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Muay Thai Personal Training - Introducing the Clinch as the Intensive Course Continues

23.12.2025


Two men sparring in a gym with red mats and black walls. One is in a fighting stance, the other lifts a knee. Intense focus. Wall logo visible.
Two martial artists engage in an intense sparring session on a red mat, practicing striking and defensive techniques with focus and determination.

Muay Thai Personal Training - Intensive Course Re-Cap


This blog describes the third set of 2-hour lessons in my client's four lesson Muay Thai Personal Training intensive course programme over the festive period. My client is brand new to CCMA, having studied Muay Thai in New York City for just less than a year at two different gyms. Whilst visiting relatives for Christmas and New Year he decided to book in eight hours of private training with me. So far he has covered two hours of teep work and two hours of round kicks. During this lesson I helped, yet again, by one of my regular clients.


Warm-up


The lesson began with our usual warm-up of muscle activation and dynamic stretching combined with some simple line-work exercises that are directly relevant to today's training. We walked through the basic footwork for the clinch and combined various marching knees and curve knees into our stretches.


Footwork for Clinch


The first two rounds focused entirely on the mechanics of footwork. I had my two clients place their gloved hands against each other as they tried to use weight distribution and movement to off-balance each other and create angles. These live rounds are a great way to bring in intuitive reasoning behind good, tactical footwork before any other elements are brought in. We effectively build the foundation where the rest of the clinch will be built. From here we layered on sweeping and knee-bumping to further break posture.


Hand Positions for Clinch


The next few rounds introduced the plum and collar and elbow hand positions. Here both nak muays seek dominant positions whilst also using and contending with the tools introduced during the footwork rounds. As they progressed through these rounds I introduced locking positions that totally offset the opponent, leveraging an arm whilst pushing the head over its balance point.


Spear Knees


The next rounds layered in the biggest knee strike: the spear knee. I encouraged clearing space and intuitive defences. The footwork and hand positioning was already in place to set up these strikes.


Body Clinch and Curve Knees


With body clinching now brought in and used as a restrictive condition for the next few rounds, the curve knee came into its own. However, before they sparred with each other in this fashion the lesson was broken up for some drilling. They went through a collar and elbow tie position delivering a curve knee and breaking the posture of their partner as they attempted to throw one back before changing roles and then changing stances.


Clinch Knee Sparring


The technical side of training was concluded with freestyle knee strikes permitted within the clinch.


Warm Down


The lesson finished with some more partner stretching. Partner stretching needs to be handled in a responsible manner. If done incorrectly it can be injurious or not very functional. I am keen that my clients not only get an opportunity to flush out their lactic acid, reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscular Soreness) and increase their flexibility, but that they retain strength and control in their increased range of movement. We did some more PNF, or Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, stretching with isometrics along with balancing as they warmed down. Varying options, I taught them a different way to partner stretch here by stretching on the ground.



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