Muay Thai Clinch Knee-Elbow Combination
Quick Information
Category
Combat Sports
Difficulty
Advanced
Equipment
None, Partner, Heavy Bag
Primary muscle group
Deltoids, Obliques, Gluteals
Secondary muscle groups
Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Quadriceps, Gastrocnemius
Movement pattern
Striking Combination
Training goal
Skill Acquisition
Sport
Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kickboxing
Overview
Purpose. Score continuously from the clinch by alternating strike types without surrendering the controlling grip.
How it fits the system. The clinch scoring sequence of the Muay Thai material in the Combat Sports section. Related work in the library: Muay Thai Clinch Neck Control and Muay Thai Downward Elbow.
Primary muscles
Deltoids, Obliques, Gluteals
Secondary muscles
Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Quadriceps, Gastrocnemius
Movement pattern
Striking Combination
Equipment
None, Partner, Heavy Bag
Difficulty
Advanced
How to Perform
- Establish neck control with the opponent’s posture broken forward.
- Deliver two alternating knees to the body, pulling down with the arms on each.
- Release one hand briefly to deliver an elbow, then immediately re-establish the grip.
- Reset the base, then repeat or turn the opponent out.
Coaching Cues
- “Never lose both hands at once.”
- “Pull down on every knee.”
- “Re-grip before you think about the next strike.”
Common Mistakes
- Releasing both hands to strike, which gives up the position entirely.
- Standing square, which allows the opponent to turn out of the clinch.
Progressions & Regressions
Progressions
Add contested clinch rounds, then add turns and sweeps, then add fatigue.
Regressions
Drill on a heavy bag held with both hands, alternating knees only.
When to Use It
When to use
Pad rounds, bag rounds and shadow rounds once the individual strikes are competent.
When not to use
Before the component strikes can be thrown correctly in isolation.
Programming
3–6 rounds of 2–3 minutes, 8–15 repetitions of the combination per round.
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