An Effective Loop Choke from Half Guard
In the gi, the loop choke is an attack that you can use anytime you have a cross collar grip.
It can be sneaky, but when done well, it is definitely effective.
The key is that you have to understand the specific conditions that allow the choke to happen. Once you have that knowledge, though, you can both create those situations and take advantage of them when they arise.
Additional Details
- There are two tests for the cross collar grip placement. The first is aligning your index finger with their collar bone. And the second is pulling the grip across towards the head and checking to see if you thumb aligns with their chin.
- The wrist of the cross collar grip should flex towards the chest, similar to a limp wrist or like holding a coffee mug. That allows your arm to contour around the neck better when you go for the choke.
- The path of escape is always towards the secondary grip. That’s why taking their head towards your primary grip against your hip or rib improves your finish percentage. That’s why the video mentions treating it like a guillotine. That is not the only way the finish, but all finishes requires some obstacle that blocks their head from ducking under the second grip.
Common Challenges
- A smart and logical response to a cross collar grip is to break it right away. That means that you will run into individuals who refuse to accept that grip. If they succeed in breaking it, the loop choke is taken off the board.
- If you successfully set the grip and maintain it, the next challenge lies in their posture. You have to get their head lower than yours. Sometimes they will do it for you, but the surest path lies in making them react in a way that brings their head into your strike zone. The sweep attempt shown in the video above is just one method. But sweep attempts in general are great for getting big reactions.
- The last hurdle is securing their head, and as a general rule, you want to fall towards the side of your secondary grip. If you can get on that hip, it becomes possible to block the head with your elbow, even when you can’t tuck it towards your first grip.
