X Choke from Mount with Murilo Bustamante

Chokes from the mount position are some of the most devastating and high percentage techniques that one can employ in their game.   If you are able to effectively keep yourself perched on top of someone's solar plexus and upper body, while manipulating your grips, you will be a force to reckon with, because after a certain point, the chance of escape dwindles exponentially with every second and minor adjustment that you make.

For more on the the power and effectiveness of the cross choke style of gi choke, check out this piece from BJJ Fanatics.  It will have you choking out classmates and opponents in no time.

In the video below, Murilo Bustamante brings his old school flavor to the classic mounted collar choke, here referred to as the X Choke primarily due to his simple, yet soul crushing use of his body's angles which make the choke virtually impossible to stop.

There are a number of mount concepts that are important to pull out of this technique video that will not only ensure that this technique is performed properly, but also improve your ability to maintain a strong, stable mount and not fear an opponent escaping or bettering their position.

Mount Concept #1--Use your legs

It is important to be able to alternate between a squeezing pressure with your thighs and knees against your opponent's body to maintain a strong and imposing pressure, making them essentially carry your weight right on their solar plexus.

Mount Concept #2--Widen your base

With around 40 years of jiu jitsu under his belt, Murilo Bustamante shares his use of a exaggerated wide base with his knees that help him maintain a secure posture and prevent losing the position.  This coupled with feet and heels pulled in tight and underneath the hips of the opponent add to the constricting hold you will have on their body.

Mount Concept #3--Angle your body

 Notice throughout the video, how at various points, Murilo will angle his body to accentuate the crushing pressure of the submission or help maintain his base and the foundation of his mount.  The proper angling of the body also creates a sense of space without relieving the pressure by posturing up, which could lead to an escape.  Instead, the opponent will suffer under the pressure for the duration of the technique and essentially be begging for the finish before you even apply it.

Once the initial grip is secured and the free arm is reached out with the addition of the leg being angled to create an X with the instep down, your hip will pressure your forearm, which will pressure their neck having them beg for the ending before you're even ready.  Then once you secure the second hand and square up the body, they will be left with no choice but to tap to the X choke.

 At the end of the day, the old school techniques have been around the longest for a reason.  No matter what the current flavor of the month, nothing can beat the simple, effective techniques forged on the BJJ mats and in the MMA cages over the the decades.  If you want to learn from one of the pioneers of BJJ and Vale Tudo, check out Murilo Bustamante's 2 DVD series "Old School Crushing Pressure and Submissions", also available in digital download format.