Clinching is a technique used in boxing where one boxer leans on an opponent and wraps their arms to prevent them from punching freely. It is typically viewed as a defensive technique, but some boxers also use it as an offensive tool. Clinching can be used to neutralize powerful punches coming your way from aggressive boxers because it can diffuse a situation and even stop the attack altogether. Clinching can also be effective in disrupting your opponent’s rhythm and stop momentum building which forces boxers to reset combinations and offensive moves. The clinch is a powerful tool for grapplers to advance into a dominant position in ground fighting, or is used for scoring points or winning a match such as a grand amplitude throw in amateur wrestling or an ippon in judo. The clinch is a technique you should always use with a purpose, and it is an effective way to slow down aggressive fighters and make it harder for them to find their range. Clinching is an illegal move under the traditional Marquess of Queensberry Rules, but it has become an essential part of pugilism in the modern era. The clinch is a necessary and integral part of the sport, and as a competitive boxer, you have to understand and learn how to clinch, even if you have no intention to use it.