Pummeling Drill (cont)

Remember that one of the main uses for the neck clinch is to control an opponent's head so that one of the main uses for the neck clinch is to control an opponent's head so that you can throw knee strikes at him. If your head is low, then the chances of a  knockout  knee to the jaw are quite high. Therefore, keep your stance upright, your hips in, and your head high for this particular drill. If you are bent over, you are not only vulnerable to knee strikes, but it will also be easy to be off-balanced by snap downs and pulling on the head.

As you can become more confident, you can begin incorporating some knee strikes as you work the neck clinch. Do not preform this exercise too hard. Aim for the ribs, stomach and thighs with light contact. IF you hit too hard, injuries are the obvious result, which will quickly put a stop to your training and, hence, your progress. The emphasis is on controlling the opponent's movement and balance while maintaining your own. Once this is down, the knee strikes are the easy part; therefore, there is no need to hit hard in everyday training.

By working hard on these drills, you quickly develop the most important skills and attributes that allow you to fight successfully in the clinch. Your ability to control the movement and balance of your opponent, while maintaining your own, will dramatically increase. This is really the essence of successful fighting in the clinch. All the offensive techniques in clinch fighting-strikes, takedowns, and submissions- rely on this control of movement and balance. Soon, you will apply the positional strategy of seeking better position and control in a live situation, rather than merely repeating moves with no resistance. This level is as close to the pressure that you will experience in a real fight and is thus excellent preparation. It is rely the equivalent of sparring in the clinch, and it plays the same crucial role that live sparring plays in the free-movement phase.

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