18/12/2017 - Teaching | Open Guard | Loop Choke

Teaching #739
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 18/12/2017

Short Version:

• Grab their opposite collar, pushing your fist into their collar bone
• Pull that collar across, stuffing their head into your armpit
• Bring your other arm on the back of their head, elbow down to block their head popping out
• Shoot your head hand under your collar grabbing elbow, tilting your body towards your head hand side
• Swing your collar grab arm side foot out and put on their shoulder, using that push to finish off the submission

Full Version: From sitting guard, pull down with your collar grip. Break their posture by pulling that collar towards you, while also pushing their head down and to the side with your other hand. You're tucking their head towards your armpit. Raise your collar gripping elbow, creating a window to insert your other hand. Slide your other hand across the back of their head and under your collar gripping elbow. You're looking to hook your elbow with the back of your pushing hand, pointing your fingers up in order to lock it in place. To finish, lift the elbow of the collar gripping hand while dropping the elbow of the other hand.

It also helps if you can get your collar-gripping side leg into the bicep of their same side arm, or even better over the top, putting you into a sort of half-closed guard around their back. Oli mentioned when he taught it in a class a few years back that this choke is sufficiently versatile to function from various positions. For example, butterfly guard, half guard and also when they're trying to establish double underhooks on your legs in order to pass. Even if you don't get the choke, you're likely to still manage a sweep, as in order to avoid getting submitted they'll probably have to roll out. You can simply follow them and end up in mount.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Dec 20, 2017 at 8:52pm PST

I like the version Takamasa Watanabe shows on BJJ Library. He makes a few additions, such as pointing out the important of blocking their head popping out with your other elbow. A great leverage booster is swinging out your foot and putting it on their shoulder, that makes this choke much more powerful.
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Teaching Notes: Make sure they drop the elbow to block the head escaping, as well as really lift the elbow on the other side. Hand needs to go all the way under the elbow and through the gap there. Bringing the foot out and putting it on the shoulder shouldn't be a big flexibility thing, plenty of room. If it is ending up more of a windpipe choke, grip lower on the collar. Be careful of the neck too. Also, rewatch the video before teaching again as a reminder, very handy. Keeping in mind there are other versions, like the full roll where you end up facing the ceiling, or the one Jason Scully does where he backs out to put them in turtle for the finish.