The Thai Clinch

[McNerny]

Hello All,

I am curious as to how to get into the Thai clinch/neck clinch to begin with. I have a basic understanding of the mechanics of how to throw knees from this position and how to control your opponent once you have him in this position, but I'm not sure how to gain this clinch in the first place. Do you set it up with punches to close the distance and grab it, or do you start in a different clinch first and work for it? These are some of the tips I have heard. Any more tips or better explanation on the ones I have would be highly appreciated. Also, if you have any tips on holding the position and throwing knees, that would help too, because as I mentioned before I only have a basic understanding. Oh and also, do you recommend locking your hands when you hold the clinch or lacing your fingers? I have seen both of these used and I am unsure which is better to use.

Thanks a bunch,

McNerny

[Dragn]

In MT you'd never lace your fingers together. For a start its impossible to do with gloves on! And it dosent give you good controll either. You want to cup 1 hand inside the other with your fingers pointing up behind the back of the head. Push your elbows together and toward him to get your forearms tight round the neck.

Push his head forward and down with your fingers. This will give you good controll over his head/neck.

It is just one of the clinch positions though. There are a few different ones. Being able to work smoothly through the various clinches against a resisting partner is a real skill which takes ALOT of practise.

[legkicker]

The best way to learn the clinch is to join a Muay Thai gym or anywhere that does it. It seems simple but it's something that takes a trainer to really get you to do it right.

It's also known as neck wrestling becaue you'll be using your neck a lot when somebody else does it to you..making sure you keep your head up.

There are Throws/takedowns/takeovers from this position too...setups for knees, etc. This is a form of standup grappling.

[elbows_and_knees]

anyone you have seen interlacing the fingers does not know how the clinch works.

1. you have gloves on.

2. even if you didn't, you lose mobility in the hands and run the risk of getting fingers broken.

3. you cant shove your elbows into their shoulder blades and fully control them with the fingers interlaced horizontally

4. people who lace them generally lace them behind the neck, which is the wrong place to hold for the clinch.

Now that that's out of the way...How you get to the clinch depends on the situation that you are in - there isn't just one way. As legkicker suggested, check out a muay thai gym.

[Sohan]

Here's a good source on the proper way to clinch:

http://www.geocities.com/global_training_report/clinch.htm

With respect,

Sohan