I want to teach beginners how to clinch against a striking opponent and subsequently how to take the guy down. I want this more for self defense purposes than for competition and I want to use a method of clinching and takedown that will enable my beginners to get decent at this in as short a while as possible.
Maybe what works best in top level MMA isn't works best for beginners, I don't know. For example, it seemed that Royce's front kick to clinch to takedown combo was almost unstoppable against guys that didn't have much ground game but could strike. In MMA competitions nowadays, you have to have a much better double leg and probably have to set it up with a jab, cross combo rather than the Gracie front kick. However, the old Gracie method might be easier to learn for raw beginners and produce quicker results, especially if the main purpose is to make them able to takedown the average street thug. Note that I don't really know if I'm correct about this, so any comments will be appreciated.
I will probably choose between some of the following clinching methods I know:
The "Gracie" front kick (keeping your jab hand extended) to bodylock to outer trip (kosoto-gari).
Jab, cross, step in with rear leg, bodylock, outer trip. (I've heard people say that this works the best against good guys, but you probably have to be decent at boxing to pull this off.)
"Crazy monkey", step in, pummel for bodylock, outer trip. (This is what I'm currently teaching.)
Standard wrestling double leg. (Great takedown, but hard to learn and maybe hard for beginners against strikes?)
2) the 4 points of upper body control w/out the gi
Let the students clinch for awhile with the 4 points, separately and together (neck, armpit, elbow, wrist). Once they get comfortable with the clinch, teach the crazy monkey, and teach them to charge in behind it and secure those controls.
I am doing that drill today with a group of college students who are on their 4th class. We did it on Monday (their second class). Today I will bring in the "Hulk Hands" and the ski goggles, so we can do it with harder punches and with eyepokes.
Here's a good one. One guy is 'the striker' and throws punches. The 'grappler' tries to slip and block the jabs, but shoot a double as soon as he throws a cross.
When he throws a cross, his weight has to come forward, so it's a good time to shoot. Both people should be moving forward and backward and laterally, the grappler especially should try to keep just outside of the range of the striker. Later you can throw in hooks and kicks(also a good time to shoot) and uppercuts and knees(not so good time to shoot, but makes it more interesting).
It's an exercise in timing and developing the reflexes to shoot when the opportunity presents itself.
I first teach CM against the wall, with the attacker stepping in and out, throwing combos. Then CM against the wall, defender returning with a jab-cross when they feel like they can time it. Then, CM against the wall and the defender clinches with a double neck tie when the time is right. Next, they clinch to a bodylock when the time is right. Finally, they drop and shoot a double.
Now they have a variety of ways of getting to the clinch and/or taking their partner down, and they have learned it feeling the pressure of strikes.
Crazy monkey has been doing well for me and my students, but all of a sudden I got the feeling that clinching this way might make my students a sort of "punching bags" when they clinch. It's ok in class where people don't really punch that hard, but how is it going to feel against hard punches on the street - some of those punches might really rock them and off balance them as they step into the clinch.
Getting hit hard, even though it's on the forearms could be very offbalancing for the guy trying to clinch.
The Crazy monkey defence is great in that middle range in which you can get hit, but that's exactly where you don't want to be as a grappler.
Why not simply teach the tried and tested Gracie front kick clinch method and just tell my students that as they charge in, they have cover their head with their arms (like in Crazy monkey) and change their levels a bit? The front kick keeps their opponent at bay.
"Why not simply teach the tried and tested Gracie front kick clinch method and just tell my students that as they charge in, they have cover their head with their arms (like in Crazy monkey) and change their levels a bit?"
Sounds good to me.
I like the CM structure as it takes the fear out of getting hit in the head. You definitely need to emphasize movement, not standing there being a punching bag - but I like to get them less "gunshy" as soon as possible. Then either clinching or disengaging start to seem like truly viable options.
Yesterday I also did Crazy Monkey drills with two of my students. One was the puncher, and one was the punchee. As the punchee moved around and worked the CM to avoid getting hit, I approached him from the sides and back and pushed him around. Sometimes I pushed him off-balance, or into a punch. I varied the ways that I pushed him (and tripped him) while he was working his CM, so that he wouldn't know when or how he was going to be pushed, but he had to keep his cool and continue defending punches with the added distraction.
Both students told me afterwards that they liked the added challenge a lot, and that they want to do it again soon.
I am laughing picturing that, but that sounds like a cool drill!
That would also really emphasize the bent-knee, lowered hunchback stance of the CM - if you're standing tall, you're going to get shoved on your ass by your coach. :)
Can you describe Crazy Monkey in detail. I may know what it is but not by that name. Thanks guys. More talk on what to teach for self defense would be good.
As predicted, using the "Hulk Hands" made EVERYONE in the class (which is mostly diminutive young ladies) get really into the CM and its use. They had a blast.
Hulk hands are the best thing to happen to self-defense classes in a looooooong time.
Crazy Monkey is a style of self-defense oriented boxing developed by Rodney King. It has some similarities to peek-a-boo style boxing IMHO. The "crazy monkey" refers to the style of guard used with the hands moving over the head, making extensive use of the elbows and forearms to shield against incoming blows, like a monkey rubbing his hands over his head.
This style of boxing is used extensively by the Straight Blast Gym. Rodney King's Street Boxing DVD's available from their site are a good solid intro to the system.
Back on topic, IMO the third DVD in this series gives a good progression for striking and defense off the clinch.
3 point helmet step in into clinch is the most basic we use here.
Never is the defender a punching bag - as Rodney says you can take the mot 2 or maybe three strikes then you have to be either out of the range or already into the clinch.