Short Range Natural Weapons (diary entry)

12.01.16 The fifth lesson in CCMA’s second course on Muay Thai for martial arts cross-training took my client onto short-range weapons and the clinch. We warmed up with some line-work drawing links between the long range weapons of punches and kicks with the various elbows and knees. We covered the chopping elbow, diagonal elbow, uppercut elbow and downward elbow strikes off the front and rear arm. Then we covered the upward knee, the round knee and diagonal knee strike. Next we start putting the strikes together and looked at how certain movements leant towards certain tactics i.e. front upward knee/downward rear elbow becoming “monkey climbs the tree”. These techniques were then transferred onto the Thai focus mitts. Here we addressed accuracy, which is bigger issue with short-range striking tools than with their long-range counterparts unless a referencing hand or clinch is combined with the action. We then coupled them with long-range strikes. We then addressed the clinch. We first looked at the basic plumb position and associated footwork. This was followed by various counters, going over, through and under the arms. After bringing in the knee and elbow strikes, we looked at several locking off positions within the clinch. The session was finished with some specific sparring, testing out some of these tactics. This was done without head strikes, which encourages better accuracy and movement as a training exercise.   Photography by Charlotte Von Bulow-Quirk Photography for Jamie Clubb's books, "Mordred's Victory" and the upcoming "Bullshitsu and the Fight to Make Martial Arts Work"