Loop Chokes for Kids

[Aesopian]

One night when I was sitting out with screwed up hip, I saw a green belt (who is moving into the adult classes) without a partner during a round of sparring, so I taught him this series of loop chokes. His dad is a brown belt, and he was really happy I picked some moves for his son to learn. The kid went on to get two of them on his dad in sparring so they were well received.

On loop chokes

With most collar chokes, you try to grip as deep as possible, but what sets apart this series of chokes is that they are all based on a "loose" grip, with you holding the collar at only the shoulder or chest level. Because of this, these chokes make great "surprise attacks" as most opponents only worry about defending collar chokes when they feel a hand going deep. These chokes are actually harder to do with a grip any deeper than at the base of the neck; they need a little extra slack so they can wrap around the neck and not put too much stress on your wrist.

Sudden Death

I didn't give this choke that name, but since I've never heard it given any other name, we'll just go with it.

I'll describe this choke from the position I first learned it, but understand that you can get it from almost anywhere.

You are sitting up in butterfly guard. Grip his opposite collar (right hand to their right lapel) at about shoulder level. Grab the back of his head with your left hand and stuff it towards your right armpit as you raise your right elbow, bringing your right arm over the back of his head. This wraps your right arm and his collar around his neck.

Your left hand slides under your right forearm, palm down (so the back of your left hand should be against your right arm), and presses down on the back of his neck. It is very important that you keep your left elbow angled down or he'll be free to pull his head out to that side.

Finish by straightening your arm (without losing the above details) and leaning to your left.

Every step needs to be done rather quickly so they don't pull their head out before you've got your arms in the right places. It should be a very sudden and fast choke (thus the name).

Here's the choke being done from open guard.

He finishes by falling all the way to the side and face planting them, which probably works too.

One thing that will make you really appreciate this choke is how often it is available. Gustavo Dantes shows it as a counter to the double under guard pass — they have both arms under, and you just straighten your legs and slap this on. I use it a lot when people are smashing my butterfly guard flat by hugging me and driving their head into my stomach — they are just offer their head to me. I even got it almost by accident from s-mount on a purple belt.

Bottom Knee Choke

I'm not as familar with this next choke, but I've drilled it a couple times and it shares a close relationship with the next choke, which I am very familiar with.

I'll leave the explanation to Gerson.

Gerson has great tapes with Batata that are worth checking out if you really want to get into loop chokes.

Here's Carlinhos doing a flying one on Rigan.

I can't vouced for that setup yet, but it's worth a shot.

Python choke

And last we have my favorite, the python choke. I've learned this one in class several times, and I've been drilling it on my own lately. It is a little complicated and hard to perform at first, but it is surprisingly effective onces you've drilled it enough.

It follows the same first steps as that last one. Since they share so many steps, you can actually go for the Bottom Knee Choke and switch to the full python if it's not working.

If you're both starting from knees, get a cross grip on his right lapel. Snap down on this as your left hand pulls his head down into your right armpit. Get your chest on his back and do a little sprawl, keeping your right shoulder heavy against his shoulder.

Your left hand swims through his right armpit and around to the back of his head, palm up (the back of your hand on the back of his head). Drive this as deep as possible. This step is probably the hardest part to understand, and I don't think I've explained it very well in text, so you'll be happy to know there is a a photo of this move coming up.

With your arms in place, duck your head to the left and dive your head under him and roll like you want to lay on the floor underneath him. Don't just lay to the side and roll to your back or they'll be able to resist too much. Really dive and roll under him. If you do this right he'll roll too, or choke right there with you under him.

Once he's rolled to his back, you'll be laying out next to him. Bring your left elbow tight to your body, trapping his right arm. Switch your hips and come to your knees. Finish by pulling with your right arm (which is still looping his neck) and straightening your left arm (which is behind his head).

Since I doubt that made any sense in text, here's it is in photos:

Gerson doing the python choke.

Mean Jeff saw me drilling the python and showed how he actually gets it most of the time when people are trying to do open guard passes where they grab the knees and try to run around headfirst. The judo black belt from Kodokan in Japan who visited us used to try this on everyone, and Jeff said he had to watch out for it all the time.

Here's BJ Penn doing just this version of it.

And yes, they will choke standing like that if they refuse to fall down.

[Aesopian]

[Mike Sweeney]

Nice thread!

[iamamonster]

would it be a good idea to grab the choking arm's sleeve when you are finishing the python choke?

[Aesopian]

No, because you're trying to stretching your arm (the one not grabbing his collar) out as far as possible, and grabbing would prevent that and add nothing to the choke.

[Samfoo]

That python choke is the same technique I describe in the Turnover thread as the Brazilian. When I do it though, I normally don't come to my knees, I'll have to try that.

EDIT: Upon further inspection of the images, it's slightly different. I'm going to try that out tonight and see how it works.

[MrMcFu]

Good stuff. Thanks Aesopain.

[Camus]

Very awesome, I must use this counter-intelligence as I am very often tapped by upper-belts with these, didn't even know they were called 'loop chokes' and that there was a series of them, very cool. Thank you

[Aesopian]

I just so happened to go over these at class today, and my instructor has one more variation of his own.

But it's a trade secret.