Clinch Break Balance To Head Butt Elbow By Dave Leduc
One of the most dangerous weapons on the human body is the headbutt. The headbutt is so dangerous because the striking surface of your skull is very boney and dense and when you add in the entire body behind it, propelling it into your opponents soft spots, it can create incredible damage.
Here, Dave Leduc a Canadian born Lethwei fighter (current WLC Cruiserweight World Champion and undefeated Openweight World Champion under Traditional rules) shows you how to off balance your opponent from the clinch and smash them with a headbutt to elbow combination!
Dave begins by explaining that his goal in a fight is to disbalance the opponent and break their posture. If Dave Leduc can sweep out the opponents legs they are either going to fall or be so unbalanced that they will be vulnerable to your attacks. So trying to off balance your opponent to take them down is great but if they do not fall they will immediately be open to attack because they will not have their feet properly underneath them.
The position Dave and his partner start in is each man has one collar tie with their left arm (meaning their palm is on the back of the opponents skull with their forearm leveraging on the collar bone and their elbow in tight), as well as their left leg in front. Their right hand is hooked on the opponent's collar tie arm on the crook of the elbow, right between the forearm and bicep. Dave explains that the first person to pull off the technique he is going to show will immediately have a massive advantage.
To off balance the opponent, Dave uses the left side of his body in unison. His left knee will bump the inside of the opponents leg while simultaneously his left collar tie will pull the opponent to the left. When done separately the movements do not yield much result but when done in conjunction to the other the opponent is quickly off balanced possibly even thrown.
If Dave manages to take the opponent down, then great he wins the takedown but more often than not a skilled fighter will fight as hard as they can to stay on their feet, if this happens they are very off balance for a second or two and Dave has attacks to capitalize on their off balance. Notice the head position of Dave as well. Dave has his forehead grinding into the side of the opponent's head, this helps off balance, control and keep the opponent uncomfortable but at the same time protects Dave from their headbutt as well. If Dave leaves and head room in the clinch they opponent has just as good of a chance to land a headbutt as Dave does, so head positioning in the clinch is extremely important, not just for control of the opponent but to also stifle their headbutt attempts.
Once Dave Leduc off balances the opponent their head is wide open and their posture is broken. This is a prime time to follow up with a smashing headbutt to the side of their head, aiming for the temple or jaw with the hard boney crown of your own head will deal a lot of damage. Immediately after landing the headbutt to the opponents head, Dave is already following up with a crushing elbow to the exact same spot as the headbutt. If the headbutt did not drop the opponent, the elbow flying in right after it probably will.
Dave explains that when he headbutts the opponent his collar tie hand has a job as well. That arm will bring the opponent's head to you, so do not lose your collar tie, keep it because it will help put your opponents head where you want it and will also add power to your headbutt because you will be pulling them in the strikes, doubling the power of your attacks!
Check out more Lethwei Strategies and Tips from Dave Leduc HERE!