Plymouth State University
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5. THE CLINCH
(In photo: Curitiba, Brazil native Anderson Silva rearranges the face of Cincinnati, Ohio native Rich Franklin)
The clinch is one of the most devastating MMA situations to be in. Your opponent has control of the back of your neck/head with two cupped hands, and he or she is delivering a barrage of knees to your quickly bruising/exploding face and mid-section. Elbows can also be delivered with force and accuracy in rapid fire succession.
It CAN be a relatively easy situation to escape, but that all depends on whose wrapping their mitts on you, and how quickly you react to what is going on.
TIPS FOR ESCAPING THE CLINCH: Scramble like a madman and get your head out of there as fast as you can - do not go for the takedown while in the clinch; you may succeed, but you also may come away with a mouth full of Chiclets - stand straight up and close the distance between you and your opponent, but also be wary of elbows - protect your face with your hands, wrists, forearms, and elbows, and do your best to see what's coming in; you may be able to dodge or block the on-coming storm.
4. THE BACK
(In photo: Kailua, Hawaii native B.J. Penn overwhelms Hillsboro, Illinois native Matt Hughes)
As you can see in the above picture, anyone, regardless of a strong ground game, can have their backs taken.
Having your opponent hanging on your back can happen in nearly every situation. It could be the result of some botched scrambling, the last ditch effort of a desperate fighter attempting to flee a punishing full mount, or the outcome for a dazed striker.
It is a position that more often than not, ends up in a rear naked choke (again, look at above photo), and occasionally an armbar. If your counterpart has his heels sunk into your legs or even wrapped in a body triangle (figure four), your chances of getting out of the position have just dropped considerably.
TIPS FOR ESCAPING A SEIZED BACK: Stay calm and protect your throat by keeping your chin tucked into your neck - if your opponent attempts to sneak his or her forearm under your chin, make sure to point your tucked chin into whatever direction your opponent's hands is pushing - standing while your back is taken is not advisable, but a well-executed back slam could very well loosen up their hold - if you are on the ground, do your best to seize an opponent's arm; once you do, stay calm, and wait for the right moment to spin/twist your way into a closed guard.
3. THE MOUNT
(In photo: Westwood, MA native Kenny Florian pounds out Quincy, MA native Joe Lauzon)
One of the worst situations to be in during a fight ( be it a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match, street fight, or sanctioned mixed martial arts bout), whether you're a seasoned ground fighting veteran or a vulnerable, confused novice, is the mounted position.
Finding one's self in the mount is a high-risk, high-panic, and altogether dangerous predicament where you are flat on your back with your opponent sitting on your chest or stomach.
Scrambling out of a mount or reversing your position from said position can be a nearly impossible, especially if your counterpart has a solid base. Submissions and knockouts of various forms have come as a result of the mounted position.
TIPS FOR ESCAPING THE MOUNT: do not panic, stay calm, and fight back - protect yourself by shielding your head while maintaining control of your arms so as not to let your opponent seize them for a submission - stay aware for scramble opportunities to either pull guard or get back to your feet - buck your opponent off of you by thrusting your hips.
2. EXHAUSTION "Gassing out"
(In photo: Huntington Beach, CA native David "Tank" Abbott too exhausted to defend himself from Sarov, Russia native Oleg Taktarov)
If you want to fight, make sure you have the heart to endure some extreme cardiovascular activity.
Exhaustion is a nightmare for any athlete - be it a basketball player or swimmer - and if you don't have the energy to compete, never mind fight, it will be long night (or rather, a short night) for anybody. It is the key ingredient in the world's top athletes.
If you train hard enough, this shouldn't be a problem. Your main goal is to never become tired.
TIPS FOR UNWELCOME EXHAUSTION: Train harder.
1. AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LAST EMPEROR aka FEDOR EMELIANENKO
Avoid Russia.
 NOTE: This message was edited by the author on Dec 8, 2008 at 1:27pm
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