Guillotine Choke

The guillotine choke is one of the most popular submission techniques present in mixed martial arts. It is used commonly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. The reason for this is the amount of opportunities that arise to implement this choke. Whenever your opponent goes for a takedown and your opponent’s head ends up on the outside of your body they are unknowingly placing themself in position for a guillotine choke. The guillotine can either be an air choke by placing pressure on the trachea or a blood choke by placing pressure on the carotid arteries.

If your opponent comes at you going for a takedown:
1. Spread your legs so you have a stronger base and more stability
2. Wrap your arm (the arm on the side where your opponent’s head is placed on the outside) around your opponent’s neck.
3. Grip your wrist with your other arm after it’s wrapped around.
4. Arch your back for added pressure and finish the choke.

Tips:

  • Make sure as you arch back and lift up you keep your opponent’s head stationary with your arm or else the choke will not be effective.
  • If for some reason you find it difficult to get the tap standing up you can also fall back into guard but make sure to get your legs wrapped high around your opponent and squeeze with your knees so they can’t slip out.

    • If you’re going for a takedown:
    Say you’re going for the takedown and you can tell your opponent is backing away to avoid the takedown. One thing you can do is as they start to pull away is grab their shoulder with one arm and push it down. Since their head will be pushed down, with your other arm, quickly wrap it around their neck. With your other arm, quickly move from the shoulder to grabbing your wrist as soon as it goes around the neck. You will then have your opponent in the guillotine choke.

    This submission tactic, like all chokeholds, should only be performed in a controlled setting preferably with medical supervision.

    Demonstration of the guillotine choke: