Clinch fighting is the primary focus of many
combat sports such as
wrestling and it is also a fundamental part of
amateur wrestling,
sambo, Muay Thai,
Lethwei and
mixed martial arts. The nature of the clinch during fighting depends on the rules involved in the different sports. Muay Thai puts much emphasis on
strikes from the clinch, while judo focuses on
throws. The rule common to all these forms is the allowance for the
grappling necessary to form a clinch. Other combat sports like
boxing or
Taekwondo only allow clinching for a short time or do not allow it at all. If clinching is disallowed, the clinching fighter will be issued a warning, or the
referee will restart the fight from a distance. is the primary focus in
judo.
Grappling techniques The clinch is a powerful tool for grapplers to advance into a
dominant position in
ground fighting, or is used for scoring points or winning a match such as a
grand amplitude throw in amateur wrestling or an
ippon in judo. The type of techniques employed are heavily dependent on whether or not the participants are wearing clothing heavy enough to be grabbed and used to gain leverage or unbalance them to set up throws. In competitive environments examples of such clothing would be the
Dalian(
Shuai Jiao Jacket),
Judogi,
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi or the
Kurtka. In competition where such clothing is being worn (almost exclusively referred to as a gi) there is a strong emphasis on grip fighting where the fighters will attempt to gain a dominant hold on the opponent's gi to unbalance and throw them. Examples of such competition would be judo, sambo or some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions although in BJJ there is frequently a division for both gi and no-gi competition. In no-gi competition getting
double underhooks is generally considered advantageous, as the position can be used to perform throws or
takedowns. Being behind the opponent in such a position is known as
getting the back, and is generally considered even more advantageous, since it is harder for the opponent to defend from that position. A typical example of a technique that can be performed from this position is the
suplex.
Hand and arm positions While clinching, the position of a fighter's arms is vitally important. The fighter always tries to keep his arms on the inside of his opponent's, allowing him to press his elbows together building a tighter grip. The fighter attempts to always hold his hands in a "cupping" position.{{cite web
Striking techniques A multitude of striking techniques exist that can be used effectively from the clinch.
Punching,
elbows, and
knee strikes in the clinch, also sometimes referred to as "
dirty boxing", are an important aspect of Muay Thai,
Bajiquan,
Wing Chun, Lethwei and mixed martial arts.
Elbows and short looping punches such as
hooks and
uppercuts can be used effectively from the
single collar tie position. Although disallowed in many combat sports, in Lethwei, the use of
headbutt is encouraged and can also be effectively used from the clinch. The short distance in the clinch nullifies
kicking to some extent, but some kicks are still effective. In
Wing Chun, simultaneous grabs/traps at the elbows, wrists or behind the neck often open up a strike. In Muay Thai, the
double collar tie is used to control an opponent while
kneeing to the head or midsection, and
stomps are used in some mixed martial arts competitions to kick the feet of the opponent.
Submission techniques There are very few
submission holds that can be applied effectively from the clinch, without engaging in
ground fighting. The most well known submission hold is the
guillotine choke, which can be attempted from a
single or
double collar tie. Height is advantageous in applying the guillotine choke from the clinch, since sufficient leverage is needed. Other possible, but more rare submissions from the clinch are the
arm triangle,
rear naked choke, and
Ezekiel choke. == See also ==