You’re sipping a beer in the local dive when a group of rowdies stumble in, reeking of whiskey. After pounding a few more shots, one of them staggers into you and shoves you against a wall, screaming something about some girl named Suzi. He’s getting ready to cock back and bust you in the face and your first instinct is to wrap your arms around his and trap him in a clinch. While he’s trying to pull back from the clinch, you look for a quick opening, find one and slam your elbow into the punk’s jaw. You didn’t get hit, you didn’t get hurt, and his buddies buy you a beer for not pummeling him.
Ah yes, the clinch – used to stop an oncoming assault or to prop you up when you’ve been beaten and can’t stand up anymore. A clinch done right can be an excellent offensive maneuver – although most clinches are executed within the realm of defense. Remember, a clinch is only good for a short time, if your opponent is strong or quick, they’ll break free and you’ll have to deal with more carnage. There are three basic clinches that you can use to trap your opponent and slow down or stop an onslaught.
The first clinch is one you’ve seen in almost every Heavyweight boxing match. After you hit the final few rounds, the boxers start to slow down and will wrap their arms or gloves around their opponent’s neck. In boxing, this merely slows the opponent down, giving the tired boxer a few moments of sweet rest. In the real world, slipping your hands behind an opponent’s neck opens up a flurry of knee strikes, all devastating blows to the solar plexus or a crippling knee to the face. If you can control your opponent and pull their face down to knee striking distance – it’s night-night.
The second clinch is very similar to the first, but it’s executed with a single hand behind the neck. This clinch offers a bit more in the offensive department, as well as giving more of an opportunity to stop punches and other blows.This clinch is especially effective when paired with elbow and knee strikes – providing a one-two punch that is difficult to stop.
The final clinch is when you’re tangling your arms within your opponent’s – usually to stop punches, grabs and pushes. This is a very effective way to stop a punch before it starts, and you can always slip a punch of your own in when your opponent is flabbergasted, wondering how to hit you.
Use the clinch when you don’t have the room to effectively defend yourself or when you’ve been sucker punched and the punches keep coming. Once you’ve got control of your enemy, strike with the knee and the elbow until the job is done.
Ah yes, the clinch – used to stop an oncoming assault or to prop you up when you’ve been beaten and can’t stand up anymore. A clinch done right can be an excellent offensive maneuver – although most clinches are executed within the realm of defense. Remember, a clinch is only good for a short time, if your opponent is strong or quick, they’ll break free and you’ll have to deal with more carnage. There are three basic clinches that you can use to trap your opponent and slow down or stop an onslaught.
The first clinch is one you’ve seen in almost every Heavyweight boxing match. After you hit the final few rounds, the boxers start to slow down and will wrap their arms or gloves around their opponent’s neck. In boxing, this merely slows the opponent down, giving the tired boxer a few moments of sweet rest. In the real world, slipping your hands behind an opponent’s neck opens up a flurry of knee strikes, all devastating blows to the solar plexus or a crippling knee to the face. If you can control your opponent and pull their face down to knee striking distance – it’s night-night.
The second clinch is very similar to the first, but it’s executed with a single hand behind the neck. This clinch offers a bit more in the offensive department, as well as giving more of an opportunity to stop punches and other blows.This clinch is especially effective when paired with elbow and knee strikes – providing a one-two punch that is difficult to stop.
The final clinch is when you’re tangling your arms within your opponent’s – usually to stop punches, grabs and pushes. This is a very effective way to stop a punch before it starts, and you can always slip a punch of your own in when your opponent is flabbergasted, wondering how to hit you.
Use the clinch when you don’t have the room to effectively defend yourself or when you’ve been sucker punched and the punches keep coming. Once you’ve got control of your enemy, strike with the knee and the elbow until the job is done.