The Elvis Choke

Posted by Fanatics Authors on July 16, 2018

Side control is one of the best places to set up shop, maintain control of your opponent and work a variety of arm attacks or chokes. When you're in control of your opponent in side control, they are usually working to secure some sort of escape either by hipping away from you or perhaps driving into your body to get the under hook and displace your weight forward to allow them to get upright and around.

One of the sneakiest chokes we've seen at BJJ Fanatics comes from Ribeiro black belt Tom Oberhue who owns and runs his academy in the Pacific Northwest. In demonstrating this choke which he calls "The Elvis Choke" he nearly put Bernardo Faria to sleep as he was explaining the details. That's how powerful this choke is. It comes on very quickly once applied. Check it out below.

Tom Oberhue sets this position up by first establishing an incredibly heavy shoulder pressure, aptly known as the shoulder of justice. By driving all of his weight into the person's face and shoulder, you create an amazing pressure that no one wants to experience for long. Once he's created this backdrop using the pressure, he backs off and secures a relatively casual lapel grip which shouldn't set off any red flags in the opponent, such that tell them the choke is imminent.

He then allows Bernardo to begin thinking about his escape options by driving into him. He encourages it by controlling the arm and beginning to drive his weight into the shoulder and he extends his arm along Bernardo's neck creating pressure on the carotid artery.

Once Bernardo is on his side, Tom is able to step around with his leg and use a hip twist, ala Elvis Presley into the back of Bernardo's head and back that drives his neck and throat into the extended arm that is holding the lapel. In the midst of his escape attempt he is caught and forced to tap to the choke submission or go to sleep.

For more chokes from BJJ Fanatics, check out Travis Stevens' instructrional "Chokes" available in On Demand and DVD formats. You can get it here!

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