Guillotine Choke BJJ: White Belt Guide

1. From a position where the opponent's head is accessible (e.g., opponent posturing up from your closed guard), establish a "figure-four" grip: one arm wraps around the opponent's neck, palm facing your own face, while your other hand grabs your own bicep (the "seatbelt" grip).
2. Drive your hips forward and slightly to the side of the opponent's trapped arm, creating a ninety-degree angle between your torso and their head.
3. Lower your center of gravity by bending your knees and sinking your hips towards the mat.
4. Squeeze your biceps and forearms inward, creating a tightening effect on the opponent's carotid artery.
5. Simultaneously, elevate your hips by extending your legs, driving your pelvis into the opponent's neck and shoulder.
6. Maintain a tight frame by keeping your elbows tucked and your chest pressed against the opponent's head.
7. Apply steady, increasing pressure until the submission is achieved or the opponent taps.

• Attempting to pull the opponent's head down with your arms alone: This can strain your shoulder joint (rotator cuff) and elbow joint (ligament damage) due to shearing forces.
• Correct: Drive your hips forward and upward to create the choke, using your arms primarily for grip and frame.
• Arching your back excessively to crank the neck: This puts excessive stress on the cervical spine (neck vertebrae and discs), risking disc compression or hyperextension injuries.
• Correct: Maintain a neutral spine and focus on hip drive and torso compression.
• Gripping too high on the opponent's neck, near the jawline: This can lead to a "windpipe choke" instead of a blood choke, which is less effective and can cause discomfort or injury to the trachea.
• Correct: Ensure your forearm is across the side of the neck, targeting the carotid artery, not directly on the front of the windpipe.

1. Solo drilling of grip establishment and hip drive motion: 10 repetitions per side, 0% resistance.
2. Partner drilling of grip establishment and hip drive without pressure: 10 repetitions per side, 10% resistance (light touch).
3. Partner drilling of establishing the choke and driving hips, holding for 5 seconds: 5 repetitions per side, 25% resistance.
4. Partner drilling of the full Guillotine choke sequence with controlled tap-outs: 10 repetitions per side, 50% resistance.
5. Live rolling focusing on opportunities to initiate the Guillotine: 5 rounds, 75% resistance.
6. Live rolling with full intent to submit using the Guillotine: 5 rounds, 90% resistance.

• WHEN TO ATTEMPT:
• Opponent posts up from your closed guard, exposing their neck.
• Opponent shoots for a takedown and you can catch their head as they lower it.
• During scrambles where an opponent's head becomes vulnerable.
• PRIMARY COUNTERS:
• "The Escape" (Opponent's Perspective): When the Guillotine is locked, the opponent should turn their hips towards the choked side and drive their head into the attacker's chest, creating space to disengage or transition.
• "The Stack Pass" (Opponent's Perspective): The opponent can attempt to "stack" the attacker by driving their weight forward and down, compressing the attacker's torso and potentially breaking the grip.
• "The Neck Crank Defense" (Opponent's Perspective): If the attacker is using a neck crank variation, the opponent can attempt to relieve pressure by tucking their chin and turning their head away from the pressure, while simultaneously attempting to free their arm.

Watch step-by-step breakdowns from black belt instructors: