Coach Squeeze - Make a Fighting Clinch Pinch Device, MMA

Tone up that tight fighting clinch technique with Coach Squeeze! Ensure your fight is right now through rigorous practice by embedding the necessary choke hold that restricts vital air and blood supply. Guide your opponent’s head when you perform air practices—no partner needed now that you have Coach Squeeze on your practice floor. Great for school kids and those with upcoming prison sentences (first-timers and experienced cons).

You already know the clinch as a solid technique used to ward off multiple attackers and great for the one-on-one. Now Coach Squeeze replaces the mildly effective air practice with a neck that you can sink your arms into. First, set the neck size for the opponent of your choice. Whether your upcoming fight is with a pencil neck or a line-backer with a thigh-thick neck, you are ready! Next begin practice!--His high force springs challenge you if your clinch weakens to a dismal effort. Stop wasting time with air practice and get Coach Squeeze today.

The author has been practicing on a heavy bag in training to fight attackers, as a paying trainee to an online video trainer with pre-recorded clips.

Hi—I just have this to say. You know, the clinch is an intermediate fighting technique, and well, I mean, I just started to learn to fight seven weeks ago . I saw this video early on in class, about the same time that the trainer put up the basic videos for the newbies like myself. And, well, it was sort of good, except when I air practiced my technique was haphazard.

You know, one time your arms are squeezing an imaginary opponent, and the next time your mind is wandering off about what is for lunch, or in my case, breakfast. Sure, I was super motivated the first day of practice, but each day after that, you know, trying to remember the videos is hard and the motivation sort of drops or reduces over time, and frankly, I was losing focus, or changing focus.

So I had this idea at the time, that the air practice clinch pressure needed a device that would be squeezed. And, the opponent’s neck needed to be there. Well, with the challenge of a coach by my side during air practice—that would mean that I am getting my money’s worth with this pre-recorded video fighting training course.

See the photos and step-by-step innovation process so that you can construct your Coach Squeeze and maximize your fight training investment too.

Step 1: Theory of Operation, or Better, Theory of Innovation

The following steps show a method to innovate, rather than focusing upon the particular parts purchased and constructed. The method begins with purchasing parts without a plan, rather ideas of the major functions needed to be performed by the device. With these functions in mind, then purchasing includes a variety of parts and components that may be utilized for this project. In other words, your will end up purchasing more than you need, but not to worry, as the additional parts can be used for future projects.

For example, in this project I decided to use knee braces that were purchased, but not used, for a previous project. Honestly, I was miffed that I spent $21 for the braces (high for my budget) and did not use them for that other project. So, luckily this Saturday’s project used that pricey component.

The method employed here for innovation is design on-the-fly. I have been air practicing the clinch so knew the basic technique. But, now was the time to transition from sole air practice to a pressure device to ensure that the proper squeeze technique was employed, while at the same time permitting all the same motions as during air practice. Simply put, air practice with and without the device is the same, just that the device provides pressure and thus, ensures focus on practice. So, keeping the project goals in the forefront of your mind enables you to adjust the design during fabrication.

This project build started on Saturday at 2 pm and was completed at 7:45 in the evening. I find that working in a tight deadline creates a sense of urgency to get the job done and compresses the time necessary for innovation. I with you the best of luck using the materials and parts available to you for little cash outlay, to make your own designed Coach Squeeze.

PREFACE – A frightfully boring read—hit the next button to get on with the Instructable steps

Growing up with two brothers, Dad provided a lot of the guidance on evenings and weekends when he was not at work. But that did not mean he was not working—just working at home at his part-time job. When he got the job at the government, he had decided to purchase a fixer-upper house and make that his part-time job. For all my years growing up, he was always fixing, repairing, and improving the house and his workshop in the basement. For us boys, that meant helping and thus learning.

We got excited when he said, "Boys, we’re going to Sears to pick something up." We’d pile in the car and go for the short ride. To pass the time, I would look at each and every item for sale, in each row and column. After the ride home, Dad would teach us about the materials, tools, and techniques. Whether it was paint preparation and chemicals, how to mix epoxy properly, or how to apply, we were there and hands-on.

Staying focused in air practice in this intermediate fighting video course is challenging. At college in Philosophy 101, Plato taught us that the mind is like a ship in mutiny—it is difficult to control. Air practice in particular is vastly different from my heavy bag training, where if you do not pay attention, you risk the bag whacking you on its return attack from your strikes. Air practice alone, with a new unfamiliar subject on videos seen weeks prior invites mutinous distractions.

Today, the lessons taught by Dad, ingrained at an early age, make innovation fun, fast, and easy. I do not have patience for a detailed plan, or perhaps my nature is not conducive to this approach. Knowing the fundamental properties of materials, and the project goals is enough to provide direction, then having the tools and a time limit is enough pressure to get it done on a Saturday afternoon.

Step 2: Purchase Springs

Let's face it. Buying parts for projects can be demeaning. You place value on parts and pieces where others are selling it as scrap or putting it out for trash, and thus have devalued it to near zero. The good news is the low cash outlay. The bad news is that they look down upon you. But, we innovators must overcome our inhibitions, and have a strong will.

Step 3: Buy Scrap

Recyclers buy scrap, but buying a small quantity of scrap left this seller wondering what in the world did I want that for?!

Step 4: Mult-use

Using items for what they are not intended will give you an advantage to save money. This seller handed me a gear while I was buying this chain, but of course, I declined. The chain cost $11.

Step 5: Expensive Hardware

This hardware was more expensive because it was sold by a specialty shop, so came in at $19. But, I did not want to buy full boxes of the same part, rather wanted a smattering of pieces in order to handle surprises during project fabrication.

Step 6: Luck and Relief

These weekend Instructable projects run on a minimal budget. I had purchased these very expensive knee braces for another project ($21) and they were not needed. Luck was with me as they did the job for the Coach Squeeze device, and that nagging purchase would no longer bother me.

Step 7: Measure

Rough measurements are often adequate. Go for functionality, rather than perfection when designing as you go along.

Step 8: Strong Steel

I had been eying those stainless steel rods for sale for a while. This project was a chance to use them, though I could have gone with a narrower diameter. Two rods cost less than $11.

Step 9: Sharpee Marks Bends

Step 10: One Bent Rod

Step 11: Check and Test Design

Step 12: Make Two

Step 13: Position and Test

Step 14: Mark, Grind, Drill

Step 15: Tapping Stainless Steel Is a Tough Job

Step 16: Trusty Vice

Buy a big vice as it will serve you well.

Step 17: Grind Sharp Edges Round

Step 18: Useful Rags

Step 19: Test Assembly

Step 20: Taking Form

Step 21: Neck Size Adjustment

Step 22: Trials

Step 23: Improved Technique

Step 24: Knee Brace Installed

Step 25: Another Perspective

Step 26: Add Opponent Neck

Step 27: Fastener Choices

Step 28: Positioning Trials

Step 29: Better, But Another Problem

Step 30: Better Yet Again, But Not Quite There

Step 31: Customized Fastener

Step 32: Neck Angle

Step 33: Spring Experiments

Step 34: Safe Bending

Step 35: Stretched Spring

Step 36: Spring Support Concept

Step 37: Spring Supports Mounted

Step 38: Spring Mounted on Supports

Step 39: New Spring Concept

Step 40: Functional Device

Step 41: Fabrication Complete

Step 42: Workout Log

13 May 2015 Early morning workout. Took out of the bag and the neck pipe fell off one ring. Spent ten minutes to wrestle it back on with the water pump pliers. Got it, but needs a better ring that will not permit it to slip out. First impression of the device while performing clinch-pivot training--it does the job. The weight seems right, the mild pressure of the springs is good, and after 50 reps, feeling it but not exhausted. The knee braces are great for holding the forearms. However, the top of my left hand is pressing against the bent steel rod and I do not like that. I would rather have loose hands that clasp the top of the neck bar.

Lowered the knee brace on the left side and my left hand no longer hits the bent rod. Needs something to prevent the knee brace from creeping up the rod. In doing the next 50 sets, I noticed that the rod bars are offset, one side being more forward that the other. However, the position of the forearms were even, and did not seem affected by the offset. Again, the pressure of the springs feels right. Also, when pivoting the weight and distribution of the weight of this steel device feels like something substantial like a head. It does not instantly pivot with me, but has some balance and weight to it, reminds me of the feeling of a steel bar used in bench pressing weights.

Wow, final 50 sets and this works well--keeps my focus up.

14 May 2015 Morning workout. 50 sets of pivots with the clinch is enough to tire my arms and leave me drenched.

Introduction: Coach Squeeze - Make a Fighting Clinch Pinch Device, MMA