Customer Reviews

The Clinch (No Holds Barred Fighting)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mark Hatmaker continues his "No Holds Barred" series with a text on the clinch. In it, he teaches clinch variations, how to control them, how to strike and throw from them, defenses to these techniques, and how to condition oneself for the intense, close-range battle that is the clinch.

Mark begins his book with a bit of a forward on the recomended use of the text. "The Clinch", he says, can be a stand-alone piece, but recomends picking up "No Holds Barred: Takedowns" to accompany the title. He then moves on to the three basic clinches shown in the book: the "head clinch" (a modified Thai plum possition), the collar-and-elbow, and the over-under. He notes the optimum ways to grip each clinch, and lists common mistakes. He then shows two excercises, the squat & dive-bomber pushup, that he recomends the reader do to prepare themselves for the rigors of clinch-fighting. Next, he introduces the reader to the concept that "it's OK to disagree"; that is, never enter a clinch passively, as seen in some wrestling events. After that is a small chapter on circular footwork, the kind seen often in a clinch. He explains the concepts behind the footwork. Missing from this chapter are illustrations, but his clear, concise explaination is easy to follow. The last chapter on fundamentals is on pummeling in the various clinches. "Pummeling" is the act of wrestling for control and possition, and this is an invaluable chapter.

After that, we get to the meat of the text. Mark covers striking first, taking each clinch one at a time. The first section is the one of the head clinch, offering various knee attacks, singly and in combination, and low kicks. The collar-and-elbow chapter consists of just two "roughing" techniques, forearm and shoulder shots. The section on striking from the over-under includes many of the same lower-body shots as in the head clinch, but also includes some punches and elbow strike, as well as some more roughing techniques. Then it's on to takedowns. I found it nice that he included a takedown from the head clinch, 'cause it's not generally thought of as a possition where one can execute a throw. The collar-and-elbow section is somewhat brief, focusing on setups for leg takedowns, but Mark refers to his "Takedowns" book as a source for people hungry for more. Finally comes the extensive section on over-under takedowns. Mark classifies these throws into 8 categories, including whizzer takedowns, bodylock takedowns, trips, and duckunder takedowns. There are more than enough high-percentage takedowns in this section to be worth the price of the book. Following that section, Mark covers several ways to defend against throws when your opponent has moved into a headlock or waistlock possition.

Mark devotes the final chapter in the text to the "backcast" throw, also known as the suplex. He begins with six excercises and drills to train the body for the backcast; this chapter should not be ignored. He goes on to demonstrate several backcast variations, including using it in combination or as a counter-throw. He then finishes up the text with counters to the backcast.

This is an excellent text in the continuing "No Holds Barred Fighting" series. The only thing I might complain about is the lack of extensive takedowns from the collar-and-elbow, but that's a possition rarely seen in MMA events, anyway. Given how little work exists on the clinch, I'd call this a must-read for any aspiring MMA fighter.

Hatmakers clinch book follows in line with his other books, good basic grappling techniques, but the striking is on the weak side.

Good:
His over under section has a lot of good info on takedowns and throws that work well. As well as some basic pummeling drills and control concepts. Nothing groundbreaking, but good fundamentals if you didnt' wrestle in high school.


Bad:
He covers the Thai Plumb (clinch) with what I was alway shown to be the wrong grip by my Thai coach. He throws his knees with his feet planted (which loses power), and doesn't get his hips into the knees themselves enough. He also doesn't mention the constant whipping motions needed to maintain control of the thai clinch. Basically, what every MMA fighter that hasn't studied any Thai boxing does when they get into a Thai clinch position. If you've studied any Muay Thai for longer than about 3 months, your thai clinch will be better than this book shows.

Overall, the book was solid, if basic and would definitely help someone with limited clinch experience learn to establish good wrestling control and transition into takedowns and throws.

mark hatmaker did it again. another very good book on NHB. mark is a credible author who can share his knowledge easily and practical. a 5 star rating was given for a very good author and NHB practitioner. hoping for more books to come

A profoundly useful book on grappling by Mark Hatmaker. It is part of a series of thoroughly illustrated manuals for this combat sport.

Many martial arts books are "padded" with mildly pertainent or even irrelevant material, merely to add pages to a book that would otherwise be better off as a magazine article.

That is not the case with this book!
The entire book is illustrated with very detailed photos to demonstrate techniques. The text is STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, and informative. All in all, we have here a very practical reference for the grappler. I myself am practicing Judo as of this writing.

Within, you will find plenty of information on using strikes and throws from the clinch, as well as methods of countering them.

This book is thorough, but I found it to be more of a solid introduction to the Clinch as opposed to a book that really expanded my intermediate understanding of the position.

I definitely picked up some good tips, but if you have some applicable experience (I've got 5+ years of striking and 1 year of Judo) 90% of the info will be nothing new.

What I expected and more.

I love Hatmaker's NHB series. He always proposes drills to include in training and explains why you have to do some technique this way or avoid that way, which is the kind of instruction I've always liked.

It's not just to show one technique after another but also how to train them.

In this book you'll find some striking exercises and more than enough useful drops and takedowns for MMA and self defense.

Being in the clinch can be one of the most dynamic and dramatic fighting positions one can find themselves. This is true whether you are in a combat sport's competition or in a close-quarters battle for your life. Understanding the ability to manipulate ourselves in concert with an adversary attempting to accomplish the same, but in ways which are advantageous to us, demand an extreme sensitivity and a learned intuitiveness to body positions, body pressures, body maneuvering, balancing, breaking balance, level changes, penetration steps and raw aggressiveness.

Mark Hatmaker book: THE CLINCH covers such basic principles required for reaching this understanding of the in-tight fighting nature needed to prevail within this realm.

Relying on technical essences through which to impart what is needed, Mark once more critically presents how to manipulate an adversary through applications of the "Head Clinch," "Collar/Elbow Clinch and the "Over/Under Clinch." His instructions are concise, clear and accurate.

Hatmaker offers a peek into short, effective striking with both hands and knees, when one has momentary control over the adversary within the clinch.

He expands the technical nuances with highly successful takedowns and throws from the clinch, demonstrating clearly: leg attacks, tripping and reaping takedowns, various fulcrum throws, arm throws and body-lock throws. He even demonstrates the devastating backcast or suplex so common in Greco-Roman wrestling, the move Dan Severn used successfully in early UFC bouts.

Mark covers such things as gaining inside control of the adversary's clinch via powerful pummeling skills. He demonstrates level changes for powerful leg takedowns. And, he also shows the reader the fundamentals of duck-under and go-behinds needed to dominate within this position, setting the adversary us for that backcast/suplex.

Counter measures (successful defensive activity) to the aforementioned skills are offered as well, making this manual comprehensive as well as well organized and easily referenced for each skill.

Any martial arts practitioner within any discipline will find this book to be an excellent reference guide for gleaning a deeper technical understanding of what is required of a fighter to excel in this position.

I personally find this book to be very thorough explication of the effective basic skills one must fully understand in order to excel and eventually dominate within the clinch.

Rev. A. Bodhi Chenevey, RM, DD