Does anyone have any good recomendations on how to get a decent double underhook in when someone has you in the thai clinch. The elbows pressing out prevent my arms getting in range to get the underhooks in so does anyone have any tips on breaking the thai clinch to move into closer clinch work or any other usefull upperbody clinchwork to work against the thai clinch as the clinch tends to nullify my attempts at any leg reaps,underhooks etc. leaving only range to sweep at best.
With the Thai clinch and leg reaps/throws... you want to be concentrating on using your knee outside of their knee on the side you plan to throw on. It acts as a fulcrum point with which to further upset their balance. I find it rather hard to explain - it's something they drill us with and it makes sense once you see it done. But I've yet to ever see it explained on a DVD, instructional or book. The Thai clinch can range from the amazingly simple to the wonderfully sublime. There are subtleties involved in it that I often find most people who haven't fought at a professional level ever get to train in. Everytime I think I have a grasp of pretty much what there is to know about it... my trainer brings in some new perspective and I get a knee in the ribs or unceremoniously dumped into the turnbuckle. I'd say you're going to be hard pressed to work on the finer details of the Thai clinch with anyone other than a trainer who actively trains a stable of nak muays. Even many nak muays that can do the techniques can't explain how to do them. This is why good trainers are so valued.
The best way to get to the double underhooks when someone has you in the thai clinch is to escape the thai clinch first and swim to the underhooks. My favorite escape from the plum clinch (and the only one I know, surprise surprise) is to take your right hand and push your opponents right elbow out to open up the clinch, then swim your left hand between his elbows and grasp the back of his head, then swim your other hand in. Once you have passed the elbows, swim to the underhooks.
Tough to get that on a experinced nak muay yohan,as soon as you release the neck with one hand they will pull(leam) your neck and down you go usually,may be better to work your shoulder throgh first bif possible,but always better to keep 2 hands on the opponent,as slip says it is so hard to explain how to do this by words
This isn't so much a release as a "change of venue" for the fight, and it may or may not work against an experienced Nak Muay, however, I've pulled it off a few times and it's worth thinking about. When your opponent has you in the Plumb Clinch and his elbows are inside yours (the usual case, it largely lets him control the situation), use the back of his neck as a fulcrum and squeeze his elbows together as much as possible (getting them to touch is ideal). Pull your bodies as close together as you can (trying to pin his arms as much as possible here, and gain a little more leverage), then drop down and use the JJJ version of Tai Otoshi. It's different from the Judo version in that it drops to one knee and stretches the tripping leg way out while using the force of your decending body weight to just about face plant your opponent. Overall, it's a much more effective and reliable takedown. When applied even half well in this situation you'll most commonly end up in side control and can now work from a dominant position. If it doesn't come off so well, you may end up in their half guard. Either way, it's better than getting the crap kneed out of you by someone who's better than you are in the plumb clinch. The take down is very reliable against the plumb as your opponent is basicly giving you everything you need to execute it and is already predisposed to hold on for the ride. A couple of keys to good execution: 1. Keep your body upright before the takedown so you don't get bent over and take a knee to the head (duh, I know). Also standing up straight allows your body weight to gain more momentum and make the throw stronger. 2. Once you've squozen their elbows as much as possible you will need to used your own forarm/elbow as a wedge to push them out of the way when you spin for the takedown. 3. If you can time the take down while their foot is off the floor it increases the odds of success greatly. Just remember to take down to the opposite side of the knee that's comming at you. For example if the opponent is kneeing you with their right knee, you would want to apply the take down against their left side. Otherwise you're quite likely to end up in their gaurd. To put it another way, you trip with the leg that's on the same side as the one they're kneeing with if at all possible. 4. For the purpouses of the takedown you may want to interlace your fingers behind your opponent's head (at the base of their skull), it will help you maintain your grip and control on the way down. If they manage to slip their head out of your grip while you're trying the take down you very well may end up on one knee with your back to your opponent. Not a good spot to be in to say the least. I haven't personally had this happen yet, but it is a distinct possibility. Anyway, take all the above with a gain of salt, as I'm not a professional fighter or trainer and I don't fight on the local thai circut, so I can't speak with that authority. It's very arguable that anyone I've used this against probably isn't that much better at the plumb than I am. It's just something that's worked for me and it may be worth practicing to see if it works for you. Cheers!
