20.01.16 The sixth lesson in CCMA’s second course on Muay Thai for martial arts cross training continued with our work on the clinch. We warmed up with some basic neck wrestling and footwork. This progressed to three locking-off drills. These were based around trapping one arm and steering the head. They were done from the front with the arm and head trapped, from the side with pressure from two arms on the shoulder and head, and finally from a loose arm-triangle clinch. A crucial point being made here was move into each position and respond to the opponent’s reaction. A key point to remember with the clinch is to keep an opponent’s posture broken for an indefinite length of time whilst setting him up for strikes. Whilst going through the plumb position we looked at another variation with a chopping elbow. This brought the lesson onto the use of elbows. Typically good clinch fighters pull their opponents in close and manipulate space and positioning to strike. Timing is everything and never more so than in this instance. Taking advantage of the trained pulling and closing action a clincher will go to for protection and to take control, elbow strikes become very efficient weapons. The basic chopping elbow as well as the uppercut elbow can be quickly thrown at very close range inside the plumb position. It can also be done over the clinch as can the diagonal elbow. Timing these techniques with being pulled forward increases the impact. Elbows can be sharp and nasty at this range. In Muay Thai, particularly in professional bouts held in Thailand, the elbow is used more as a cutting tool. This isn't to say that they are used to knock opponents out. They most certainly are used very effeciently in this respect. However, in the regular career of a Thai fighter, the elbow tends to come out in rounds four and five when a fighter needs a stoppage. A cut to the head can do just that if the referee believes it affecting a fighter's vision too much. The elbow can be a very impressive looking tool. A see many self-defence teacher and a good number of other martial artists pulling off some impressive sounding elbow strikes to strike shields. The bare skin and solid bone can create a tremendous noise when being thrown at a static object. However, the elbow also notoriously clumsy, lacking the dexterity of the hands. It is often best thrown at short range and especially when an opponent is being held or referenced with the non-striking hand. To make a cross training analogy, an elbow strike should be viewed as the knife to the hand's stick. The elbows should be thrown in short slashing and stabbing movements rather than as whipping blows. Once these were covered in partner work and with some pressure in a specific sparring range, making use of the head-cages, we looked at developing power on the Thai focus mitts. The elbows and knees were also coupled with various kicking and punching combinations.
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