Techniques and styles
Clinch
Chap kho in Thai
What it means
Close-range grappling with the arms and neck, used to control an opponent so you can land knees and elbows or throw them off balance. Thai gyms treat it as core, not as an extra.
Nobody who trains only at home is good at it, because it needs a partner who is better than you and a trainer watching. That combination is what Thailand actually sells.
It is exhausting in a way bag work is not, since there is no rest inside a round. Expect to be moved around like luggage for the first month.
Related
Words that go with it
Knee
A strike with the point of the knee, thrown straight up the middle or driven in from the clinch. It is the scoring weapon Thai judges have traditionally rewarded most.
Sweep
Taking an opponent off their feet using their own momentum, usually by catching a kick or turning them out of the clinch. It scores, and it demoralises.