Underhooks

Inside position

Everything in the clinch reduces to one question: whose arms are on the inside? Inside arms control hips. Outside arms control almost nothing.

The underhook — your arm passing under theirs, hand on their back or shoulder blade — is the inside position. Whoever has more underhooks is winning the clinch.

DemostraciónAn underhook shown deep, with the shoulder pressed into the opponent's armpit and the hand high on the back

Setting it properly

1. The arm goes under and through, not under and stop. A shallow underhook that ends at their ribs gives you nothing.
2. Your hand climbs high on their back or shoulder blade.
3. Your shoulder presses into their armpit. This is what actually creates the control — the hand is only the anchor.
4. Lift slightly. An underhook that lifts breaks their base. One that hangs is dead weight on your own shoulder.
5. Your head is tight against theirs or on the far side, never floating in space.

What each position gives you

Against an overhook

An overhook — their arm over yours — feels tighter than it is. Do not try to rip the arm out; that is the strength contest they want.

1. Drop the elbow and turn your thumb up.
2. Step toward the trapped side, which shortens the distance the arm has to travel.
3. Swim through as you step. The step is what makes the swim work.

If you are pulling with your arm, stop and move your feet. Almost every clinch problem is solved by an angle rather than by strength.

DemostraciónSwimming an arm from underneath an overhook by dropping the elbow and stepping toward the trapped side

Drill it

Two rounds of pummelling from double overhooks to double underhooks and back, slowly, at a pace where neither person uses strength. Two rounds where whoever gets double underhooks walks the other person three steps and the position resets. Two rounds live from a neutral fifty-fifty tie.