Muay Thai Plum Drill With Kyle Bochniak

The Plumb position is one of the most important positions in Muay Thai clinching. The position is so connected to Muay Thai that it is simply known as the Muay Thai clinch to most MMA fighters. While it isn’t a traditional wrestling position, it is a very powerful and useful position. Instead of being focused around getting a takedown, the Muay Thai clinch is focused around dealing damage with knees and elbows. 

The Muay Thai clinch doesn’t get as much drilling as it deserves in most MMA gyms, who need to focus on more traditional wrestling techniques. Something that especially goes under trained in the Muay Thai clinch is the ability to escape it, which becomes number one priority to anyone who’s stuck in it and suffering from knees to the body. 

In this video, Kyle Bochniak shows a drill that helps train both the offensive and the defensive aspects of the clinch. Kyle Bochniak is an MMA fighter competing in the UFC’s featherweight division facing off against the likes of Zabit Magomedsharipov and Hakeem Dawodu. While he holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Bochniak is most well known for his aggressive striking style. 

The video starts off with Bochniak stating the importance of the Muay Thai clinch and knowing how to escape the position if you're ever caught in it. The video starts with Kyle getting the Full Muay Thai clinch. Keep in mind that this position you are going to want to have your hands on the back of your opponents head or even better, on the crown of their head, but never on the neck. 

You are also going to want to have one hand on top of the other and to have your elbows and forearms in front of your opponent’s collarbone. This way you can maintain control of your opponent and stop them from charging in on you. 

From this position you are going to knee to the body. In a competition scenario, a solid spear knee to the body should cause them to double over or at least break their posture. This might be enough to take them out of the fight and end it, but if it’s not then you should follow up. After landing the first knee retract your leg back and fire one at your opponents head.

After retracting your leg back to position from the second knee you are going to step to the outside with your lead leg. From there you are going to pivot while maintaining the clinch grip. This will disorient and throw off the balance of your opponent. From there you are going to throw those same two kinds of knees but with the other leg. 

After finishing your knees, you are going to have your partner drill their clinch escape and gain their own Muay Thai clinch. Your partner is going to pummel their hands between your arms, this will break your grip and establish their own. From there they are going to do the drill. You can do this drill back and forth with a partner for a few rounds to really get some practice in. 

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