Ezekiel Choke

SAFETY: Ezekiel Choke targets the Carotid arteries and trachea. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness. Release immediately upon tap.

Position Variants

From Position	Success Rate	Top Injury Risk	Key Difference
Closed Guard	58%	Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness
Mount	58%	Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness
Side Control	58%	Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness

The Ezekiel Choke is a fundamental gi-based blood choke that can be executed from dominant top positions, most commonly from mount but also effective from side control, knee on belly, and other control positions. Named after Brazilian judoka Ezequiel Paraguassú who popularized it in BJJ, this technique utilizes the practitioner’s own sleeve as a fulcrum to create pressure on both carotid arteries. The Ezekiel is particularly effective because it can be applied even when the opponent has their hands free to defend, making it a high-percentage submission when proper mechanics are understood. The technique’s versatility allows it to be threaded through various defensive frames and can be executed with either a traditional lapel grip or by threading the sleeve through for maximum control. What makes the Ezekiel especially valuable is its ability to create submission threats that force opponents to expose other attacks, making it an excellent tool for creating offensive sequences from dominant positions.

The mechanical principle behind the Ezekiel involves using your own gi sleeve as a rigid lever against one side of the opponent’s neck while your opposite forearm creates pressure on the other side, effectively compressing both carotid arteries simultaneously. Unlike many chokes that require extensive grip fighting or precise hand placement on the opponent’s gi, the Ezekiel’s self-contained nature makes it reliable even against experienced grapplers. The choke can be finished with remarkable speed once proper positioning is achieved, often catching opponents by surprise due to its deceptive setup. From mount, the Ezekiel becomes especially dangerous because the top position provides natural weight distribution that prevents effective bridging escapes while the choke is being applied.

Strategically, the Ezekiel serves multiple purposes beyond just finishing the submission. It creates excellent dilemmas when combined with armbar and cross collar choke attacks from mount, forcing opponents to defend multiple threats simultaneously. The setup naturally transitions into other control positions if the opponent attempts to escape, and even failed attempts often result in improved positional control. In gi competition, the Ezekiel represents a fundamental submission that every practitioner must understand both offensively and defensively, as it remains effective at all levels of competition when executed with proper timing and pressure application.

Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and trachea Success Rate: 58% (average across variants)

Safety Guide

Injury Risks:

Injury	Severity	Recovery Time
Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness	High	Immediate recovery if released promptly, potential complications if held too long
Trachea damage from improper blade angle	Medium	1-2 weeks for minor trauma, longer for severe damage
Neck strain from resisting or jerking movements	Low	3-7 days
Jaw injury from improper forearm placement	Low	1-2 weeks

Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum. Blood chokes should never be spiked or jerked. Apply steady, increasing pressure and release immediately upon tap.

Tap Signals:

• Verbal tap (saying ‘tap’ or any distress vocalization)
• Physical hand tap on partner or mat (multiple rapid taps)
• Physical foot tap on mat or partner
• Any unusual sound or loss of resistance (immediate release required)

Release Protocol:

1. Immediately release blade hand grip upon tap signal
2. Remove forearm pressure from neck completely
3. Maintain mount position briefly to ensure partner is conscious and oriented
4. Allow partner to recover without immediate movement requirements
5. Check partner’s verbal confirmation they are okay before continuing training

Training Restrictions:

• Never apply sudden or jerking pressure to the choke
• Never hold the choke after tap signal for any reason
• Never practice on partners with known neck injuries without explicit medical clearance
• Never apply full pressure during initial learning phase (use 20-30% pressure maximum)
• Always ensure partner has clear access to tap with at least one hand
• Never combine with violent bridging or explosive movements

Variation Details

Ezekiel from Mount: The classic and highest percentage variation executed from full mount. Thread your hand across the neck while maintaining heavy chest-to-chest pressure. This variation allows maximum control and weight distribution, making it difficult for the opponent to escape while you establish the choke. (When to use: Use when in secure mount position and opponent is defending with arms crossed over chest or attempting to trap an arm for an escape. This is the primary variation taught to beginners.)

Ezekiel from Side Control: Execute the same choking mechanics from side control by threading your arm under the opponent’s head while maintaining shoulder pressure. Your body position is perpendicular to theirs rather than parallel as in mount. (When to use: Effective when mount is not available or when transitioning between positions. Particularly useful against opponents who defend mount well but struggle with side control submissions.)

Reverse Ezekiel (Kata Gatame Style): Apply the choke while facing the opponent’s legs, typically from reverse mount or when opponent is turtled. The mechanics remain the same but your orientation reverses, often catching opponents who don’t recognize the setup. (When to use: Excellent from back control transitions, turtle attacks, or when opponent successfully turns to their knees but you maintain top position.)

Ezekiel from Closed Guard Top: Apply the choke while standing or kneeling in opponent’s closed guard by posting on their hips with one hand while threading the choke with the other. Less common but highly effective against guard players. (When to use: Use when opponent maintains a loose closed guard with poor posture control. Particularly effective in gi competition when combined with guard opening sequences.)

Rolling Ezekiel: Apply initial pressure then roll to your back, bringing opponent with you into your closed guard while maintaining the choke. The rotation often tightens the choke unexpectedly. (When to use: When opponent successfully defends the choke from mount but you have the grip established. The rolling motion surprises them and often completes the submission.)

No-Gi Ezekiel (Arm Triangle Variant): Without a sleeve to grip, cup your own bicep to create the frame while your other arm threads behind the head. This creates an arm triangle-style choke using Ezekiel mechanics. (When to use: In no-gi training or when sleeve grips are not available. The mechanics are nearly identical but require slightly different hand positioning and pressure angles.)

Double Sleeve Ezekiel: Grip opponent’s own sleeve instead of yours, then thread your other arm through for the choke. This variation creates additional control and is harder to defend. (When to use: When opponent’s gi sleeves are readily available and you want maximum control. Particularly effective against skilled opponents who defend traditional Ezekiel setups well.)

Ezekiel from North-South: A transitional variation applied when moving from side control to north-south or when securing north-south position. Your arms thread around the opponent’s neck from the top of their head, with one hand gripping your sleeve and the other providing compression. (When to use: Excellent when transitioning between positions and the opponent is defending their arms tightly to their body. Also effective when opponent is anticipating a north-south choke and defending the traditional grip patterns.)

Ezekiel from Knee on Belly: Applied by threading your hand across the neck while maintaining knee on belly position. This variation requires excellent balance as you execute the choke while keeping your knee pressuring their stomach. (When to use: Use when opponent is preventing you from advancing to mount but you have secured knee on belly. Often catches opponents off guard as they are focused on dealing with the knee pressure rather than defending their neck.)

Reverse Ezekiel (Back Hand Grip): A variation where you grip your sleeve with your opposite hand and thread that arm across the neck. This creates a different angle of attack and can be surprising to opponents familiar with the standard grip. (When to use: Effective when the standard Ezekiel is well-defended or when the opponent is specifically defending one side of their neck. The reverse grip can bypass chin tucking defenses that work against the standard version.)

From Which Positions?

• Mount
• High Mount
• Side Control
• North-South
• Knee on Belly
• Closed Guard
• Modified Mount
• S Mount

Related Submissions

• Arm Triangle - Related blood choke using arm-in head-and-arm compression from similar top positions
• Cross Collar Choke - Complementary gi choke creating attack dilemma when alternated with Ezekiel from mount
• Far Side Armbar - Chain submission available when opponent defends Ezekiel with high hands exposing arms
• Breadcutter Choke - Alternative gi choke from side control sharing similar top-position setup opportunities
• North-South Choke - Transition choke when moving to north-south during opponent’s Ezekiel defense
• Baseball Bat Choke - Alternative gi choke applicable from similar dominant top control positions
• Guillotine Choke - Front headlock choke with similar bilateral carotid compression mechanics
• Darce Choke - Related arm-in choke sharing bilateral compression principles against carotid arteries
• Anaconda Choke - Related arm-in choke with similar bilateral neck compression mechanics
• Triangle Choke - Chain submission when opponent extends arms to defend Ezekiel setup
• Americana - Complementary shoulder lock chaining when opponent extends arms in Ezekiel defense
• Bow and Arrow Choke - Alternative high-percentage gi choke with different positional requirements

Additional Related Content

• Mount - Primary position for executing Ezekiel choke - provides weight distribution and control necessary for safe application
• High Mount - Optimal position variation for Ezekiel setup - riding high prevents elbow escapes and creates better threading angles
• Side Control - Alternative position for Ezekiel choke variation - same mechanics applied from perpendicular body position
• North-South - Transition position where reverse Ezekiel can be applied when opponent turns to avoid standard application
• Arm Triangle - Related blood choke targeting same arteries - can transition between techniques when opponent defends one
• Cross Collar Choke - Complementary mount submission - creates dilemma when alternated with Ezekiel attempts
• Far Side Armbar - Complementary submission creating dilemma - when opponent defends Ezekiel with high hands, armbar attacks become available
• Knee on Belly - Alternative control position where Ezekiel can be applied with modified threading mechanics
• S Mount - Advanced mount variation providing alternative angle for Ezekiel setup when opponent defends standard mount attacks
• Modified Mount - Mount variation offering different base and control options for Ezekiel application
• Americana - Complementary shoulder lock that chains naturally when opponent defends Ezekiel by extending arms
• Darce Choke - Related arm-in choke with similar bilateral pressure mechanics for attacking the carotid arteries

Match Outcome

Successful execution of Ezekiel Choke leads to → Game Over

All submissions in BJJ ultimately converge to the same terminal state: the match ends when your opponent taps.