Guillotine choke
The Guillotine choke, also known as mae-hadaka-jime in Judo, is a front-facing submission hold in grappling martial arts that involves encircling an opponent's head and neck with one arm, positioning the opponent's head under the attacker's armpit while using the forearm to compress the carotid arteries and potentially the trachea, thereby restricting blood flow and/or airflow to induce unconsciousness or a submission tap.[1][2] Originating from traditional Judo techniques as the mae hadaka jime or "front naked strangle," the Guillotine choke evolved through catch wrestling influences and was refined in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), where it became a staple submission due to its versatility across standing, ground, and transitional positions.[1][3][2] In modern applications, particularly in BJJ and mixed martial arts (MMA), the technique is renowned for its high success rate as one of the most effective chokes, second only to the rear naked choke in some analyses, owing to its ability to be applied from defensive scenarios like takedown counters or guard passes, as well as offensive setups such as snap-downs or sprawls.[4][5][6] Key variations include the arm-in Guillotine for tighter control when the opponent's arm is trapped, the high-elbow version popularized by BJJ practitioner Marcelo Garcia for enhanced leverage, and the standing Guillotine effective in MMA clinch exchanges, all emphasizing posture control, hip elevation, and grip strength to maximize pressure.[6][2][3]History and Origins
Early Development
The guillotine choke traces its roots to the late 19th century, emerging within the frameworks of catch wrestling in England and the United States, as well as early Kodokan judo in Japan. Catch wrestling, developed in Lancashire around the mid-1800s from Lancashire-style wrestling and rough-and-tumble traditions, incorporated submission holds including neck cranks and strangles as core techniques for forcing taps or pins in competitive bouts.[7] In judo, formalized by Jigoro Kano in 1882 from traditional jujutsu systems, the technique appeared as mae-hadaka-jime, a front-facing naked strangle that compresses the neck without gi grips, distinguishing it from gi-dependent chokes.[8] A pivotal influence stemmed from Japanese jujutsu's hadaka-jime, a rear naked choke variant emphasizing blood flow restriction to the carotid arteries, which Kano adapted and expanded into judo's curriculum to promote efficient, non-lethal control.[9] This rear technique evolved in Western grappling contexts into the front-facing guillotine form, likely through cross-cultural exchanges as jujutsu demonstrations reached Europe and America in the 1890s, blending with catch wrestling's emphasis on standing and ground submissions.[10] Key figures like Evan "Strangler" Lewis, a dominant catch wrestler in the 1880s and 1890s, popularized similar chokes; his signature stranglehold, applied frontally to immobilize opponents, is recognized today as an early guillotine variant, used to secure victories in high-stakes matches against wrestlers like Farmer Burns.[11] The first documented competitive uses of guillotine-like chokes occurred in freestyle and catch wrestling events across Europe and America from 1900 to 1920, often in exhibition matches where rules permitted "hooks" targeting the neck for submissions.[12] For instance, in 1908, wrestler Cora Livingston employed a guillotine choke against an opponent in a mixed-gender bout, drawing directly from Lewis's playbook to force a concession.[13] By the 1920s, the technique gained visibility in American carnival wrestling circuits, where traveling "all-in" matches—unrestricted contests allowing chokes and joint locks—featured it as a crowd-pleasing finisher amid the era's professional wrestling boom.[7] Figures like Karl Gotch later amplified its legacy in the mid-20th century by integrating catch-style chokes into professional wrestling, bridging traditional roots to broader audiences.[10] These early developments laid the groundwork for the guillotine's refinement in modern grappling arts, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[14]Adoption in Modern Grappling
The guillotine choke entered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) through the influence of Japanese judo imports to Brazil in the 1920s and 1930s, where it was standardized as a core submission in the developing art's curricula. Known in judo as mae hadaka jime (front naked choke), the technique was part of the ground-fighting arsenal taught by masters like Mitsuyo Maeda, who arrived in Brazil in 1914 and instructed Carlos Gracie starting in 1917 in Belém do Pará. Maeda's emphasis on newaza (ground work) at his Conde Koma Judô Clube, founded in 1921, integrated such chokes into the grappling system that Carlos and his brothers adapted into BJJ, distinguishing it from judo's sport focus by prioritizing self-defense applications.[15][16] The Gracie family significantly popularized the guillotine choke in Brazil during the 1950s through 1970s via their dominance in vale tudo (no-holds-barred) fights and the expansion of early BJJ academies. Helio Gracie established the Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro in 1952, incorporating the choke into a structured curriculum that emphasized efficient submissions for smaller practitioners against larger opponents. Family members, including Robson Gracie, defended the Gracie name in high-profile vale tudo challenges throughout the 1950s, using grappling techniques like the guillotine to showcase BJJ's superiority in real combat scenarios and build the art's reputation among Brazilian martial artists. This era of challenge matches and academy growth solidified the choke as a versatile tool in BJJ's self-defense and competitive frameworks.[17][18] A pivotal milestone in the guillotine choke's adoption occurred in the 1990s with its prominent use in the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, transitioning the technique from Brazilian streets to global MMA. Royce Gracie's victories in UFC 1 through 4 (1993–1994), though primarily via other submissions, spotlighted BJJ's choking arsenal and validated the art's effectiveness against diverse styles, inspiring widespread interest in techniques like the guillotine. Complementing this, Ken Shamrock secured the UFC Superfight title at UFC 6 in 1995 with a guillotine choke against Dan Severn, demonstrating the hold's potency in no-gi, high-stakes environments and accelerating BJJ's integration into mainstream combat sports.[19][20] The technique further evolved in the 1980s through Gracie family instructional materials, which systematized its teaching and contributed to BJJ's global spread. Rorion Gracie, who relocated to the United States in 1978, began producing challenge match footage and basic technique videos in the late 1980s, including demonstrations of chokes like the guillotine in the "Gracie in Action" series to promote the family's system abroad. These efforts, building on Helio Gracie's foundational principles, made the guillotine accessible to international practitioners via mail-order tapes, bridging traditional Brazilian training with modern dissemination methods.[21]Technique and Mechanics
Core Execution Steps
The guillotine choke begins with the attacker securing the opponent's head and far-side arm in a controlling position, typically from a neutral clinch or transitional stance, to prevent defensive posture recovery. This submission relies on precise arm placement around the neck to compress the carotid arteries, disrupting blood flow to the brain. According to Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Rener Gracie, the execution follows a three-step method: collect the head and arm, connect the grip for leverage, and compress using body mechanics.[22] The fundamental sequence unfolds as follows:- Secure the head and arm: From a neutral position, such as during an opponent's forward movement, use one arm to pull the head down with a collar tie or chinstrap grip while inserting the opponent's far arm under your armpit for control; this isolates the neck and limits their ability to circle away.[6][2]
- Wrap the arm around the neck: Slide the choking arm under the opponent's chin or across the side of the neck, positioning the forearm high to target the carotid arteries while keeping the elbow flared outward for leverage; simultaneously, drop the hips low to maintain balance and prevent the opponent from posturing up.[23][2]
- Clasp the hands behind the head: Bring the opposite hand to grasp the wrist or bicep of the choking arm, forming a tight lock behind the opponent's head; common grips include the closed palm-to-palm clasp for maximum compression or an open thumb-in variation for quicker adjustments, ensuring the hands press firmly against the base of the skull.[6][23]
- Squeeze and elevate the hips: Arch the back slightly while squeezing the elbows together and driving the choking forearm forward; if transitioning to the ground, elevate the hips upward to increase pressure, aligning the body to the side with the choking elbow anchored near the hip for optimal leverage.[2][6]