Clinch for Self-Defence (diary entry)

12.11.14 The tenth and final part of the CCMA course on stand-up grappling/clinch focused completely on self-defence aspects. We warmed up with some progressive grip fighting and then began incorporating controlled finger/thumb cranks, eye gouges, hair gripping, philtrum takedowns and biting. I also brought in neck crank takedowns. We covered the three lines of attack using the cover to access them. From here we looked at controlling a striking enemy in the context of a mid-level assault. We looked at taking the back and holding an enemy in a waist-lock and seatbelt hold. This allowed my client to improvise on various follow up tactics, including striking and chokes. Assessing likely counter-tactics an enemy might use to break the hold, we looked at trapping/sweeping a stamping foot and dealing with attempts to use incidental objects. If the back position is adopted correctly with the hip low and the head between the enemy’s shoulder blades counter attacks such as backward elbow strikes and backward head-butts are easily avoided. It is also crucial to keep the hold as tight as possible so that the enemy cannot around. Another common counter-tactic is to try to ram the grappler into a wall or some object. A basic familiarity with grappling should be able to reverse such a desperate method, sending the enemy into said wall or object or, in worst case situations, taking it to the ground and quickly switching to a knee pin. I have trained several students who have successfully utilized these methods in self-defence situations, including a citizen’s arrest. The issue regarding using available objects brought us onto aspects of Dumog, a Filipino style of wrestling, Mo Teague taught me as part of his intensive Hard Target instructors programme.  We looked at using the various holds and dragging moves already confirmed earlier in the course to manoeuvre an attacker into the wall and any projecting object from a standing position. The session finished with a look at using various grappling holds to acquire striking techniques. This included striking into headlocks, striking from underhook positioning and striking from the plumb position. We ensured that safe disengagement from a grappling hold was also covered. My concern with grappling is that because it is such a primal method for human-on-human inter-species fighting, it is easy for a person to get caught up in it when striking would be a more efficient means for an individual to make their escape. Therefore it was important that my client understood that everything goes back to the original self-protection course with striking as a priority tactic and grappling served as a support system used to either subdue a lower level threat or when striking is not the best option for dealing with a high level threat.

Combat grappling, anti-grappling and the cover are all extensively covered in my new ebook, "Mordred's Victory and Other Martial Mutterings":