Russell Davis

Hi Dalen, Interesting post, depends on how good your Aikido is, As you have just started M/T, it might take a few weeks getting to know and apply basic thai clinch work, However, you will be pleased to know that you CAN apply Aikido, although not tex book stuff. there are openings for redirection and Heaven & Earth.
Also rather than grabbing the wrist, you can achieve more Aikido by focusing on the elbow joint as the control point.

As For defences against knees to the ribs, develop iron abs, alternatively if against the ropes use a leg across opponents thights
Depending on the type of stance you use, you might be able to drop an elbow onto your opponents thigh just above the knee,

Unfortunately, upperbody locks on the arms etc are illegal in Muay Thai, but it does make training more interesting.

happy training