Clinch

The "clinch" is stand up grappling. It is the bridge between stand up and ground fighting. If a practitioner wants to take an opponent to the ground, he must first use the clinch. Conversely, if a practitioner wants to avoid being taken to the ground, he must often be able to stop the attacker in the clinch.

In a serious conflict in which one or both participants are relentlessly attacking, if the conflict lasts more than a few seconds, it will likely involve the clinch. In self-defense the goal is to end the altercation as quickly as possible. Because clinching leads to more involved contact than stand up, it would most often be best to avoid it. However, you may find yourself in a clinch against your will, you may enter into the clinch to avoid getting beaten, or you might use it to subdue an opponent you don't want to seriously hurt. In any case it is extremely important to have strong basic clinch skills with the addition of striking and "dirty tactics".

Basic Techniques

Low Tie Up:

• Pummeling
• Underhook
• Overwrap
• Duck Under
• Arm Drag
• Body Lock
• Hip Throw
• Single Leg Takedown
• Double Leg Takedown
• Counters (Wizzer, Face Push, Sprawl, etc.)

High Tie Up:

• Pummeling
• Snap Down
• Counters (Face Push, Inward "block", etc.)

Strikes, Chokes, and "Dirty Tactics"

• Chokes
• Wrenches
• Knees
• Elbows
• Stomps
• Headbutts
• Groin Slaps
• Eye Thumbs
• Punching
• Biting
• Paul Vunak's HKE

Hertao Control Positions

• Arm Control
• Head and Arm Control

Techniques from Control Positions

• Knees
• Elbows
• Wrenches
• Chokes
• Throws