Fights Are Won or Lost in the Clinch: Rethinking Close-Quarters Combat in Krav Maga
There's a phrase that floats around a lot in combat sports: "Fights are won or lost in the clinch." And while that might sound like the kind of thing you'd hear in a wrestling gym or a Muay Thai ring, I think there's a lot of truth to it in self-defense, too. But it's not always been a popular idea in Krav Maga circles.
Traditionally, Krav Maga has treated the clinch like a burning building: get in, do what you need to do, and get out fast. That mindset came from a good place—focused on survival, awareness, and the reality that you might be dealing with more than one attacker. But I think that mindset is evolving, and for some good reasons.
At Forge Krav Maga, we teach that the clinch is a range like any other: it can be dangerous, yes—but it can also be a tool. A position of control. A launchpad for takedowns, throws, escapes, disarms, controls, or strikes. And sometimes, it’s where you have to stay, because disengaging just isn’t an option.
Let’s take a closer look at how different self-defense systems think about the clinch, why traditional Krav Maga often tries to avoid it, and why we believe you should learn to fight—and win—from it.
Disclaimer: this post is not and will never be complete. Along with our articles about the groin kick and the teep, it is a research project in progress. Have thoughts about the article? Please share them and we’ll update the piece: forgekravmaga@gmail.com
The Classic Krav Maga View: Escape First
The classic Krav Maga mindset (especially from long-standing, highly credible systems like KMG or IKMF) generally emphasizes short engagements. The goal? Strike hard, disable quickly, and create distance. From that lens, the clinch is seen as a transitional phase—something you pass through, not somewhere you stay.
Why? A few big reasons:
Situational awareness: If you’re tied up with one person, you can’t see what else is coming.
Multiple attackers: The clinch is a commitment, and it can make you vulnerable.
Third-party protection: You can’t defend someone else if you’re entangled.
Survival over dominance: Krav Maga isn’t about controlling someone for five minutes. It’s about ending the threat.
There’s wisdom in all of that. But it’s also an incomplete picture—especially for today’s world. The idea of avoiding entanglement still has its place, but it assumes a fight plays out exactly how we’d like. And anyone who has done a couple of rounds of no-holds barred sparring know better than that.
How the Clinch Traditionally Works in Krav Maga
While Krav Maga has historically avoided prolonged clinch work, that doesn’t mean it ignored the range entirely. The clinch has always existed in the system—just with a different philosophy and a narrower focus.
Traditional Krav Maga teaches the clinch as a transitional tool. You might clinch in order to land a series of knees to the groin or to set up a quick takedown (ala the Krav version of the Osoto Gari). But the moment of entanglement is brief by design. The mindset is: clinch only long enough to strike and then get out.
Application varies across Krav Maga systems, but the general framework is this:
One hand reaches across the body and cups the back of the attacker's neck
The other hand reaches forward to cup the tricep of the attacker
Both hands pull the attacker forward, bending them at the waist and dropping the level of the head
A knee to the groin or body is often employed in folding the body at this stage
The defender bends and dropsthe elbow of the hand cupping the next, to put weight and pressure on the attacker and maintain posture control (as you might do with a collar tie)
The defender makes a choice: knees to the body, kicks to the groin, or a tactical disengagement (bailout)
The reasons for limiting clinch time are consistent with Krav Maga’s roots:
Multiple attacker scenarios: Getting tied up can leave you vulnerable.
Weapon threats: Staying at striking range keeps you mobile.
Quick resolution goals: Krav Maga favors fast, decisive action—get control, cause damage, and escape.
This approach made sense in its original context. And it still has merit. But as real-world violence—and our understanding of it—has evolved, it’s clear that this minimalist approach to the clinch leaves gaps. That’s why many modern Krav Maga programs are expanding their clinch curriculum, not to replace what came before, but to build on it.
The Shift: Modern Systems Are Adapting
Over the last decade, there’s been a noticeable shift in how some Krav Maga systems and adjacent combatives programs think about the clinch. Ryan Hoover’s Fit to Fight, Alan Predolin’s Krav Maga 360, Craig Douglas's ShivWorks, Jared Wihongi’s TRICOM Training, and others have started treating clinch work as essential—not optional.
Their thinking is simple:
Fights often end up in the clinch—so train it.
Weapons change the game—you may need to stay connected to control the threat.
Control gives you choices—when to disengage, when to take down, when to draw a tool.
These systems borrow heavily from wrestling, Muay Thai, law enforcement, and BJJ—but always with a self-defense lens. It’s not sport for sport’s sake. It’s about application under pressure. And it’s shaping how a new generation of Krav Maga instructors (us included) teach close-quarters combat.
Hoover’s Fit to Fight, for example, builds entire modules around clinch entry, control, and escape, with heavy emphasis on pummeling, posture, and striking integration. Alan Predolin’s Krav Maga 360 encourages positional dominance and takedown strategy for real-world control. Both systems emphasize that clinch work isn’t about staying in a fight—it’s about having more control over how and when you exit it.
Even Traditional Programs Are Evolving
It’s not just hybrid systems or modern combatives that are leaning into clinch work. Even long-standing, respected Krav Maga organizations like John Witman's Krav Maga Alliance have publicly recognized that the system needs more depth in stand-up grappling. In a blog post from Krav Maga Alliance Culver City, the author writes:
"As a whole, Krav Maga needs to include more clinch work so that you’ll be able to manage all aspects of the close fight. We rely too heavily on knees to the groin."
That kind of honesty is rare—and important. It acknowledges a gap and points the way forward. To their credit, many Alliance schools have added wrestling-style pummeling drills, positional control work, and even takedown entries to help students manage the clinch—not just strike and hope for the best.
Other Krav Maga instructors, like David Kahn (a student of Haim Gidon), are teaching expanded clinch options, including Crown of the Head Clinch, Clinch Canting Opponent’s Neck, and the Rear Body Clinch.
It’s a good sign: Krav Maga is evolving, even at the core.
Why the Clinch Matters in Real Self-Defense
Whether you’re in a bar, a stairwell, a parking garage, or a train car—space is limited. Punches don’t always land clean. A wild attacker might bull-rush you. A knife might show up halfway through.
In those moments, you don’t get to pick the range. The fight chooses for you.
That’s where clinch training comes in:
Escaping from tie-ups (like Eric Paulson’s bump-and-strike series)
Controlling the head or arms to stop strikes or weapon access (like the Shivworks "arm bundle" - an arm drag plus a wizzer)
Maintaining dominant position while staying aware
Breaking away explosively when it’s time to disengage
Modern clinch work also teaches you options—not just to survive, but to win. To make decisions under pressure instead of reacting in panic. And for weapon defense, clinch proficiency may be the only thing between you and a stabbing hand or a drawn firearm.
What Other Systems Can Teach Us
ShivWorks (Craig Douglas) uses Greco-Roman clinch tactics for weapon retention and positional control. His ECQC (Extreme Close Quarter Concepts) program teaches students to dominate the clinch to prevent stabs, strikes, or gun access.
TRICOM Training (Jared Wihongi) adapts clinch work for military and law enforcement contexts—especially around controlling a suspect while maintaining access to your own weapons and denying theirs. The TRICOM "Tactical Clinch" emphasizes real-world adaptation of martial arts principles to control violent subjects quickly and decisively.
Knife Control Concepts (Aaron Jannetti & Eli Knight) applies clinch and grappling principles to knife encounters. Their program is rooted in controlling the weapon-bearing limb and gaining positional advantage until the threat is neutralized. Aaron Jannetti - for the record - is both a certified Krav Maga instructor and BJJ black belt.
None of these systems reject Krav Maga’s principles. They expand on them. They remind us that self-defense isn’t about purity or tradition. It’s about what works when the chaos hits.
At Forge, Here's What We Teach
We still believe in fast, aggressive responses. We still teach to strike, escape, and go home safe when possible. But we also teach:
How to control the clinch: underhooks, biceps ties, head position, posture.
How to escape the clinch: footwork, strikes, structure breaks.
How to fight from the clinch: dirty boxing, off-balancing, weapon control.
How to transition from clinch to takedown, back to striking, or a tactical disengagement (bail out).
We pressure-test those skills in real-world scenarios: wall pin drills, multiple attacker drills, and knife-in-clinch surprise entries. We teach our students to stay calm in tight spaces—and choose their exit on their own terms.
In other words, we teach the clinch not as a destination—but as a decision point.
Final Thoughts: The Clinch Is a Tool. Learn to Use It.
The traditional Krav Maga mindset—“get out fast”—has its place. But times change. Our understanding deepens. And our training should evolve, too.
As Eyal Yanilov, a student of Imi Lichtenfeld said: “Krav Maga is a living system. It must evolve to meet the threats of the day.”
Whether you’re a self-defense student, a Krav Maga practitioner, or someone who just wants to be ready for whatever happens, learning to manage the clinch will make you safer, smarter, and more capable.
Because sometimes, survival isn’t about getting away fast. It’s about knowing when to stay connected—and what to do when you are.
Interested in learning how to handle real fights in real ranges—from striking to clinch to ground? Come train with us at Forge Krav Maga in San Francisco.
We’ll help you build real skills, under pressure, with good people. No ego. No fluff. Just practical training for the real world.
