Muay Thai Clinch
The Muay Thai Clinch is a headknocking zone for a fighter that has an opponent trapped in it. Unlike Western Boxing where the fighters are separated when they Clinch, in Muay Thai the fight continues. This presents an opportunity to employ powerful short range weapons like Elbows, and Knees.
The Muay Thai Clinch is the ultimate position from which to launch Knee Strikes that can explode into the opponents targeted head. The Knee Strike is one of, if not THE most powerful Strike in all of Martial Arts. The Muay Thai Clinch, is also known as the Double Collar Tie, and it is a technique that MMA fighters respect and fear.
They have seen the destruction that can be wrecked upon a fighter's face when a colliding knee impacts an unprotected face, while being locked inside the Clinch. Remember what Rich Franklin looked like in the aftermath of the Anderson Silva fight?
The Muay Thai Clinch is a stand-up Grappling technique that is used to control an opponents head and body position to give the Clincher the perfect angle from which to deliver blows to the "Clinchee" from two of the most powerful Striking points in the human body, the Knees and the Elbows.
To perform the Muay Thai Clinch place the palm of one hand on the back of the other hand (not intertwining fingers) behind your opponent's head, not the neck, and press with your forearms against your opponent's collar bone. (Don't intertwine your fingers, it takes more time to release the grip to throw an elbow if your fingers are intertwined, and its also easier to injure your fingers.)
The Thai Clinch involves pressing the opponent's head downwards, which is easier if the hands are locked behind the back of the head, and not the neck, with the arms putting as much pressure on the neck as possible.
The best way to escape from a Clinch is to push your opponent's head backwards, or to elbow your opponent. Two great MMA fighters that are Masters of the Thai Clinch are Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei Silva.