⚠️ SAFETY: North-South Choke targets the Carotid arteries and trachea. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness. Release immediately upon tap.
The North-South Choke is a powerful compression-based blood choke applied from the North-South position, targeting the opponent’s carotid arteries through combined pressure from the attacker’s bicep, shoulder, and body weight. Unlike traditional arm chokes that rely on limb positioning, this submission leverages the unique geometry of North-South control to create an inescapable vise around the neck. The technique’s effectiveness stems from its ability to disguise the choking mechanism—the opponent often doesn’t realize they’re being choked until the submission is nearly complete, as the pressure builds gradually through positional consolidation rather than obvious arm placement. This makes it particularly effective in both gi and no-gi contexts, though gi variations offer additional gripping options for enhanced control. The North-South Choke represents a fundamental example of using superior position and body mechanics to create submissions without relying on complex limb entanglements, making it accessible to practitioners at all levels while remaining dangerously effective at the highest levels of competition.
Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and trachea Starting Position: North-South Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness | High | Immediate recovery if released promptly; potential for longer-term effects if held after unconsciousness |
| Tracheal compression and windpipe damage | Medium | 1-2 weeks with proper medical attention |
| Neck strain from bridging attempts | Medium | 3-7 days |
| Cervical spine stress from improper release | CRITICAL | Weeks to months depending on severity |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum to allow partner to recognize the danger and tap
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap or verbal submission
- Multiple rapid hand taps on opponent’s body
- Multiple rapid foot taps on the mat
- Any distress signal including body convulsions
- Loss of resistance or going limp
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release arm pressure and remove shoulder compression
- Roll off opponent’s head and neck area completely
- Allow opponent to recover in side-lying position with airway clear
- Monitor for signs of consciousness and breathing
- Never move opponent’s neck immediately after release—allow them to move naturally first
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply explosive or jerking pressure to the neck
- Never use competition speed or full pressure in training
- Always ensure partner has clear tap access with at least one hand
- Never hold the choke after partner taps or goes limp
- Beginners should only practice the position and grip, not the actual choking pressure
Key Principles
- Use shoulder and chest pressure rather than arm strength to compress the neck
- Control the far arm to prevent defensive framing and maintain position
- Create a tight seal around the neck by pulling opponent’s head into your torso
- Apply gradual, progressive pressure allowing time for partner to tap
- Maintain heavy chest-to-chest pressure throughout to prevent escape
- Use hip positioning to distribute weight effectively across opponent’s upper body
- Establish the grip configuration before committing full body weight to the choke
Prerequisites
- Secure North-South position with chest-to-chest control and weight distribution
- Isolate opponent’s far arm by controlling it with your hand or trapping it with your leg
- Position your body perpendicular to opponent with your head near their hip
- Establish underhook or grip on opponent’s near arm to prevent framing escapes
- Create heavy pressure through your chest and shoulder onto opponent’s upper body
- Ensure opponent’s head is accessible and not buried defensively into their own chest
- Confirm stable base with knees and feet positioned to prevent opponent from bridging effectively
Execution Steps
- Secure North-South position and isolate far arm: From North-South control, use your weight to pin opponent’s chest while controlling their far arm with your hand or trapping it under your leg. This prevents them from creating defensive frames. Your chest should be heavy on their sternum, making it difficult for them to breathe or move. Ensure your hips are low and your weight is distributed forward, not sitting back on your heels. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to establish control) [Pressure: Firm]
- Thread your near arm under opponent’s head: Slide your arm (the one closest to their head) deep under their neck, aiming to get your bicep positioned against one side of their neck. Your hand should emerge on the far side of their head. Keep your elbow tight and your arm bent at approximately 90 degrees. The goal is to position your bicep as a compression surface against the carotid artery on one side of their neck. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Light]
- Secure grip on your own gi or create figure-four configuration: In gi: grab your own lapel, belt, or pants on the same side your arm is threaded (creating a loop). In no-gi: grab your own tricep, shoulder, or create a gable grip with your hands meeting behind their head. This grip creates the structural frame that will allow you to apply leverage. Ensure the grip is tight and secure before proceeding—any looseness will telegraph the submission and allow escape attempts. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Position your shoulder against the opposite side of opponent’s neck: Walk your body slightly toward their head, positioning your shoulder (on the same side as your threaded arm) directly against the opposite side of their neck. Your shoulder becomes the second compression surface, matching your bicep on the other side. This creates the vise-like structure. Your head should be positioned near their far hip, creating an angle that maximizes pressure when you drive forward. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Pull opponent’s head into your chest while driving shoulder pressure: Simultaneously pull your grip hand toward your own chest (pulling their head into your torso) while driving your shoulder pressure forward and down into their neck. This coordinated action compresses both carotid arteries between your bicep and shoulder. The pulling motion is crucial—it removes any space and forces their neck deeper into the choke. Your chest should make contact with their face or jaw, creating maximal compression. (Timing: 2-3 seconds progressive pressure) [Pressure: Firm]
- Expand chest and maintain pressure until tap: Take a deep breath to expand your chest, increasing the compression further. Keep your weight forward and your hips low to prevent bridging escapes. Maintain steady, even pressure—do not pulse or jerk. The choke should tighten progressively over 2-4 seconds. Watch for tap signals constantly, as this choke can be subtle to the person being choked. Release immediately upon any tap signal. The submission comes from sustained compression, not explosive force. (Timing: 2-4 seconds until tap) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Bridge explosively to create space and disrupt attacker’s base (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Keep your weight forward and hips low; widen your base with your knees; use your free hand to post and maintain balance; continue driving shoulder pressure downward through the bridge attempt. If they succeed in bridging, follow their movement and reestablish position rather than fighting against their momentum.
- Frame against attacker’s hips or torso with near arm to create distance (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: This is why controlling the near arm in setup is critical. If they establish a frame, use your free hand to strip the frame by controlling their wrist and pulling it across their body. Alternatively, shift your weight further toward their head to collapse the frame’s effectiveness. Once the frame is broken, immediately secure the choke before they can re-establish it.
- Turn into attacker to escape toward their legs and recover guard (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Feel for the turning motion early. When they start to turn, sprawl your legs back and walk your body in the direction they’re turning, maintaining chest-to-chest contact. Use your underhook on their near arm to prevent the full rotation. If already committed to the choke, finish quickly as their turning motion often tightens the choke inadvertently.
- Grab attacker’s belt or gi pants to prevent forward pressure (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: This grip doesn’t prevent the choke mechanism. Maintain your shoulder and bicep pressure; their pulling on your belt actually helps by pulling your body closer. Simply ensure your grip on your own gi or body is secure, and continue applying progressive pressure. Their defensive grip will weaken as the choke tightens.
- Tuck chin defensively to protect neck space (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: The North-South choke doesn’t require getting under the chin—it works via lateral compression around the neck. The chin tuck may slow the initial setup but doesn’t prevent the blood choke. Continue positioning your bicep and shoulder on either side of the neck; the compression bypasses the chin defense. Apply steady pressure and the choke will work regardless of chin position.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What are the two primary compression surfaces in the North-South Choke, and why is their positioning critical? A: The two primary compression surfaces are your bicep (threaded under opponent’s neck) and your shoulder (driven into the opposite side of their neck). Their positioning is critical because they must compress both carotid arteries simultaneously to create a blood choke. If either surface is poorly positioned—such as bicep too high near the jaw or shoulder too far from the neck—the choke becomes a pain-based neck crank rather than an effective blood choke. Proper positioning allows the submission to work with less force and greater safety.
Q2: Why must you control the opponent’s near arm before attempting the North-South Choke? A: Controlling the near arm prevents the opponent from creating defensive frames against your hips, shoulders, or head. These frames can generate significant pushing force that disrupts your base and creates escape space. Without near-arm control, the opponent can push you away before you establish the choke structure, or they can use the frame to facilitate bridging escapes. By trapping, underhooking, or otherwise controlling this arm during setup, you eliminate their primary defensive tool and can commit to the choke safely.
Q3: What is the minimum application time for the North-South Choke in training, and why is progressive pressure essential? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The minimum application time is 3-5 seconds with slow, progressive pressure. This is essential for safety because it allows your partner adequate time to recognize the danger and tap before losing consciousness. Blood chokes can be deceptive—the pressure builds gradually and the person being choked may not immediately realize how tight it is. Explosive application can cause loss of consciousness before the partner can react. Progressive pressure also reduces risk of neck injury, as sudden force on the cervical spine is dangerous. In training, partner safety always takes priority over submission speed.
Q4: How does the North-South Choke differ mechanically from chokes that require getting under the opponent’s chin? A: The North-South Choke works through lateral compression of the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, not by getting under the chin and pushing it upward. This means the opponent’s chin position is largely irrelevant—whether tucked or exposed, the choke functions by creating a vise around the neck from the sides. This makes it more reliable than chin-dependent chokes against defensive opponents. The bicep and shoulder compress inward from both sides simultaneously, cutting off blood flow to the brain regardless of chin position. This is why proper bicep and shoulder positioning matters more than attacking the front of the neck.
Q5: What body positioning adjustment prevents opponent from bridging and escaping during the choke? A: Keep your hips low and weight forward, driving chest pressure into opponent’s upper body while maintaining a wide base with your knees. This distributes your weight across their torso in a way that makes bridging mechanically difficult. If your hips are high or you’re sitting back on your heels, your weight shifts backward and the opponent can explosively bridge and roll you. By staying heavy on their chest with forward pressure and a sprawled-out base, you pin them to the mat while simultaneously applying the choke—the two elements work synergistically. Your free hand can also post wide to counter bridge attempts.
Q6: What are all the tap signals you must watch for during the North-South Choke, and what should you do if you’re uncertain whether your partner tapped? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: You must watch for: verbal taps or verbal submission, multiple rapid hand taps on your body, multiple rapid foot taps on the mat, any distress signals including body convulsions, and loss of resistance or going limp. If you are uncertain whether your partner tapped, you must immediately release the choke and ask them. In training, always err on the side of caution. It is far better to release a choke unnecessarily than to hold it too long and cause injury or loss of consciousness. Partner safety is the absolute priority—finishing a technique is secondary. Develop constant awareness of your partner’s state during all submissions, especially chokes that can cause unconsciousness.
Q7: Why is the North-South Choke effective in both gi and no-gi contexts compared to many other submissions? A: The North-South Choke doesn’t rely on gi grips for its primary choking mechanism—it works through body positioning and pressure using the bicep and shoulder as compression surfaces. While gi variations offer additional grip options (like grabbing your own lapel or opponent’s lapel), the fundamental choke structure remains effective in no-gi through gable grips, tricep grips, or grabbing your own shoulder. This makes it more versatile than submissions that depend entirely on gi fabric for control. Additionally, the choke’s effectiveness comes from positional weight and structure rather than complex limb entanglements, so it translates well across rule sets and training environments.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The North-South Choke exemplifies the principle of using superior body positioning to create mechanical advantage that overwhelms defensive capacity. Unlike chokes that depend on speed or surprising your opponent, this submission succeeds through systematic control and structural integrity. The key insight is that the choking mechanism operates independently of your opponent’s chin position—a profound advantage that renders many common defensive reactions irrelevant. When teaching this technique, I emphasize that students must understand the geometry: your body creates a compression angle that targets the lateral aspect of the neck, not the anterior surface. This means proper shoulder positioning is absolutely critical—if your shoulder is even slightly off-angle, the choke degrades into a pain-based neck crank rather than an efficient blood choke. The systematic approach requires first establishing dominant North-South control with proper weight distribution, then isolating the near arm to eliminate framing capacity, and only then committing to the choke structure. Each step is necessary; skipping any element significantly reduces success probability. From a safety perspective, practitioners must internalize that progressive pressure application is not merely recommended—it is mandatory. The blood choke nature of this submission means unconsciousness can occur rapidly, so partner awareness and controlled application represent fundamental technical requirements, not optional courtesies.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the North-South Choke is an absolute killer precisely because most opponents don’t recognize they’re being choked until it’s too late. Unlike a rear-naked choke where your arm position is obvious, the North-South choke disguises itself as positional pressure. I’ve finished this in major competitions where my opponent was defending what they thought was just a pin, then suddenly they’re tapping. The trick is to make your initial setup look like you’re consolidating North-South control for points or transitions—your arm threads under the neck casually, almost like you’re just adjusting position. By the time they realize it’s a choke setup, your structure is locked in and they’re already defensive. In competition, I’ll apply this much faster than in training—maybe two seconds once the structure is set—but that’s only appropriate in high-level matches where both athletes understand the risks. What separates this choke at high levels is combining it with legitimate transition threats. If your opponent knows you only hunt the North-South choke, they’ll defend it specifically. But if they’re worried about you transitioning to mount, taking the back, or switching to Kimura, they can’t allocate full defensive attention to the choke. I’ll often fake a transition to mount, and when they react to prevent it, the choke is suddenly there. The distinction between training and competition application is critical: in the gym, always apply progressive pressure over 3-5 seconds minimum because your training partners are what allow you to develop this weapon. In competition, once your structure is set, apply it decisively but always watch for the tap—ego should never prevent immediate release.
- Eddie Bravo: The North-South Choke is one of those techniques that looks so simple people underestimate how lethal it is, but once you understand the mechanics, it becomes this beautiful trap that just shuts people down. What I love about it is that it doesn’t rely on explosive athleticism or complex sequences—it’s pure positional pressure and geometry working together. In 10th Planet system, we emphasize creativity and innovation, but sometimes the fundamentals are so effective they don’t need modification. That said, we do teach some interesting setups from unconventional positions, like hitting the North-South choke after transitioning from Truck position or when opponent is defending Twister attempts. The innovation comes in how you get there, not necessarily the finishing mechanics. One thing I always stress is the importance of training this slowly and building that safety culture in your gym. I’ve trained with some dangerous grapplers over the years, and the ones I trust most are the ones who demonstrate control and awareness during submissions. You can be an absolute killer on the mats and still be someone people want to train with—that balance comes from respecting your training partners’ safety while still developing fight-ending technique. The North-South choke teaches that lesson perfectly: it’s effective precisely because you can apply it with control and precision rather than wild aggression. When you train it right, you develop this pressure-based attack that works in both gi and no-gi, both in the gym and in competition, and your partners trust you because they know you’ll release the instant they tap. That trust is what builds a strong training culture where everyone gets better together without unnecessary injuries.