Chokes are one of the main features of grappling-based combat sports which include submissions, like Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, catch wrestling, Luta Livre, MMA, etc. Very often getting g choked out is taken for granted in these sports. However, choke holds are actually the most devastating and potentially lethal weapon in a grappler’s arsenal. It raises the question of whether or not the ban on chokes in Sambo has any merit to it.
Choking People Out In Jiu-Jitsu
Enter any Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in the world and you’re guaranteed to see someone being choked. The difference that is important to note is between someone being under attack via a choke hold submission vs. someone getting choked out completely. Chokes are a big part of BJJ, but they also are pretty underrated in how much potential damage they can do, especially in a post Covid-19 world.
The reason we can practice chokes safely in Jiu-Jitsu is the almighty tap. It is the ultimate safe word (well, more of a safe move, practically) that helps keep us from the harm of getting choked out unconscious over and over again. I doubt BJJ would be as attractive (and fun) as it is if people were going to sleep every time someone caught a choke.
The reason why chokes are still a danger in BJJ, and should not be taken lightly, are escapes. Getting out of a choke hold is not impossible, quite the contrary there are many ways to defend, counter and escape getting choked out. The more people train, the further they go into deep waters trying to apply these moves, which adds up to a lot of total time under the pressure of choke holds.
So, if you are keen on really practicing choke, both attacking with and defending them, then you should make sure you understand the ins and outs of getting choked out in BJJ.
7 Things You Must Know About BJJ Choke Holds
So, are BJJ chokes dangerous? They can be. There are plenty of things to consider, from individual factors to the type, duration, and force of the choke itself. However, when you’re trying to choke someone or stop someone from choking you during rolling, it is imperative that you read and understand the following 7 key moments behind BJJ choke holds:
1. What Does Being Choked Out Feel Like?
If you’ve been caught in a choke, you’ve probably tapped too early because of the panic. Pain on the neck is not one of the signs of choking that should worry you. There are much more subtle things that you’re on your way to dreamland and should tap out as fast as possible.
The main things people can feel are:
- Having a feeling of lightheadedness (one of the very first things that you can feel.)
- “Seeing stars” also happens often, depending on the force of the choke.
- Auditory signs, like hearing a low-pitched continuous buzzing sound are another clear mark of getting choked out
- A metallic taste in the mount appears sometimes as well.
- If you start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel moving away from you, then you’re already too late.
Of course, the exact time it takes for someone to go to sleep is highly individual, as is the experience people have with the signs above. You are certain to feel at least one of the signs of being choked out though.
2. Side Effects Of Being Choked Out
Getting choked out is not something you should take lightly. A precise choke is a potentially lethal move, so side effects can vary from a headache to well, death.
Going to sleep from a choke might seem like it is not a serious thing, but many things happen when you fall asleep as a result of an assault on your windpipe or carotid arteries.
- Headache – you’ll most likely feel a headache after a blood choke, given that your body was in shock and the brain was devoid of oxygen for a short while.
- Blood flow issues – in a post Covid-19 world, many people have issues with their blood vessels, and getting choked out is one way of pronouncing them. Thrombosis is one of the most common side effects that can happen after going to sleep from a strangle hold.
- Convulsions – sometimes, in certain individuals, convulsions similar to those in an epileptic seizure can occur.
- Hypertension – following a choke, even people who are not prone to high blood pressure will find the values elevated.
- Difficulty swallowing – if the choke placed pressure on your windpipe, bruising may cause discomfort while swallowing.
- Brain damage – in cases where the choking pressure goes on for more than 2-3 minutes, upon waking up the person might experience brain damage as a result of oxygen deprivation.
Can you survive being choked out? Yes, you can survive if you can get out of the choke hold, or the person doing it does not hold for longer than 3-5 minutes.
3. How Long Does It Take To Pass Out From Choking?
This is also a highly individual characteristic, but in essence, it takes anywhere between 8 and 15 seconds for someone to go to sleep. The average is around 10 seconds, but for people who are trained in grappling, like BJJ athletes, this time might be double, extending up to 20 seconds.
Of course, you might be now be wondering how long does it take to regain consciousness after being choked out?
This depends on individual factors as well as the duration of the choking pressure. The longer someone applied a choke hold, the more time it will take for oxygen levels to get back to normal. Usually, people wake up somewhere between 3 and 10 seconds.
4. Do You Lose Brain Cells When You Get Choked Out?
Yes, you can end up with dead brain cells from a choke, but only if it extends past the one-minute mark. In most cases, getting choked out and released is not going to result in brain damage and loss of brain cells.
Data is unclear on whether getting choked out repeatedly has a cumulative effect.
5. Does Getting Choked Out Cause Permanent Damage?
Choking to death is extremely rare, in terms of getting choked out in a combat sport setting. In fact, there is not one recorded death that is a direct result of choke holds in Judo and BJJ.
That said, lasting and serious damage to the brain can happen when a choke is held for long:
- 10 – 60 seconds of oxygen deprivation leads to loss of consciousness.
- After 1 minute, brain cells start dying.
- After three minutes lasting brain damage happens.
- Upward of five minutes, certain death occurs.
6. What To Do If You Choke Someone Out BJJ?
Given that most choke outs in BJJ happen via blood chokes, there is a system in place to help people that have been choked out recover safely and quickly.
The recovery position is a term that refers to turning the choked-out person on their back and holding their legs up so that blood rushes back into the brain quicker. They usually wake up after a few seconds.
Check for breathing. Always check whether the person that is unconscious is breathing or not. If they are not, make sure you tilt their head back, as in most cases, the tongue obstructs the airway as a result of relaxation.
Call an ambulance in cases where the person is not waking up after more than 30 seconds. Keep them in the recovery position while waiting for the ambulance.
7. What Is The Choke Out Challenge?
The choke out challenge refers to a choking game that became popular via TikTok and which required kids to strangle themselves (or have someone choke them out) until they pass out. In some cases, kids resorted to using nooses and the result was the death of a 12-year-old girl a few weeks ago.
It is sometimes a thing in BJJ gyms to see who can make it the longest in terms of withstanding chokes, and people are going to sleep on a regular basis.
Obviously, none of the above versions of messing around with getting choked out is safe or recommended to do.
The Bottom Line
Is getting choked out dangerous? Certainly. Can it be done safely? yes, you can train chokes in a safe and controlled manner, by tapping out if caught in one, and not trying to put people to sleep if you’re the person doing the move. In other words, taking choking out to the end is never a good idea, regardless of where you are.
