Clinch Entry

The clinch entry is a conditioned response for when you're taking a beating or about to, and need to change the game. If you're already on your heals, getting pounded by an advancing opponent, it may be difficult or impossible to crash or intercept with a balst. In these cases, a drop followed by a rising clinch works extremely well. One minute your opponent is moving forward with a barrage of strikes, and the next you've dropped out of sight only to rise up, take advantage of his movement, and put him in a clinch. The best place to be in the clinch is at your opponent's back. Normally this is where you'll end up. (see our section on the clinch for additional techniques in case you don't end up at the back.) Once you've got the back, there are a variety of techniques you can use to finish your opponent.

To train the clinch entry response, have your opponent start at close range, learn back a bit so you're off balance, and let your opponent begin blasting you with punches (preferably with boxing gloves). You'll see it's nearly impossible to do anything but fall down or quickly drop. Drop, and rise into the clinch as in the pictures below:

The defender is taking a beating, so he quickly drops to turn the tables and enter the clinch.

The defender gets the attacker's back and secures the "harness".

The defender kicks into the back of the attacker's knee to help bring him down, and begins to secure a choke.

The defender gets the rear naked choke.

See more self defense techniques, or more from the Fundamental Five:

• Hit and Run
• Blast
• Crash
• Grappling Defense