Clinch Drills

Hey guys I'm new to the forum besides pummeling what other type of isolation drills due you use to train your clinch game?  Basically I'm finding it hard to get in and clinch against a better striker. My sparring partner is a golden gloves boxer and he's picking me apart in the stand up game (on the ground it's a different story lol) any thoughts ?

[Burton]

One of the Performance Games we play is called the Boxer Wrestler game.  One person tries to stay at boxing/kickboxing range, the other tries to make it to the clinch.  (We also do it where the wrestler can shoot.)  You will find that if the wrestler cannot strike, it can be very difficult for him to get to the clinch.  But, this is usually because the "boxer" understands the entry and uses good footwork and pushing away to keep the wrestler at distance.  There are two main ideas to get in:  

1  Make the boxer move forward toward you to strike, and when he does, you enter.  This is what the Gracies did successfully for so many years.

2  Use striking to get into clinch range.  Usually you need to throw hooking punches or over hands.  If you connect with a straight punch you will knock them back out of range.  Hooking punches keep them close.

    So, set up your entry with strikes.  That is probably going to work best for you.  Aloha!

[Shelt]

Burt is correct as usual  

Just some observations from me.

 If a person WANTS to punch you, it's usually pretty easy to clinch. But if the opponent is merely "probing" you, punching the circle and trying to bait you it can be very hard. Basically it comes down to commitment, so like Burt said you gotta amke him come to you. His comittment aids your entry.

Another tid-bit about the Gracie , especially Royce's, llead leg kick. The kick was supposed to be done against an opponnent closing the distance , not as a committed movement (forward) on your part to force the clinch or as some think to gauge range.

 I spent alot of time traiing non-sport Jits under a Gracie and Burt's first point was always emphasized so when I started training at Burt's I was pretty good at crashing and entering.

  When training your entries make sure you and your partner don't "game" it, If all he wants to do is not commit himself to hitting you because he wants to "win" by not letting you gain the clinch.....well, what have you really accomplished. I like working sparring to develop timing and distancing, footwork, etc, and Burt has a great game for working in-close also ("Staying in the pocket"), but you also must work getting the clinch under pressure. This takes a partner willing to work, for lack of a better term.....cooperatively with resistance. Whith the advanced guys this can mean REALLY trying to take your head off    Man the crosses and hooks can really start flying  

[Cr8]

Welcome Chino!

When I am having trouble clinching with a good striker I can usually narrow the problem down to two things:

1. Forgetting about using my own strikes to set up the clinch.  Try to press as hard as you can while overwhelming with strikes (straight down the pipe so he cannot punch straight and you will beat him to the punch) and I guarantee he will initiate the clinch.  Make sure when striking that your hands stay high and tight and that they do not drop when doing multiple punches and keep that chin tucked!

2.  Trying to enter with zero head movement.  Slip the jab to body lock. Etc.

Something else to consider is developing your attacking crash cover as we do it at JKDU.  Do the boxer/wrestler drill like Burton suggested and make sure that you switch roles so that you can see the other side of the coin.

Train true,
Creighton

[Inirie]

Thats a great drill! Cant wait to try it.

I've always wondered about what Shelton is saying. How can beginners  or novices realistically train certain techniques that call for their opponent to throw a technique with full commitment? Should these techniques be saved for later when a practitioner has reached a certain skill level?

Many thanks!
Reggie

[Inirie]

oops...sorry I didnt read shelts post carefully enough. and it pretty much answers my question.  

[Jim McRae]

My general JKD strategy for any range consists of two steps:
(1) Initiate a defensive flow:  This is where you opponent is so overwhelmed by strikes or submission attempts that all he thinks about is defense.  
(2) Secure a dominant position and execute the most effective technique from that position: Position doesn't just apply to the ground; in kickboxing, it refers to a superior angle of attack.  In clinch, obviously, it refers to a neutralizing tie-up (one that controls your opponent's head, waist, and/or arms).  

From kickboxing range, use a long range kick to initate a hand combination (against a boxer, it is especially important to lead with a kick).  As soon as your opponent covers, you can either drop for a takedown or body lock, or you can trap his arms out of the way and clinch (I don't mean Wing Chun trap; really smash them out of the way).  

The other option is to use an attack by draw, leaving a line open so he offfers the committed attack that was mentioned earlier.  These are more for sparring than for street fighting, though.  In the street, try to overwhelm him.

To offer a stab at interpreting Shelton's notion of "full commitment," I believe he means to have your opponent throw a realistic punch with weight behind it, though not necessarily at full power.  Even when you spar at 50% power, you should still use the proper body mechanics of a powerful strike, even though you don't strike with as much "pop" on the punches.  The safest way to train this is to have your partner put on focus mits and try to slap your head at full speed with moderate to high power.  If hit, you won't be hurt, but the jarring sensation realistically simulates a full power strike.

Temet nosce,
Jim

[chuckk]

You can also reverse engineer all this.

Start with your head on your partners chest, near his clavicle, hands up in guard, as if you'd crashed in. Your partner is cued up to throw strikes, start with light resistance--adding as you go. Your job is to defend his offense, and secure a position (later you can add in takedowns and throws, et cetera. . .). His is to get out, or strike you off and back.

Good stuff!

All the best.

Thanx for the input everybody. I put it to good use with my Boxing friend and surprised him quite a few times. Also I just recieved the SBG's Stand up tape with Rodney King and also implemented some of his techniques with great results. The Crazy monkey style is simliar to the cover Burt teahces on his SBG Tapes (which I own and are very well done. Some of the best I own thanx for putting them out Burt) We played the Boxer vs. wrestler game and had a great time training. We both decided that in our little sparring group it would be used frequently. It really helped open our eyes. I also liked the drill someone  mentioned about starting in the clinch and sparring/controling from there. Once again everybody thanx for the input

[powerchord]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum besides pummeling what other type of isolation drills due you use to train your clinch game?  Basically I'm finding it hard to get in and clinch against a better striker. My sparring partner is a golden gloves boxer and he's picking me apart in the stand up game (on the ground it's a different story lol) any thoughts ?

Footwork to catch the boxer when he is defending and cannot change his attack, especially if he does circular footwork, just circle the other way round that he is used to.   If he hits and move in the opposite direction, move on his weak side, i.e. when he is committed to a say hook punch, his weak side, around the back of his body, he will be force to grapple to regain his balance, although some boxer can grapple a bit Errol graham, and turn the grappler body to their advantage.  Just test his grappling sense, if he only boxers and does not know about grappling strategy.

I assume he is fighting  tight with forward jabs, rear cross, hooks, etc, lhen .  Loose hooks and wild punchs would leave him open to take downs and the clinch.  Also make him weave, bob by same tactics, the attack hims when he is weaving as his balance is vernarable to takedown, and the clinch no push or shove used in boxing, to avoid his blows, once past his striking range apart from bodyblows and desperatin shots, the clinch should make him call the ref in, or try to push or use grappling tactics, so the drills is just offset him, hand sweeps to the legs, pushes, and shoves to create the opportunity to take him to the ground.

Just don,t follow the expected rules of boxing i.e. going the oppositve direction to a blow,  and hitting back, just crash his line, especially when he is off balance due to your footwork changing directions so he has to place his weapons in your line to fire.