When we talk about Jiu-Jitsu chokes there is a real danger of getting lost in the subject. There’s simply no other grappling martial art out there that has as much diversity in the area of choking people out as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From the quintessential guillotine and Rear Naked Chokes to intricate lapel chokes from weird positions, you’ll see it all in BJJ. However, there’s clear favoritism towards certain chokes. Although they have proven to be effective throughout the years and in multiple competition formats, it is good to take a break and explore some other aspects of strangling people every once in a while. Today, we’ll look at two underused, yet astonishingly effective chokes that’ll catch everyone you meet by surprise!
The most satisfying tap in BJJ doesn’t come from an arm or leg lock. Yes, hitting a heel hook from the Inside Senaku is rewarding but it’s not as much of an undisputed victory as choking someone. Jiu-Jitsu chokes have the power of ending someone’s life and it requires surprisingly little force. Given that you know how to perform it, of course. A person tapping to a choke acknowledges that you could’ve taken their lives at will. It is the ultimate surrender and the most satisfying manner of winning.
Furthermore, Jiu-Jitsu chokes are the one move that works on anybody. No matter the size, strength or flexibility of a person if you get into a position to catch a choke it’s over. Whether you go for a blood choke and finish things in seconds or torture someone with an air choke the result is the same. the only trouble is, that people that also train BJJ are well versed at defending and countering choke attacks. to that extent, there are moves that’ll surprise even the most seasoned black belts. In fact, one of the chokes we’re going to cover today was a favorite of Helio Gracie himself. That’s as big of a statement on its efficacy as there’s one.
Mixing It up With Jiu-Jitsu Chokes
As previously mentioned, most chokes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu work in one of two ways. The most common, and more reliable method of strangling someone is via a blood choke. That involves blocking the blood flow of the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck. NO blood means no oxygen to the brain, which, in turn, means going to sleep.
The second manner of choking people is via an air choke. A great example is eh Guillotine choke 9lthough it can double as a blood choke two). With an air choke, yo disrupt the airflow by blocking the trachea with direct pressure. They also work very effectively but take more time and are much more painful than the surgical blood chokes.
Today’s unusual choking techniques come in each of the above-described varieties. These chokes do not feature as regularly in BJJ anymore, for one reason or another. Perhaps they’ll have a resurgence sometime in the future, or stay in the shadows for time to come. Who knows. What I know for sure is that they work, both in training and competition and against all kinds of opponents. Nope, they’re not the ultimate chokes that’ll work 100 % of the time. They’re just a different and really simple way of getting a tap via an unusual technique. they’re also legal at every level of BJJ and work both in Gi and No-Gi.
Increase your choking arsenal with the help of the Aussie that knows all about chokes! Lachlan Giles can teach you everything you need to know about chokes for BJJ in his High Percentage Chokes. And also Alexandre Vieira with his Crucifix and Loop Choke Instructional. It’s the best and most detailed instructional on Loop Choke and Crucifix ever.
The Nutcracker Choke
I’ve heard people refer to this one as an old wrestling choke that doesn’t work in BJJ. I, personally, beg to differ. I re-discovered this one a short while ago and it refreshed my submission game significantly.
First and foremost, who can aim to use this choke? To tell you the truth, I’d recommend it to people from the blue belt onwards. The reason is that it involves a Kimura grip which, in itself, requires a certain level of technical knowledge. In terms of the mechanics of the choke, this one is an air choke.
Basically, the picture that you have a Kimura on someone from a north-south position. This is a very usual position of attacking the Kimura lock. It is also a very usual thing for an opponent to defend stubbornly, by holding on to their belt or leg. This prevents the Kimura submission but provides an anchor point for the nutcracker choke. To get the choke, you need to lie to the side of the arm you’re attacking. The idea is that you’re lying on the shoulder of the second arm in the figure four grip.
The goal here is to use the position of your legs to get a choke. from the north-south, you already have each of your legs on either side of your opponent’s head. When you lie down, one of your legs is going to stay under their head. The other is going to end up on top, which is what you want. You need to place the back of the knee of this top leg, straight on the opponent’s Adam’s apple. Then, simply cross your feet like in the closed guard and extend your legs. You’ll end up tapping the opponent with the Nutcracker or you’ll get a Kimura when they panic.
The Grapefruit Choke
First of all, credit where credit is due. I learned this choke as a white belt from Jungle BJJ founder and black belt Fernando Araujo He referred to it as the Helio Gracie choke, and later on I found it cited as the Grapefruit choke as well. Apparently, Grandmaster Helio Gracie used this choke very often and to great success. Personally, I’ve gotten two wins via this choke in competition, so I can say that it works for me. People that I’ve shown it to have also used it successfully when fighting.
The Grapefruit choke is one of those Jiu-Jitsu chokes that are readily available, yet nobody notices. It is a blood choke done from the mount position. In terms of mechanics, it is as simple as chokes get. You simply grab the Gi collar on both sides with a thumbs-out grip. Once you make fists on both sides, you place the knuckles on your opponent’s carotid arteries. From there, finishing is as easy as sprawling forward and putting your forehead on the mats.
What I found out in No-Gi is that it is way easier for someone to slip out since there’s no Gi to anchor on. So, when finishing the choke in No-Gi, aim to place both elbows firmly on the ground with the choke ready to go. Then, use your head to further stabilize your position and twist your fists, first towards yourself and then towards the mats. AS far as Jiu-Jitsu chokes go it doesn’t get simpler than this. Nor more effective!
It all starts with the basics, but Adam wastes no time on needless talking. He kicks things off with a sweep, getting into the mechanics of the butterfly guard along the way. After all, learning through examples is a great method, isn’t it? I loved the detail on each aspect of completing the very first basic butterfly sweep. Wardzinski goes int detail on body positioning, how to nullify the opponent’s base and finishing with ease. he also offers a few different grip setups as well as a direct transition int a knee slice pass off the sweep.
Back when Carlos and Helio re-mastered the Japanese art of Judo to fit their needs, they were non-athletic and skinny men. As such, they emphasized the use of leverage over power and developed an attacking game from dominant positions. Even to this day, the Gracies are big proponents of the “keep it playful” philosophy, one that truly represents BJJ as a gentle art.
In the modern Jiu-Jitsu game, the Arte Suave principle is still the best way to victory, even if it is not discussed very often. The modern BJJ game is all about precision and efficiency. The goal is to use as little movement to obtain the best possible mechanically advantageous position. From there, leverage and technique are the methods of control as opposed to forcefully pinning an opponent. As the BJJ game progresses, the ultimate goal is to apply leverage and technique once more, this time in order to submit an opponent.
One huge lesson that Jiu-Jitsu teaches us is humility. The moment you learn how to let go of your ego is the moment you begin learning BJJ. Not only that, but you’re on a good path to understanding the gentle aspects of this grappling martial art. The reason why beginners are anything but gentle is exactly in ego. The panic of losing or giving up a position is all about ego. The consequences are tight muscles, labored breathing and the inevitable fall deeper into an opponent’s spider web.
Another great finishing option is the Kimura. This is the go-to submission after a successful Tornado sweep. The sweep itself actually lands you in the perfect position to get a Kimura. All you need to do is hold the arm you already have trapped tightly until you let go of the ankle and set up in a figure four grip. From there’ finishing is as easy as looking over your shoulder.
We begin the BJJ stretch routine with the legs up the wall stretch. This one is a simple as the name suggests. Simply lie next to the wall and get your butt a close to the wall ass possible. In the best-case scenario, you should be touching the wall. Straighten your legs up and put them together. Lie flat with your back on the mats and keep the back of your head on the ground as well. Keep the arms bent at the elbows, palms on your belly. Stay there for the minute and try to calm your breath as much as possible
From the previous position, you’ll simply proceed to widen your legs to each side, as far as comfortable. Remember that stretching shouldn’t feel uncomfortable at any point. Your torso, head, and arms remain as in the first stretch. Your legs should be as wide as possible. heels on the wall. Once you reach your maximum stay there for a few breaths. Use the remainder of the minute to try and go even further. With every exhale attempt to get your legs just a little bit wider. Stop before you feel discomfort.
The wall butterfly stretches much like the seated butterfly. When you have your legs up the wall, gravity does not play as big of a role in the stretch, meaning you’ll need to work a bit more. Since you’re already there, all it takes is to get your feet next to one another after the wall straddle stretch. Once you have them there, try and get your heels as close to your butt as possible. Keep your head and torso on the ground but place your hands on each knee to help with the depth of the stretch. Once again, use the exhales to go deeper into the stretch and never overdo it. This is a nice relaxation from the wide straddle and an awesome way to increase your hip flexibility for BJJ.
This is one you’re used to doing regularly. All that changes now is the position of the support leg. For the glute stretch, you need to place the ankle of one leg over the knee of the other. The support leg is going to be placed on the wall, knee bent at 90 degrees. The other leg goes in front of you and on the knee of the first one, also at 90 degrees. Place both your arms on the shin, one at the knee and the other at the ankle. Not unlike adjusting a triangle choke. Make sure you keep your ankle steady and push on the knee as much as possible. Repeat on the other leg for a minute as well.
Another classic stretch, yet usually not done correctly. As you finish with the wall glute stretch, lay on your side and place one leg on top of the other. Keep the knees bent and the feet on the wall. Get a foam roller, or simply roll up your Gi jacket and put it under your neck. This is a crucial part of the stretch as your spine needs to be in alignment. straighten both arms and place them on top of each other in front of your chest. Now open the top arm and look as far to the other side as possible. Let your top arm open up as much as you can, while still keeping it straight. Again, repeat on the other side once you’re done.
This one is very simple and to the point. Get in the same position as with the first stretch. Take your belt and fold it in the middle. Now place one foot directly in the loop and hold on to the two straps. The other foot stays up on the wall. Raise the leg that’s in the belt towards you and attempt to straighten your knee as far as you can. If you think you can go further, place your hands further up the belt straps on either side. Repeat on the other leg.
The hip flexor stretch is a complete core stretch, despite its name suggesting otherwise. For this one, you need to be facing away from the wall. Place one knee on the mat, right up against the wall, so that your shin and instep are on the wall. Have the other leg in front of you, bent at the knee, like at the bottom of a lunge. push in with oy ur hip and raise your arm on the side where your leg is up against the wall. If you can’t get your knee to the wall, use your Gi or whatever’s around to elevate it behind you as much as you can.
To finish this BJJ stretch routine, you’ll once again turn to the foam roller or rolled-up Gi jacket. Simply place it on the mats and lie over it, so that your upper back is directly over the roller/Gi. Bend backward put the top of your head on the mats and extend both your arms over your head. Stay in the position for the duration of a minute.
That’s where the spider web position shines. What you basically need to do is switch the arms. Look to insert the arm that’s closer to your opponent’s head into their elbow crease. To enhance control over the arm, you have to grab your opposite side hip with the palm. The goal is to have your elbow control their arm, while your palm holds your hip. The legs stay in the usual manner, over the head and neck. The second arm, though, has a different task. The aim is to lie on your side and use that arm to hook the nearest leg, under the thigh and all the way back up. Now, you’re in the spider web and the fun can begin!
Secondly, there’s the hook on the leg. Hooking an opponent’s thigh removes the ability of hip movement. This means escaping is not going to work until they get their leg back. In terms of extra control, once you have the leg hooked, the aim is to connect both your hands. A gable grip is a way to go here. Now, you have an opponent deep into an armbar, with their leg trapped and bent, taking away all movement possibilities. Crushing discomfort is just an added benefit.
