Clinch fighting
Grappling position in boxing or wrestling, a stand-up embrace
クリンチ · 缠身格斗
- Type
- Holds and pins, Grappling positions
- Martial arts
- Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling
- Classified as
- combat technique
Clinch fighting or trapping is the part of stand-up fighting where the combatants are grappling in a clinch, typically using clinch holds. Clinching the opponent can be used to eliminate the opponent's effective usage of some kicks, punches, and melee weapons. The clinch can also be used as a medium to switch from stand-up fighting to ground fighting by using takedowns, throws or sweeps.
Clinch fighting is emphasized in both striking martial arts, such as Kun Khmer, Muay Thai, Lethwei, Boxing, and Sanda, as well as grappling martial arts, such as Wrestling, Judo, Sumo, Sambo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Japanese terms for holds and pins
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 逆手 | sakate | underhand grip (e.g. in gymnastics, etc.) |
| 遁術 | tonjutsu | Ninja art of escape |
| 遁法 | tonpou | Ninja art of escape |
| 裸絞め | hadakajime | rear naked choke; sleeper hold |
| 左上手 | hidariuwate | left-handed outside grip (on one's opponent's belt) |
| 左四つ | hidariyotsu | hold in which both wrestlers obtain an underarm grip with the left hand and an over-arm grip with the right |
| 隠遁術 | intonjutsu | Ninja art of escape |
| 右上手 | migiuwate | right-handed outside grip (on one's opponent's belt) |
| 右四つ | migiyotsu | hold in which both wrestlers obtain an underarm grip with the right hand and an overarm grip with the left |
| 両差し | morozashi | deep double underarm grip which prevents the opponent from grabbing the belt |
| 四つ身 | yotsumi | cross-grips (situation in which each rikishi has an underarm grip on the other) |
| 腕を返す | kainaokaesu | to place one's arms under those of the opponent and lift them up, in order to prevent an overhand grip on one's mawashi |
23 terms in total on the holds and pins page.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q304821 (CC0); text quoted from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.