One of our viewers Zach M asked how to escape from the Thai clench. So today I’ll show you a drill that will not only help you escape from just the Thai clench but also help you master it.
Escape from Thai Clench
Now it isn’t common for a street thug to know how to fight even less how to do a Thai clench. However they certainly might grab your head, hair, or clothing around your collar and that is a very similar position to the Thai clench.
When someone grabs you in this manner they can throw you off balance and repeatedly strike you. So we need to escape this position and get to our own superior Thai clench.
Remember this – if 2 people are grabbing each other around the head, hair, clothes, or in a Thai clench the person with the inside position has the leverage. So you want to be the person on the inside position.
Thai Clench Pummeling or Swimming Drill
To begin have one partner get the other one in a Thai clench. If you want to learn how then go check out this article I wrote.
The one partner at a time will swim just one arm at a time through the inside of their training partner’s arms and wrap around their head to get their own Thai clench. They should now have both of their arms on the inside position.
Now the original Thai clenching partner’s arms should be on the outside position. So now it is their turn to swim back to the inside position.
Repeat this drill until you are familiar with it. Then move to the next progression.
Tips for Better Thai Clench Pummeling
If your elbows are getting stuck on your partners elbows as you attempt to swim in then you need to tuck your elbow in as it swims.
If your partner is keeping their elbows tight (as they should be) then you will have to turn your body to “find the space” to swim into.
By the way, if you are a taller fighter it is a good idea to tuck your chin and maybe turn your head out slightly so you don’t get accidentally (or purposefully) head butted in the nose or teeth.
Thai Clench Progressions
Matching the Flow
The first progression you should do is to try and match each other in the drill. That means each partner should have one arm on the inside position and one on the outside position at all times.
When one starts swimming their outside arm to the inside the other partner does the same thing with their outside arm.
This puts both partners in a constant flowing drill where they are constantly in a tie.
Move Them Around
Push them, pull them, or spin them during the drill.
This teaches you to constantly keep your opponent off-balance so they can’t mount an attack.
To push think about driving your forearms (elbows tucked in tight together) into your partner’s collar bones.
Find Your Shots
Next find easy sensible strikes as you flow. A groin kick is a great one that is almost always there. Especially after you move them as they will generally widen their legs to keep their balance.
You can uppercut their jaw on the way to swimming in as long as their elbows are apart.
There are knees to the body and other strikes as well. Just make sure they are strikes that would actually hurt someone. No sense practicing anything that wouldn’t really work on a tough opponent.
Go for a Takedown
Keep your partner on their toes by going for a bear hug, double leg takedown, etc.
If your partner is keeping their elbows tight all they have to do to defend it is push their butt back a little and lower their center of mass.
The Thai clench should be able to stop any takedown especially tackles from some street thug.
Conclusion
The Thai clench is a critical piece of Rapid Assault Tactics (the RAT) and is a game-changer for winning a street fight.
This drill will help you master the Thai clench and level up your clench fighting game to new heights.
A small investment of 30-60 seconds each training session or at least every so often will pay off big time.
Until next time,
Brian Copeland
