Clock Choke BJJ: White Belt Biomechanics
☰Contents
Master the Clock Choke with this precise BJJ guide for white belts. Learn biomechanics, avoid injury, and practice safely.
White
The Clock Choke is primarily applied from the Closed Guard, aiming to submit your opponent by compressing their carotid arteries.
White belts often struggle due to a lack of understanding of leverage and body positioning, leading to ineffective attempts and potential injury.
The key insight is using your opponent's posture against them to create a tight choke angle, rather than relying on brute strength.
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Grips & Mechanics
- Establish closed guard with opponent's hips close to yours.
- Secure a high cross-collar grip with your right hand, thumb inside the lapel.
- Secure a second cross-collar grip with your left hand, thumb inside the opposite lapel.
- Drive your left shoulder into their right shoulder, creating a slight angle to your left.
- Extend your right leg upwards along their spine, creating upward pressure.
- Simultaneously, pull your opponent's head down and across your body with your arms, creating rotational tension.
- Arch your back slightly, driving your hips forward to increase the choke's pressure against their neck.
⚠️ White Belt Warnings
- Grabbing the opponent's gi material too loosely: This allows them to easily posture up and break the choke, potentially straining your wrists from excessive pulling.
- Incorrect hip angle: If your hips are not angled correctly, you can put excessive pressure on your own lumbar spine, leading to back injury.
- Over-extending the neck: Trying to yank their head down without proper body alignment can strain your neck and their neck, risking hyperextension injuries.
- Too much shoulder pressure: Driving too hard with your shoulder can injure your own rotator cuff if not properly braced.
Drill Progressions
- Solo drilling of collar grips and body positioning without a partner (50 reps each side).
- Partner drilling: Apply grips and body positioning with no resistance (0% resistance), focusing on exact movements (10 reps).
- Partner drilling: Apply grips and body positioning with light resistance, focusing on maintaining position (25% resistance, 10 reps).
- Partner drilling: Execute the choke setup with controlled resistance, stopping before the submission (50% resistance, 5 reps).
- Partner drilling: Attempt the full Clock Choke with moderate resistance, focusing on the final squeeze (75% resistance, 3 reps).
- Live rolling: Attempt the Clock Choke from closed guard when the opportunity arises (100% resistance, integrate into rolling).
When to Use & Counters
- WHEN TO ATTEMPT:
- Opponent postures up in your closed guard.
- Opponent attempts to stand up while you maintain closed guard.
- Opponent tries to pass your guard and you secure the collar grips.
- PRIMARY COUNTERS:
- Escape the grip: If the opponent secures a grip, immediately use your free hand to peel their fingers off your collar, maintaining your structure.
- Posture break: If they attempt to posture up, drive your hips into them and use your legs to break their posture down, preventing the choke setup.
- Hip escape: If they are applying pressure, hip escape to create space and reset your guard, disrupting their control.
Related Video
Watch step-by-step breakdowns from black belt instructors:
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📋 Competition Rules
⚙️ Recommended Gear
Common BJJ Problems & FAQ
Wrist pain often stems from gripping the gi too tightly with your fingers extended, or from pulling directly with your wrists instead of using your forearms and shoulders. Ensure your grips are firm but not rigid, and focus on using your entire arm and body to create the choke's leverage.
Against a larger opponent, leverage is paraMount. Focus on breaking their posture down aggressively before attempting the choke. Use your legs to drive their hips away and your arms to pull their head down and across your body, creating an angle they cannot easily resist due to their size.
If your opponent successfully defends your initial grip attempts, or if they manage to break your closed guard significantly, it's time to transition. Look for opportunities to switch to a sweep or transition to a different guard like half-guard or open guard to avoid giving them a dominant position.
🥋 Related Techniques
🥋 Landed your first Clock Choke? Log every tap.
Track submissions, sessions & streaks — free forever.