Throws & Sweeps ^
Besides when catching a kick, being inside the clinch is the most ideal position for sweeping and throwing your opponent. When you first start training Muay Thai, you may think strength is the key factor but it rarely is. Timing and the ability to instantly react when your opponent is off-balance are far more important.
The difference between a throw and a sweep is a throw doesn't involve sweeping the opponent's feet out beneath them. However, both use similar motions and the act sweeping of an opponent's feet adds further imbalance to your opponent when you're twisting or throwing them. A basic throw involves keeping your hips close to your opponent's while twisting them over your hip and pulling them down with your arms. To make it more effective, you can post your leg across the outside of theirs and pull them over it. To add a sweep to it, as their head begins to lower, sweep out their feet and throw them over.
Throws and sweeps look dramatic and can lead to a loud crash on the canvas. They score highly, please the crowd and help to demoralise & wind your opponent.
Via MMAShredded
Julie Kitchen @ The Warrior Collective
Entry & Exit ^
Getting in and out of the clinch can be dangerous as you're stepping into knees and elbow range in the former, while retreating into punch and kick range in the latter. If you're guard isn't properly set-up or your entry/exit disguised with strikes, it's likely you'll get hit.
Entry
When entering the clinch, it's important to have an effective guard (hand traps and the long-guard work a treat) and also set-up the entry - whether that be by stepping in with a strike, slipping a strike and stepping forward or even cutting an angle and forcing entry. A skilled fighter will resist letting you enter the clinch on your terms, unless they're confident of gaining the upper-hand, so you will need to create/force an entry.
Exit
Exiting the clinch is often more dangerous than entering as people push or get pushed away and drop their guard. This opens up opportunities for knockout punches and head-kicks. Therefore, quickly resetting your guard is key. You can also counter the danger by throwing your own strike upon exit, whether you forced the exit or not. A well-time head kick can knockout opponents as they exit into kicking range.
Shane Fazan with Petchboonchu @ FightTips
Lawrence Kenshin's Striking Breakdowns featuring Buakaw
Knees in the clinch ^
Tips & Tricks ^
When starting out learning the clinch, students often neglect arm control (bicep, elbow & shoulder) and focus on grabbing the neck and head with as much strength as possible. The best clinch artists are those who are calm and composed in the clinch, using their strength sparingly and instead relying on techniques to manipulate their opponents either to open positions to strike or to lock them up, controlling the arms and head accordingly to achieve the desired goal. One core Muay Thai clinch technique is the single collar tie, which involves wrapping your arm around your opponent's neck and gaining tight bicep control. This allows for opportunities to twist, off balance your opponent, and land effective knee strikes.
Your posture and head position are important things to keep in mind when in the clinch. Having your head down or hips too far away from your opponent can open you up to elbows and knees, especially if you're shorter than them. Keep your chin tucked in and be creative with your shoulders. You can exert pressure on your opponent's arms by raising your shoulders and, when used in conjunction with your hips, you can break your opponent's grip.
Clinch work, like a Muay Thai fight in itself, is like a game of chess. Jostling back and forth for position, feeling and foreseeing your opponents next move, laying traps and pouncing, is all play part of building a well-round clinch game.
Malaipet Sasiprapa via Lollo Fight Channel
Shane Fazen with Petchboonchu @ FightTips
