The Muay Thai clinch differs from other fight style clinches because of your ability to throw elbow and knee strikes. In this Tip of the Week, Coach Charles Martinez breaks down the fundamentals of the Thai clinch and how to properly strike from it.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Coach Charles Martinez:
Hello, this is Coach Charles Martinez from The Arena, and today we’ll be discussing Thai clinch, proper application, and defense. So first and foremost in the Thai clinch, right? I’m crowning the head. Application, I want to crown the head, get my elbows tight, break their posture. First line of defense is both of us having good posture, making our neck short, and our hips close. He swims his hand in, I swim my hand in and we’re maintaining this 50/50 position. Hips are closed, we’re not sagging, we’re not looking down, right?
As he starts to establish inside position, my first line of defense is keeping my neck short, pummeling my hands to the inside. He does the same, hands get to the inside. We’re back to this neutral 50/50 position. Second line of defense, he gets his hands to the inside. All right, the points of his elbows being down is what gives me the escape. I rotate my body. By rotating my body, I create space on the far side. I pummel on my hand to the inside. He does the same thing. He rotates. He creates space. He pummels his hands to the inside.
Another variation: I reach. This is for a stronger grip, slightly more broken down. I reach, I grab around the head. I step outside of his foot, I go hip to hip, creates more space. I swim to the inside. Zach does the same thing. Step, create space, swim to the inside, slightly more broken down. I take my fist, I punch across the face, swim to the inside. Zach does the same thing. Punches across the face. Create space, swims to the inside.
So that’s just simple Thai clinch escapes, first being proper application, posture, and then the escape actually happens in stages depending on how far broken down into the Thai clinch you are. So there’s a very simple introduction. That’s your tip of the week. Fucking one take bro.
Zach:
One and done.
Coach harles Martinez:
One and done, bro. I’m a goddamn professional. I do this for a living.
