see it all the time in pure Muay Thai matches. More often than not it totally neutralises the knee threat and the clinch gets broken up after ending in a stale mate.

Say you use your left leg, you would rotate your knee anti-clockwise so that your knee rests just outside your opponents right hip and your foot is outside their left hip. This totally takes away their knees because you have jammed their hips.

I have one point to add: You must also have good control of your opponent's arms or head when you do it. Otherwise, you'll most likely get swept.

 

[SKizzit**]

This is cool, I also heard when for hand position you can have on hand on top of your wrist instead of the back of your hand cause it makes it tighter.

 

[aries]

I have one point to add: You must also have good control of your opponent's arms or head when you do it. Otherwise, you'll most likely get swept.

Oh yeah absolutely and also to properly jam their hips you got to be pulling them into you at the same time as pushing your shin into them. Thanks for a good point.

 

[Ken Full]

Wicked post man!

With a muay thai clinch, I always try to keep my hips back, pull my opponent around and throw deep knees. It seems to work well.

What do you suggest for a wrestlers clinch though? The one I'm thinking of is where you have an overhook and an underhook. It's a neutral clinch position unlike the muay thai clinch where you have control. I'm not sure if this is correct but when I'm here I try to keep my opponents hips close to mine (I know you can be tripped easily here but I'm comfortable on the ground) and I attack their legs with knees. I also try to throw some knees to the body from here if I can but its hard from a position like this. While doing this, I work towards either double underhooks or I quickly push hard of their hips with my hands then go for a muay thai clinch. Am I on the right track here?

I feel extremely uncomfortable in stand up fighting if my opponent is at a distance. I'm left handed and fairly awkward while standing. I have a lot of trouble closing the gap and scoring hits so I go for the clinch as often as I can because I feel comfortable there and I also feel comfortable on the ground so I don't mind going there from the clinch. It's the strategy I've been working on anyways.

Friend,

When u get MT clinched, u dont want to pull back, pull away. when u do that, u create the distance for ur opponent to strike u, esp w knees. plus, ur backing straight up, which is gonna get u in serious trouble quickly. when u get plummed, walk into it and remain loose-not stiff, thus closing the gap and taking away the room he needs to strike u. best wishes.

 

[BWC]

The most common mistake people make is holding the back of the neck instead of a cobra grip on the back of the head. I cobra grip the back of the head and dig my elbows into their shoulders. It's great control..

 

[MilitantWorker]

look out for o-soto gari when clinching boys and girls, especially when switching from one side of your opponent to another

sooooooo nice **drooldrool**

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

The most common mistake people make is holding the back of the neck instead of a cobra grip on the back of the head. I cobra grip the back of the head and dig my elbows into their shoulders. It's great control..

It depends on what you are trying to do. The grip on the back of the neck is better for twist downs IMO.

 

[Ron Powell Jr]

Strange, we don't really try too hard to go for the full two-hands-behind head when we clinch at our school(Fairtex affiliate), if our partner leaves it open of course we'll take advantage of it but we usually focus on controlling the shoulders/arms/head to land knees or execute spins trips/sweeps and dumps.

Outside of MMA i hardly ever see anyone get a full-clinch put on them if both guys are good clinch grapplers. Look at the high level Thai fights for example, no one ever gets anyone in a full clinch, it's too easy to defend against & counter, it's always the 50/50 clinch or working on controlling the arms or spinning/tripping the opponent.

Note: These tips are mostly for straight-up Muay Thai, MMA has a wrestling/judo element so your experience may differ if you try this in MMA.

-Best time to spin your opponent is when he's throwing a knee, or right after you've engaged the clinch or pummeled in. Spin to the OUTSIDE, ie the side he isn't kneeing with. Remember, don't PULL him, TURN him, think of a car steering wheel. Make sure your hips are close before you spin him or you'll waste too much energy and struggle trying to spin him because you'll only be using your arms, it should be EASY to spin your opponent.

-If your opponent leaves one leg too far forward, use an outside trip or footsweep, he'll fall for sure.

-Stay tall, loose and on your toes in the thai clinch, square your hips, keep your feet square too. When you go into the clinch it's a completely different game, you're NOT in your regular one-leg-forward fighting stance anymore, that's an easy way to get swept and dumped.

-Don't leave your chin up in the air when clinching (it's a good habit to keep if you ever decide to fight with elbows in the future), keep the head down but stay tall and keep the neck and shoulders strong.

-Use your shoulders to shrug your opponent off when he tries to latch onto your neck/head, don't just let him get grips on you. Push his fucking face away with the palm of your hand and violently rip your shoulder away if you have to, don't do this too much in practice though, be friendly with your partner.

-Keep your elbows in tight, you want to stay on the inside, work on cupping your palms and using them as hooks instead of grabbing onto limbs,

-Always practice your clinch sparring without gloves to develop the muscles in your wrists and hands for when you actually have to wear gloves. Getting used to the "touch" is very important.

-DO NOT interlock your fingers at any point, this goes double for muay Thai fighters, if it wont work while wearing boxing gloves, don't get into the habit of doing it. The grip should either be palm over palm or grabbing your own wrists.

-Another tip specifically for Muay Thai guys: Don't grab your opponents limbs with your fingers, this isn't Jiu jitsu, you can't do that when you're wearing boxing gloves.

-Don't allow space for your opponent to throw straight knees, if your opponent is blasting you with straight knees you are doing something horribly, horribly wrong. Aside from the engaging & disengaging from the clinch he should only have enough space to throw round knees an angled knees. Only create space if YOU'RE gonna knee. You're the one in control, it's all about control.

-For Muay Thai guys: When you clinch spar DONT hit your opponent with the tip of the kneecaps, use the meaty parts of your thighs and the sides of your kneecaps, this is proper clinch etiquette in thailand. There is no need to injure your training partner, he is the most valuable piece of equipment you'll ever use.

-If your opponent ducks under your arm gets you to where your arm is trapped across your face/jaw (like a standing arm triangle), DONT TRY TO KNEE BACK, FOCUS ON ESCAPING, DRIVE HIM FORWARD, GET THAT ARM BACK.... that's a "you're fucked" position, you don't wanna be in that.

That's everything off the top of my head, but there is so much more to it, the Muay Thai clinch is like learning a completely seperate martial art. You can have the best boxing and kicks in the world, but if you can't handle when your opponent closes the distance and smothers you with the Thai clinch, you're in for a bad night.