⚠️ SAFETY: Loop Choke from Mount targets the Carotid arteries and jugular veins. Risk: Loss of consciousness from carotid artery compression. Release immediately upon tap.
The Loop Choke from Mount is a devastating gi-based blood choke that leverages the attacker’s dominant top position to create an inescapable strangling mechanism using the opponent’s own collar. This technique exemplifies the principle of using positional control to set up high-percentage submissions. From mount, the practitioner feeds one hand deep into the opponent’s collar while securing the opposite side lapel with the other hand, creating a loop configuration that tightens around the neck as pressure is applied. The beauty of this submission lies in its ability to be applied from one of the most dominant positions in BJJ, making it extremely difficult to defend once properly set up. Unlike many other mount attacks that require significant positional shifts, the loop choke can be finished while maintaining full mount control, allowing the attacker to threaten the submission without compromising position. The technique works on a biomechanical principle where the opponent’s own collar becomes a noose, with the attacker’s grips creating opposing vectors of force that compress both carotid arteries simultaneously.
Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and jugular veins Starting Position: Mount Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of consciousness from carotid artery compression | High | Immediate with proper release, potential for confusion lasting 30-60 seconds |
| Trachea damage from improper collar placement | Medium | 3-7 days for minor bruising, weeks for significant damage |
| Neck strain from defensive bridging against choke | Low | 1-3 days |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum from initial tightness to full pressure
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap or verbal statement of submission
- Physical hand tap on opponent’s body or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any distress signal including unusual sounds or loss of resistance
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release both collar grips completely
- Remove all chest pressure and sit back to neutral mount
- Check partner’s alertness and awareness before continuing
- Allow minimum 60 seconds recovery time before resuming training
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply sudden jerking or yanking motions with collar grips
- Never use competition speed in training - always give partner time to recognize and tap
- Never continue pressure after tap is felt or heard
- Always ensure training partner can freely tap with at least one hand
- Never practice on partners who are visibly fatigued or disoriented
Key Principles
- Maintain solid mount base throughout the setup and finish to prevent escapes
- Deep collar grip is essential - shallow grips result in air chokes rather than blood chokes
- The choke tightens through diagonal pulling vectors, not just downward pressure
- Opponent’s defensive frames can be used to help feed the initial collar grip deeper
- Weight distribution should pin opponent’s shoulders while allowing collar manipulation
- The loop configuration creates a self-tightening mechanism as opponent resists
- Timing the finish with opponent’s defensive movements increases effectiveness
Prerequisites
- Establish solid mount position with weight properly distributed on opponent’s chest and hips
- Control opponent’s near-side arm to prevent framing and collar defense
- Secure deep four-finger grip in opponent’s far collar, with thumb inside against neck
- Maintain high posture to create space for collar manipulation while preventing bridge escapes
- Ensure opponent’s collar is accessible and not trapped under their body
- Establish secondary grip on opponent’s near-side lapel or collar for the loop configuration
Execution Steps
- Establish mount control and isolate near arm: From solid mount position, use your weight to pin opponent’s hips while simultaneously controlling or trapping their near-side arm. This can be accomplished by pinning their wrist to the mat with your knee, catching their elbow with your hand, or using your weight to limit their defensive frames. The goal is to remove their ability to defend their collar on the side you’ll attack. (Timing: 2-3 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Feed deep collar grip on far side: Reach across with your same-side hand (right hand to opponent’s left collar) and feed your hand deep into their far collar, getting at least four fingers inside with your thumb against their neck. The deeper the grip, the more effective the choke. Use your opposite hand to pull their collar away from their neck to create space for insertion. Your elbow should be high and your grip should reach past their trachea toward the back of their neck. (Timing: 3-4 seconds) [Pressure: Light]
- Secure opposite side lapel grip: While maintaining the deep collar grip, use your free hand to grab the opponent’s near-side lapel or collar, creating the loop configuration. This grip should be positioned near their shoulder or upper chest area. The two grips now form opposing vectors - one deep in the collar, one controlling the near lapel. (Timing: 2-3 seconds) [Pressure: Light]
- Adjust base and posture for finishing mechanics: Shift your weight slightly toward the side of your deep collar grip while maintaining mount control. Your knee on the deep-grip side should post out for base, while your opposite knee stays tight to their body. Lower your chest toward their head while keeping your elbows tight and grips secure. This positioning creates the proper angle for the choking mechanism. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Create diagonal pulling vectors: The finish involves pulling your deep collar grip toward your same-side hip while simultaneously pulling the near lapel grip across their neck toward your opposite shoulder. This creates crossing diagonal forces that tighten the collar loop around their neck. Think of it as making an ‘X’ with your forearms across their throat, with the collar acting as the strangling mechanism. (Timing: 2-3 seconds) [Pressure: Firm]
- Apply controlled finishing pressure: Gradually increase pressure by pulling your grips in opposite diagonal directions while lowering your chest weight onto their upper body. The choke should tighten progressively over 3-5 seconds. Monitor your partner closely for tap signals. The proper choke attacks the carotid arteries bilaterally and should create an immediate tapping response when applied correctly. If the choke doesn’t work within 5-6 seconds, the setup is likely incorrect and you should reset rather than forcing it. (Timing: 3-5 seconds) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Frames against attacker’s hips and attempts to bridge and shrimp to escape mount (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Use your grips on their collar to base out and prevent the bridge, then continue tightening the choke as they expend energy. Their bridging motion can actually help tighten the collar around their neck.
- Grabs and pulls on the deep collar grip wrist to prevent proper positioning (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: If they grab your wrist, use your free hand to reinforce the grip or to strip their hand away. Alternatively, use their pulling to help you circle your elbow over their face, which can set up the loop configuration from a different angle.
- Tucks chin deeply to protect neck and collar access (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: If the chin is tucked early, use collar drags and arm attacks to force them to extend their neck. Alternatively, transition to other mount attacks like Americana or armbar to create reactions that expose the collar. Once they defend other attacks, the collar becomes available again.
- Turns into opponent to prevent the loop configuration and attempts to go to turtle (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: If they turn into you, maintain your deep collar grip and transition to their back or to a modified mount position. The turning motion often makes the collar grip even deeper, and you can finish the loop choke from back control or side mount.
- Attempts to strip the lapel grip before the loop is fully established (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: This is the most effective defense if executed early. Counter by using your deep grip to off-balance them, or fake the loop choke to set up other attacks. If they’re focused on defending the lapel grip, switch to armbar or Americana attacks on the defending arm.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the minimum time period you should take to apply full pressure in the loop choke from mount during training? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The minimum application time is 3-5 seconds from initial tightness to full pressure. This progressive application is a critical safety requirement that gives your training partner adequate time to recognize the choke and tap safely. Competition-speed application is never appropriate in training and significantly increases injury risk. The choke should tighten gradually, allowing your partner to feel the progression and tap at any point.
Q2: Why is a deep collar grip more effective than a shallow grip for the loop choke? A: A deep collar grip that reaches past the trachea toward the back of the neck creates a true blood choke by compressing the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, resulting in a quick and relatively painless tap. A shallow grip that only reaches the front of the neck creates an air choke on the trachea, which is less effective, takes much longer to work, causes unnecessary discomfort, and has higher injury potential. The deep grip allows the collar to act as a noose around the neck’s major blood vessels rather than crushing the windpipe.
Q3: What are the proper vectors of force for finishing the loop choke? A: The loop choke requires diagonal opposing vectors of force, creating an ‘X’ pattern with your forearms. One hand pulls the deep collar grip toward your same-side hip, while the other hand pulls the near lapel grip across their neck toward your opposite shoulder. This crossing diagonal motion creates the loop-tightening mechanism that compresses the carotid arteries. Pulling both grips in the same direction or straight down will not properly tighten the choke and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the technique’s mechanics.
Q4: What immediate actions must you take when your training partner taps to the loop choke? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Upon feeling or hearing a tap, you must immediately release both collar grips completely and remove all chest pressure by sitting back to neutral mount position. After release, check your partner’s alertness and awareness before continuing training. Allow a minimum of 60 seconds recovery time before resuming. Never hesitate or delay the release, and never question whether the tap was ‘real’ - all tap signals must be honored instantly without exception. This immediate response is a fundamental safety requirement that prevents injury and maintains trust in the training environment.
Q5: Why is arm control important before attempting the loop choke from mount? A: Controlling or trapping the opponent’s near-side arm is essential because it removes their primary defensive tool for protecting their collar and preventing your grips. Without arm control, the opponent can frame against your hips, strip your collar grips, or create barriers that prevent you from establishing the deep collar penetration required for an effective choke. The arm control also prevents them from using that arm to assist in bridging and escaping mount, helping you maintain positional dominance throughout the submission attempt.
Q6: What should you do if the loop choke doesn’t produce a tap within 5-6 seconds of applying pressure? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: If the choke hasn’t worked within 5-6 seconds of proper pressure application, the setup is likely incorrect and you should release the pressure and reset the technique rather than continuing to force it. Continuing to apply pressure when the choke isn’t working properly often means you have a shallow grip creating an air choke rather than a blood choke, which is both ineffective and potentially dangerous. Reset your grips, ensure proper depth and positioning, or transition to a different attack. Forcing a poorly-positioned choke demonstrates poor technical understanding and creates injury risk.
Q7: How does maintaining mount position contribute to the effectiveness of the loop choke? A: Mount position provides the weight distribution and postural control necessary to establish and maintain the collar grips while preventing escapes. The dominant top position allows you to pin the opponent’s shoulders and hips, limiting their bridging and shrimping escapes. Additionally, the mount position creates the proper angle for your upper body to generate the diagonal pulling vectors required for the choke. Unlike many submissions that require sacrificing position, the loop choke can be finished while maintaining full mount control, meaning you never give up positional dominance even if the submission fails.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The loop choke from mount represents a perfect example of how positional dominance creates submission opportunities through mechanical advantage rather than pure strength. The key to understanding this technique is recognizing that it’s fundamentally a problem of vectors and leverage. When properly executed, your collar grips create two opposing diagonal force vectors that form a loop mechanism around the opponent’s neck, with their own gi material becoming the primary strangling device. The depth of the initial collar grip is absolutely critical - a shallow grip of two or three centimeters creates an air choke on the trachea, while a deep grip that reaches past the trachea to the back of the neck creates a proper blood choke on the carotid arteries. From a safety perspective, this distinction is paramount. The blood choke is not only more effective and faster-acting, but it’s also significantly safer because it doesn’t involve crushing the trachea. Train your students to always pursue maximum depth on the collar grip, using their free hand to create space by pulling the collar away from the neck during insertion. The finishing mechanics should emphasize the crossing diagonal pull rather than downward pressure - imagine making an ‘X’ with your forearms across their throat, with each hand pulling toward opposite corners.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the loop choke from mount is one of my go-to attacks because it allows me to threaten a finish without giving up position, which is huge for both points and strategic control. The beautiful thing about this choke is that even if it doesn’t finish immediately, the threat forces opponents to make defensive decisions that open up other attacks. Here’s what works at the highest levels: you need to have absolute mount control before you even think about collar grips. Too many people sacrifice their base to reach for the collar and end up getting bridged off. I establish mount, get my weight settled, and only then do I start attacking the collar. One thing that’s different in competition versus training is the timing - in competition, I’m using every defensive movement they make to help me get my grips deeper. When they bridge, I use that motion to feed my hand deeper into the collar. When they try to frame, I’m using their arm movement to access the lapel. In training, though, you need to give your partners time to feel the choke coming and tap safely. I’ve seen too many people get injured from chokes being slammed on at competition speed in the training room. Competition is where you go fast, training is where you go slow and technical. The training room is for your partners to survive and improve, not for you to prove how tough your choke is. Respect the tap immediately and your training partners will trust you, which makes everyone better.
- Eddie Bravo: The loop choke from mount is a classic gi technique that shows why collar control is so dangerous in traditional BJJ. In the 10th Planet system, we obviously don’t have the gi to work with, but the principles of creating a loop or noose around the opponent’s neck translate directly to our no-gi variations like the twister side control or certain guillotine setups. What I love about teaching this technique is that it demonstrates the concept of using the opponent’s own defensive tools against them - their gi becomes a weapon for you. The innovation angle here is thinking about how to set up the loop choke from unconventional mount positions. Most people only think about it from standard mount, but you can hit this from technical mount, from S-mount, even from positions where you’re transitioning between mount variations. The key is always getting that deep collar grip first, everything else builds from there. From a safety perspective, and this is critical in our gym culture, you never rush a choke in training. Our whole philosophy is about pushing the boundaries of technique while keeping training partners safe. The loop choke should be applied slowly and progressively - you should feel it tightening over several seconds, not snapping on instantly. If your partner taps, you release immediately, no ego, no hesitation. That’s not just safety protocol, that’s respect for your training partner’s trust. They’re giving you their neck; you need to honor that by keeping them safe. Train hard, train creative, but always train smart and safe.