⚠️ SAFETY: Marce Choke targets the Carotid arteries and trachea via lapel compression. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness. Release immediately upon tap.
The Marce Choke (also called the Marcelotine or Marcelo Choke) is a highly effective gi-specific submission that combines elements of the loop choke and cross collar choke mechanics. Named after multiple-time world champion Marcelo Garcia, this technique leverages the opponent’s own lapel to create a powerful blood choke from dominant top positions, particularly side control and north-south. The Marce Choke is particularly effective because it uses the mechanical advantage of the lapel wrapped around the opponent’s neck, creating compression on both carotid arteries simultaneously while controlling the opponent’s upper body. Unlike traditional collar chokes that require both hands on the lapel, the Marce Choke uses one hand on the lapel and your body weight to apply pressure, making it extremely difficult to defend once properly set. The technique excels in gi competition because it can be applied from multiple top positions and often catches opponents by surprise as they focus on defending more common submissions. The choke works on a fundamental principle: using the lapel as a ligature around the neck while your body weight and positioning create the constricting force. This makes it a high-percentage technique for practitioners who master the proper setup and understand the mechanics of lapel manipulation.
Category: Choke Type: Lapel Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and trachea via lapel compression Starting Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness | High | Immediate recovery if released promptly; potential for injury if held too long |
| Tracheal compression and airway restriction | Medium | Minutes to hours of discomfort; days if excessive force applied |
| Neck strain from lapel pressure | Low | 1-3 days |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum in training, allowing clear tap opportunity
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap
- Physical hand tap on opponent or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any loss of consciousness indicators
- Any distress signal
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release lapel grip upon tap signal
- Remove body weight from opponent’s torso
- Unwrap lapel from around neck if entangled
- Check partner’s responsiveness and breathing
- Allow partner time to recover before continuing training
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply full pressure in initial learning phases
- Never hold the choke after tap or loss of consciousness
- Always ensure training partner can tap with at least one hand
- Never use competition speed or intensity in drilling
- Stop immediately if partner shows any signs of distress beyond normal discomfort
Key Principles
- Lapel control must be established before attempting the choke to ensure proper setup
- Body weight drives the choking pressure, not just arm strength
- The lapel creates a noose effect that tightens as you apply pressure
- Control the opponent’s near arm to prevent defensive framing
- Maintain chest-to-chest pressure to prevent escape
- The angle of your body relative to opponent’s neck determines choke effectiveness
- Proper lapel depth (feeding deep across the neck) is crucial for finishing
Prerequisites
- Secure dominant top position with chest pressure on opponent
- Control opponent’s near-side arm to prevent defensive frames
- Access to opponent’s far lapel with sufficient material to feed
- Established base that prevents opponent from escaping to their side
- Understanding of lapel grip mechanics and how to feed material across the neck
- Ability to maintain position while manipulating the lapel
Execution Steps
- Secure side control position: Establish tight side control with your chest heavy on the opponent’s chest. Control their near arm by pinning it to their body or trapping it with your hip. Your head should be positioned on the far side of their head to prevent them from turning into you. Maintain strong shoulder pressure into their face or neck to keep them flat. (Timing: Take 2-3 seconds to ensure solid control) [Pressure: Firm]
- Access the far lapel: Using your hand closest to their head (typically your right hand if you’re on their right side), reach across their neck and grip their far lapel deep - your grip should be at least 4-6 inches past their shoulder to ensure sufficient material. Your four fingers should go inside the lapel, thumb outside. The deeper your initial grip, the more effective the choke will be. (Timing: 1-2 seconds while maintaining pressure) [Pressure: Light]
- Feed the lapel across the neck: Pull the lapel across the opponent’s throat toward their opposite shoulder, creating a diagonal line across their neck. The material should be tight against their neck, particularly targeting the carotid arteries on both sides. Ensure the lapel goes under their chin, not over it. As you feed, maintain your chest pressure to prevent them from turning or creating space. (Timing: 2-3 seconds with controlled movement) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Secure the lapel grip: Once the lapel is fed across their neck, adjust your grip to ensure maximum control. Your gripping hand should now be positioned near their opposite shoulder with the lapel tight. The lapel should form a ‘V’ shape across their neck, with the apex of the V directly under their chin. This positioning ensures bilateral carotid compression. (Timing: 1-2 seconds for grip adjustment) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Transition body position for pressure: Shift your body weight toward north-south position while maintaining your lapel grip. Your chest should drive into their face/neck area, and your hips should be positioned to prevent their hip escape. Some variations involve moving fully to north-south, while others maintain a modified side control. The key is that your body weight drives perpendicular pressure into their neck through the lapel. (Timing: 2-3 seconds for smooth transition) [Pressure: Firm]
- Apply choking pressure: Drive your chest downward into their face and neck area while maintaining the tight lapel grip. Your body weight should push down through the lapel, creating a noose effect that constricts around both carotid arteries. Pull your gripping hand slightly toward you while driving your chest down - this creates opposing forces that tighten the choke. The opponent should tap within 3-5 seconds if properly applied. Monitor constantly for the tap. (Timing: 3-5 seconds maximum before expecting tap) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Frames against your chest to create space (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Transition to north-south or modified mount to remove their framing angles, maintaining lapel grip throughout. Use your head to control their frames.
- Turns into you to escape side control (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: This is their best defense - prevent it by controlling their near arm and maintaining heavy shoulder pressure. If they start turning, you may need to transition to the back or abandon this submission for a different attack.
- Grabs your choking arm with both hands (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Your lapel grip is extremely difficult to break once established. Simply maintain the grip and continue applying pressure with your body weight. Their grip strength will fade as the choke tightens.
- Tucks chin to protect neck (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: The Marce Choke works on the sides of the neck, not directly on the throat. A tucked chin provides minimal protection. Continue feeding the lapel deep and apply pressure - the choke will still work effectively.
- Bridges explosively to create space (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Anticipate the bridge by widening your base and dropping your hips low. Ride out the bridge while maintaining your lapel grip and chest pressure. As they return to the mat, immediately re-establish full pressure.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary anatomical target of the Marce Choke and why is it more effective than targeting the trachea? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The primary target is the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, which supply blood to the brain. Targeting the carotid arteries creates a blood choke that causes unconsciousness in 3-8 seconds by restricting blood flow to the brain, whereas tracheal compression (air choke) is more painful, takes longer, and gives the opponent more time to escape or defend. Blood chokes are also safer when properly applied and released promptly because they don’t damage the windpipe structure.
Q2: Why is it critical to feed the lapel deep across the opponent’s neck rather than gripping shallow near their collar? A: Feeding the lapel deep (4-6 inches past their shoulder) ensures that the material crosses their neck at the optimal angle to compress both carotid arteries simultaneously. A shallow grip only affects the front of the throat, creating a painful but ineffective air choke that the opponent can defend much more easily. The deep feed creates a ‘V’ shape across the neck with the apex under the chin, which is the biomechanically sound position for bilateral carotid compression and successful completion of the technique.
Q3: What should you do immediately if your training partner goes limp or unresponsive during the Marce Choke? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Release the choke immediately by letting go of the lapel grip and removing all body weight from their torso and neck. Check their responsiveness and breathing. Typically, they will regain consciousness within seconds if they simply passed out from the blood choke. Ensure they are breathing normally and alert them to what happened. Never continue pressure after unconsciousness, and always allow adequate recovery time before resuming training. If they don’t regain consciousness within 10-15 seconds, call for medical help immediately.
Q4: What is the mechanical principle that makes the Marce Choke effective, and how does body positioning contribute to this principle? A: The Marce Choke uses the principle of creating a ligature (noose) around the neck using the lapel, with your body weight providing the constricting force rather than just arm strength. By driving your chest downward perpendicular to their neck while maintaining the lapel grip, you create opposing forces: the lapel pulls from one direction while your body weight pushes from another, tightening the noose effect around the carotid arteries. This mechanical advantage means less energy expenditure while generating maximum choking pressure, making it extremely difficult for the opponent to defend even if they’re stronger than you.
Q5: What is the most effective defensive response from the bottom position against the Marce Choke, and how should the top player prevent this defense? A: The most effective defense is for the bottom player to turn into the top player, escaping to their side or recovering guard before the choke is fully established. This works because it removes the perpendicular pressure angle that makes the choke effective. To prevent this defense, the top player must control the opponent’s near arm (preventing frames), maintain heavy shoulder pressure to keep them flat, and establish the lapel grip quickly before they can initiate their turn. If the opponent begins turning successfully, it’s often better to transition to back control or another submission rather than forcing the Marce Choke from a compromised position.
Q6: How should you progressively apply pressure during the Marce Choke in training, and why is this timing critical? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: In training, you should apply pressure progressively over 3-5 seconds minimum, starting light and gradually increasing to give your partner clear awareness of the danger and adequate time to tap. This is critical because blood chokes can cause unconsciousness quickly - often within 3-8 seconds of full pressure - and if you apply maximum pressure instantly, your partner may not have time to recognize the danger and tap before losing consciousness. Progressive application builds trust in training, prevents injuries, allows learning of the technique and its defenses, and develops the sensitivity needed to control the submission effectively in competition.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Marce Choke represents an excellent example of using the gi as a mechanical force multiplier rather than relying on pure physical strength. The fundamental principle here is creating a ligature around the opponent’s neck and using your body weight - not arm strength - to constrict that ligature around the carotid arteries. What makes this technique systematically sound is that once the lapel is properly fed deep across the neck, the opponent’s defensive options become severely limited because their own gi material is working against them. From a biomechanical perspective, the perpendicular pressure created by driving your chest down while maintaining the lapel grip creates opposing vectors of force that tighten the noose effect exponentially. Safety-wise, this is a clean blood choke when executed properly, meaning it should target the carotid arteries exclusively, not the trachea. Always ensure the lapel is positioned on the sides of the neck, not across the front of the throat. In training, apply progressive pressure over 3-5 seconds minimum to allow your partner adequate time to recognize the danger and tap. The Marce Choke should be practiced with the understanding that we’re simulating a fight-ending technique, not actually trying to render our training partners unconscious.
- Gordon Ryan: The Marce Choke is one of my favorite gi submissions from top position because it’s extremely high-percentage once you understand the setup, and it’s very difficult to defend when applied correctly. In competition, I’ve found that most opponents don’t even realize they’re in danger until the choke is already locked in, which is why the setup phase is so critical. The key to hitting this in competition is to establish absolutely dominant side control first - never sacrifice your position trying to rush the lapel grip. I control the near arm completely, usually pinning it to their body with my hip, before I even think about reaching for the lapel. When you feed the lapel, feed it deep - I’m talking 6+ inches past their shoulder. Half the guys who fail with this choke don’t feed deep enough and end up with a shitty throat crank instead of a clean blood choke. In training versus competition, there’s a massive difference in application speed. In training, I give my partners time to feel the choke developing and tap early. In competition, once that lapel is fed and my chest drives down, I’m finishing in 2-3 seconds maximum. But here’s the critical thing - even in competition, I’m monitoring for the tap constantly because this choke can put people out quickly. The moment I feel the tap, I release immediately. That’s not just safety, that’s professionalism.
- Eddie Bravo: The Marce Choke is interesting because it’s one of those gi techniques that really shows the power of using your opponent’s clothes against them - it’s a uniqueness of gi training that creates entirely different submission mechanics than no-gi. What I appreciate about this choke is that it’s less about having perfect technique and more about understanding the concept: wrap their lapel around their neck and use your body weight to make them go to sleep. Once you understand that concept, you can hit variations of this from all kinds of positions. I’ve experimented with setting it up from weird angles, like when transitioning from knee on belly or even from a modified mount position. The 10th Planet system is primarily no-gi, but when my students do train in the gi, I encourage them to explore these lapel chokes because they teach fundamental lessons about leverage and mechanical advantage that apply to no-gi chokes too. Safety-wise, and this is critical especially for newer students, you’ve got to understand that blood chokes work fast - we’re talking seconds, not minutes. That means in training, you apply pressure slowly and progressively, and you tap as soon as you feel the choke tightening on your neck. There’s zero shame in tapping early - that’s how you keep training day after day without injuries. The gym culture has to support early tapping, especially on chokes, because the alternative is people getting hurt or worse. When teaching this technique, I always emphasize the release protocol first before even showing how to apply pressure, because that’s how you build trust and maintain a safe training environment where people can actually learn.