Add the Loop Choke to Your Game

It's always good to be adding new weapons to your submissioin arsenal.  If you're looking for a solid gi choke submission that has plenty of different variations that can be secured from a wide variety of positions, then look no further than the loop choke.  

Once you have a firm grasp on the key details of the loop choke, you will find that it is one of the strongest and quickest submissions you can land on your training partners and opponents.  When the technique is broken down and analyzed you will find that it is a perfect blend of elements of the guillotine choke as well as elements of the classic lapel choke and in some variations, it can be finished with a bow and arrow choke style finish.

For more on the bow and arrow choke, specifically, check out this BJJ Fanatics article on the topic here.

Here are a few of the key principles of the loop choke that will ensure its effectiveness for you.

The Grip

In many of the first gi chokes we learn, we are taught to secure the initial grip deep into the collar.  So deep in fact, that it often feels like we are going around the back of their neck to secure a grip on the gi.

But this is not so for the loop choke.  If we were to go extremely deep into the collar and attempt the loop choke, the pressure on our own wrist and forearm would be nearly unbearable and the pressure on the opponent's neck and bloodflow would be much less than we need to finish the choke.

For the loop choke we want to grab a relatively shallow grip on the lapel.  The collar bone is typically a good reference point where we want our top finger of our four finger inside the lapel with thumb outside grip.  This grip puts our wrists and forearms in the proper position so that when we begin the roll, we can comfortably wrap the gi around our partner's neck and throat.

The Roll

When going for the roll in an attempt to take the opponent over us, it's crucial that we aim to "T" our body into the hole where their hips and body meet.  If we attempt to roll them by lying parallel to them, we will end up pulling them on top of us and probably smashing our own faces in the process.

By positioning our body in a perpendicular relationship to our opponent we also maintain some driving pressure should we need to secure pant grips and finish the choke in a style reminiscent of a bow and arrow with our heads driving into their body and our arms pulling at the pants and the lapel around the neck.

What do I do with my hands?

It's important in the most basic of options to properly place your hand palm up behind their heads to allow you to simply straighten your arm and complete the choke in devastating fashion.  In other variations the free hand is used to secure the opponent's body to prevent escape and ensure that the proper cinch and pressure are maintained to finalize the choke.

 In the video below, there are two different loop choke variations shown.  Pay close attention to the style of grip that is used on the opponent's lapel.  In addition, notice the angle and position of his head when he pulls off the roll.  Finally, notice how the free hand is used in each of the variations, as it is the icing that finalizes the choke.

 In the video below, Kurt Osiander offers another variation of the same style of loop choke.  Though his finish is slightly different, the end goal is the same to finalize the choke with the driving force of the free arm in relation to one's own body.

 Now that you have a better idea of how to add the loop choke to your game, you will also want to check out BJJ black belt and Judo Olympian Travis Stevens' instructional simply entitled "Chokes" on sale here!