The Guillotine Choke

The Guillotine Choke

Before I ever took a lesson in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or boxing lesson, I used to strap on a pair of cheap gloves and get into brawls with other kids. My best friend is a tall guy with long limbs, and fighting him was a nightmare. If you tried to come in close to neutralize his reach, he would immediately throw an arm over and around your neck and squeeze until you tapped or passed out. This is called the guillotine choke.

The guillotine is still one of my favorite submission holds. It is very easy to execute and works against aggressive people with poor wrestling technique—meaning, of course, that it works on nearly everyone. It is not just a neck crank, as a well-executed hold will reduce blood flow to the brain by obstructing the carotid arteries and place a very uncomfortable amount of pressure on the trachea. Of course, this does mean that the guillotine choke is a dangerous maneuver and that these instructions should not actually be carried out. I am not a jiu-jitsu instructor, wrestler, or authority on the either subject, and the following is strictly for informative use!

A man is barreling at you low with his neck out. He wants to tackle you. This is how to neutralize a football tackle and execute a guillotine choke:

1. Assume a more stable position. This means keeping your base a little wider than shoulder width and your hips low.

2. Slow him down by meeting the top of his forehead with your palms. This is optional.

3. Throw an arm around his neck. Try to get it deep. Ideally, your elbow crease should be in contact with his trachea.

4. Secure the choke by clasping your hands together.

5. Stand up and arch your back, while keeping your assailant’s head low. Think about trying to rip his head off and take it with you.

From here, you can wrap your legs around his back and fall to the ground, which reduces your opponent’s mobility. I would only do this if the ground is soft, your guillotine is tight (if he gets out, that means you’re underneath a really angry guy), and you’re worried about the opponent punching anything below your chest. I’ve also seen guillotine suplexes performed, which end with you in mount with full control of your opponent’s neck.

The deepest guillotine I have ever seen is Dan Miller’s submission of Dave Phillips in the IFL. Though Phillips was mostly conscious after the hold is released, the choke itself was very graphic and undeniably effective. Again, this choke works well against low-level BJJ practitioners, bad wrestlers, or totally untrained opponents--or if you're Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, against Tim Sylvia for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Title.