How To Do The Cross Choke In BJJ
Posted by Matt Bryers on
The Cross Choke Works Great On Those Bigger, Stronger Guys In Class Who Are Always Giving You A Hard Time!
If you have spent any time at all on the mats in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you are likely to be familiar with the cross collar choke. If it a choke you struggle with, do not worry about it, many of us have. By breaking it down into fundamentals it is actually pretty easy to learn. The cross choke is a very common submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The choke is performed when the attacker sits on their opponent’s chest and crossing their arms, grabbing the gi. Its history traces back to the very beginnings of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and likely Judo before that. In the 1950’s the legendary Helio Gracie once stated that it was one of his best moves, which makes sense considering 4 of his 8 professional victories where by submission using this choke, including his famous 1951 win over Yukio Kato at Maracanã Stadium.
JT Torres is known for his inhuman grip strip, often using it to his advantage to submit his opponents in a demoralizing fashion.
The cross choke can be a very powerful submission when done correctly. So what are the steps to hitting the perfect cross choke? Let’s find out! Check out the video below.
There is a lot of detail in this technique, which is why many of us probably struggle to pull off a good cross collar choke. A lot of BJJ players get this choke wrong from the very start. They think this choke is all in the arms. The secret of this choke is that it is actually in the wrists. Think of your hand as a blade, slicing across your opponent’s artery. When you get your grips turn your arm inwards in order to really tighten things up. Once you go as deep as you can, turn your hand and pressure down with your arm. To add additional pressure you can post with your opposite hand, being sure to post to the side you have the collar grip. From here, you have several options in terms of how you want to hit the submission. You can go underneath your training partner’s head and submit him from the pressure. Or you can adjust your hips and bring your arm all the way across to the other side of your training partner’s body to secure the cross choke.
It is not about squeezing with the arms but rather it is about bending with the wrists using the sharp part of your bones to dig into your opponent putting pressure on their neck. With a deep collar grip and the right angle all it takes it a twisting of the wrist to get this submission. So be sure to give this one the next time you are on the mats! The cross choke can be a great way at equalizing a match against a much stronger opponent. Hopefully you found this technique useful.
JT Torres is a Atos BJJ Black Belt and ADCC 2017 Champion. JT Torres is known for his ability to smash through anyone's guard, take their back and choke them for the win. He shares with you in his DVD series the exact details of how to pass the guard, get back control and hit them with a variety of chokes. He is considered one of the most dangerous jiu jitsu athletes and submission fighters on the planet. JT has beat some of the best competitors such as Garry Tonon, Lucas Lepri, and many more. If you want to learn how to smash through any guard, get back and finish, don't miss this incredible DVD / On Demand Series With JT Torres.
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