Don’t Leave This Important Choke Out of Your Arsenal

The submission no one sees coming!

The Von Flue choke. Every time I mention it my newer students, they look at me puzzled, as if I’ve just made something up for the sake of saying it. But yes, the Von Flue choke is real, its effective, and it’s brutal.

Made famous by Jason Von Flue at Ultimate Fight Night 3 in 2006, the strangle has become a household name in BJJ schools all over the world. Most often we see this technique utilized when an opponent attempts to hang on to a guillotine after the guard has already been passed. Failing to concede to the guard pass and continuing to hang on to the head can lead you directly into the VFC, if your partner has the submission in the memory bank.

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Von Flue’s use of the submission is not the only time we’ve seen the VFC in MMA. It’s come up a handful of times since then, and continues to rear its head on occasion. Check out this recent finish involving the VFC from Ovince Saint Preaux.

Can the submission be used from an alternate position?

Here’s an interesting take on the VFC from Brian Peterson. In this scenario the VFC begins in the closed guard. Through a series of movements and application of heavy pressure, the VCF is used to pass the guard and finish from its traditional spot. Take a look.

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In this video James Clingerman gives Bernardo Faria a quick run down of how he chooses to execute the VFC. There are some great details here! Give it a watch!

Instead of hand fighting after his neck is under attack, James opts to make the quick guard pass a priority. After the pass, Clingerman shifts his body weight towards the head, which is visibly uncomfortable for Bernardo. He then secures a gable grip, and locates Faria’s neck with his shoulder. He then flattens his right hip as to take any structure holding his weight away. This creates an immense amount of downward pressure on Faria’s neck. The application of a good squeeze brings the tap.

The VFC is not one to overlook. No matter which end of the technique you’re on, having some knowledge of this very sneaky submission is important. Commit it to memory so you can put It to work when the time is right, and know when to give up that guillotine!

For more Von Flue Choke, check out James Clingerman's Mastering the Von Flue available at BJJ Fanatics!  You can get it along with other submission series DVDs from James Clingerman here!

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