⚠️ SAFETY: Paper Cutter Choke targets the Carotid arteries (bilateral compression). Risk: Loss of consciousness from carotid artery compression. Release immediately upon tap.
The Paper Cutter Choke is a highly effective blood choke executed primarily from side control, though it can also be applied from various transitional positions including north-south and turtle. The technique derives its name from the cutting motion of the choking arm across the opponent’s neck, similar to how paper is cut with a blade. This submission targets both carotid arteries simultaneously through a combination of the gi collar and the attacker’s forearm, creating a powerful constriction that leads to rapid unconsciousness if not defended. The Paper Cutter Choke is particularly dangerous because it can be applied with relatively little warning and often catches opponents by surprise during position transitions. The technique is valued for its mechanical efficiency—once the grip is secured and the angle is correct, very little strength is required to finish. This makes it an excellent submission for practitioners of all sizes and is especially effective against larger, stronger opponents who might resist other collar chokes. The choke is frequently taught as part of side control attack sequences and integrates seamlessly with other submissions like the cross collar choke and arm triangle.
Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries (bilateral compression) Starting Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 55%, Advanced 70%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of consciousness from carotid artery compression | High | Immediate to 1-2 minutes if released promptly; potential neurological damage if held beyond tap |
| Trachea damage from improper angle or excessive force | High | 2-6 weeks for minor bruising; months for severe damage |
| Neck strain or cervical spine stress from head rotation | Medium | 1-3 weeks |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum in training, allowing partner to recognize danger and tap
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap (saying ‘tap’ or any verbal distress)
- Physical hand tap on opponent or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any distress signal or unusual sound
- Loss of defensive hand fighting (possible unconsciousness)
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release the choking collar grip completely
- Remove your forearm from across the neck
- Allow opponent’s head to return to neutral position
- Check partner’s responsiveness verbally
- If unconscious, position partner on their side in recovery position and monitor breathing
- Never shake or move an unconscious partner roughly
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply this choke at competition speed in training
- Never jerk or spike the submission with sudden force
- Always ensure partner has both hands free to tap
- Do not practice on beginners who don’t understand blood chokes
- Never continue applying pressure after feeling partner go limp
- Avoid practicing when partner has neck or throat injuries
Key Principles
- Deep collar grip is essential—the four fingers must be inside the collar at least to the second knuckle for effective compression
- The choking force comes from pulling the collar while driving the forearm across the neck, creating a scissoring action on both carotid arteries
- Head control with the non-choking hand prevents escape and maintains proper angle for maximum pressure
- Hip pressure and chest-to-chest connection prevent the opponent from creating space or turning into you
- The choke should feel tight almost immediately—if it doesn’t, the angle or grip depth needs adjustment before committing
- Patience in setup is critical; rushing to finish allows opponent to defend the collar grip or create space to escape
- The paper cutter works through leverage and angle, not raw strength—proper mechanics make this effective even against much larger opponents
Prerequisites
- Establish dominant side control with chest pressure and hip connection to prevent escape
- Control opponent’s near arm, either by trapping it or using underhook to prevent them from framing against your neck
- Secure deep collar grip with choking hand—fingers must reach past the back of the neck for proper leverage
- Position your head on the far side of opponent’s head to prevent them from turning into you
- Maintain heavy shoulder pressure on opponent’s face or jaw to control head position
- Ensure opponent’s far arm is neutralized, either trapped under your weight or controlled with your leg
- Create angle by slightly shifting your hips toward opponent’s head before committing to the finish
Execution Steps
- Establish Side Control Dominance: From standard side control, flatten opponent fully and establish chest-to-chest pressure. Your weight should be distributed across their torso, making it difficult for them to bridge or shrimp. Control the near arm with an underhook or by pinning it to their body. Your head should be positioned on the far side of their head, preventing them from turning into you. (Timing: Take 3-5 seconds to establish solid control before attacking) [Pressure: Firm]
- Insert Collar Grip: Slide your choking hand (typically your bottom hand when in side control) deep into the opponent’s far collar. Your four fingers should penetrate at least to the second knuckle, ideally reaching all the way to the back of their neck. Your thumb stays outside the collar. The deeper the grip, the more effective the choke. Use your non-choking hand to pull their collar away from their neck slightly to create space for insertion. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to work the grip deep) [Pressure: Light]
- Secure Head Control: With your non-choking hand, reach around and cup the back of opponent’s head or grab their far collar for additional control. This hand serves two purposes: it prevents them from turning their head away from the choke, and it can assist in pulling their head toward your choking arm. Your elbow should stay tight to their head, blocking any escape attempts. (Timing: 1-2 seconds simultaneous with collar grip) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Create Choking Angle: Shift your body position slightly toward opponent’s head, creating approximately 45-degree angle from standard side control. This angle allows your forearm to cut across their neck properly. Your choking arm’s forearm should now be positioned across the front of their neck, while your grip hand pulls the far collar. The scissoring action between your forearm and the collar creates bilateral carotid compression. (Timing: 1-2 seconds to adjust angle) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Drive Shoulder and Pull Collar: Drive your choking-side shoulder forward and down toward the mat while simultaneously pulling the collar grip toward yourself. This creates the cutting motion across their neck. Your forearm blade (the radius bone side) should press into one side of their neck while the pulled collar compresses the other side. Maintain tight connection with your chest to their upper body to prevent space creation. (Timing: Apply over 3-4 seconds progressively) [Pressure: Firm]
- Finish with Hip Pressure: As you feel the choke tightening, increase hip pressure to prevent any escape attempts and maintain your angle. Your non-choking hand continues controlling their head, preventing them from turning into you or away from the choke. Keep your elbows tight to your body and maintain the scissoring pressure. The opponent should tap within 3-5 seconds of proper application. Release immediately upon tap or any distress signal. (Timing: Hold for maximum 3-5 seconds once fully tight) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Opponent frames against your neck with near arm to create space (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Trap their framing arm by switching your underhook to an overhook, or use your weight to collapse the frame before they can extend it. Alternatively, transition to modified scarf hold where their arm is controlled differently.
- Opponent turns their chin down and toward you to block collar access (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Use your non-choking hand to pull their chin away and create opening for collar grip, or transition to a cross collar choke variation. Can also use shoulder pressure against their jaw to force head position. Be patient and wait for them to relax their defense.
- Opponent bridges explosively to create space before you secure the angle (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Base out wide with your legs to prevent being rolled, and use your hips to counter their bridge. If they create space, follow their movement and maintain chest pressure. Consider transitioning to north-south or mount if they bridge repeatedly.
- Opponent grabs your choking wrist with both hands and pulls it away from their neck (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Your grip in their collar should be strong enough that they cannot break it. Use your body weight and angle rather than arm strength. If they gain leverage on your wrist, switch to an arm triangle by bringing your non-choking arm under their head and locking a figure-four.
- Opponent shrimps away and creates distance before choke is secured (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Maintain heavy hip pressure and follow their shrimp movement. Keep your chest connected to theirs and don’t allow space between your bodies. If they create significant distance, abandon the paper cutter and re-establish side control position before attacking again.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What are the primary anatomical targets of the Paper Cutter Choke, and why is proper targeting critical for safety? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The primary targets are the bilateral carotid arteries on both sides of the neck. Proper targeting is critical because compressing the carotid arteries causes blood choke (unconsciousness in 3-8 seconds) which is relatively safe when released promptly. However, if the forearm crosses the trachea instead, it creates an air choke which is more painful, less effective, and can cause serious trachea damage including crush injuries that may require medical intervention. The proper application should feel tight immediately with minimal pain, while improper targeting creates choking sensation and coughing, indicating you’re on the windpipe not the arteries.
Q2: What is the minimum safe application time for this choke in training, and what should you do if your partner goes unresponsive? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The minimum application time in training is 3-5 seconds from initial tightness to full pressure, allowing your partner to recognize the danger and tap safely. If your partner goes unresponsive (stops defending with hands, goes limp, makes unusual sounds), you must release immediately and completely. Remove all pressure, allow their head to return to neutral position, check their responsiveness verbally, and if unconscious, position them on their side in recovery position while monitoring breathing. Never shake or roughly move an unconscious partner. Most people recover within 10-20 seconds, but medical attention should be sought if recovery takes longer or if there are any concerns.
Q3: What are the key indicators that your collar grip is deep enough to finish the Paper Cutter Choke effectively? A: Your four fingers should be inserted into the collar at least to the second knuckle, with the ideal depth being all the way to the back of their neck. You should be able to feel the fabric of the collar against your palm, not just holding with your fingertips. A proper depth grip will feel secure and difficult for opponent to break, and when you pull the collar you should immediately feel compression on their neck. If you can only grip with fingertips or if the collar easily pulls out of your hand, the grip is too shallow. Additionally, your thumb should remain outside the collar for maximum leverage, and your wrist should be relatively straight, not bent at an extreme angle.
Q4: How does the Paper Cutter Choke create bilateral carotid compression, and what role does body angle play? A: The Paper Cutter creates bilateral compression through a scissoring action between two pressure points: your forearm blade pressing on one carotid artery and the pulled collar compressing the opposite carotid artery. Body angle is critical—you must shift your hips approximately 45 degrees toward opponent’s head from standard side control. This angle allows your forearm to cut diagonally across their neck while your grip hand pulls the far collar in the opposite direction. If you maintain perpendicular side control positioning, the forearm cannot create proper lateral pressure and the choke will not work effectively. The angle transforms the technique from two separate pressure points into a unified scissoring motion that closes both arteries simultaneously.
Q5: What are the three most effective defensive responses for the bottom player, and how should the top player counter each? A: First, framing against the attacker’s neck with the near arm creates space and prevents tight chest pressure—counter by trapping their arm with an overhook or collapsing the frame with your weight before they can extend it. Second, tucking the chin and turning toward the attacker blocks collar access—counter by using shoulder pressure on their jaw, pulling their chin away with your non-choking hand, or waiting patiently for them to relax their defense. Third, gripping the choking wrist with both hands and pulling it away—counter by maintaining your collar grip with a strong four-finger hold and using body weight and angle rather than arm strength to finish, or transition to arm triangle if they commit both arms to defending the wrist. The key is recognizing which defense they’re using early and having a prepared counter rather than forcing a finish from poor position.
Q6: Describe the proper progression from setup to finish, including when to apply maximum pressure and when to release? A: The proper progression begins with establishing dominant side control with chest pressure (3-5 seconds), then working the collar grip deep while maintaining pressure (2-3 seconds). Next, secure head control with the non-choking hand and create the proper body angle (1-2 seconds). Then drive the shoulder forward and pull the collar to initiate the scissoring action, applying pressure progressively over 3-4 seconds. Maximum pressure should only be applied once all previous steps are complete and the choke feels tight. In training, hold maximum pressure for no more than 3-5 seconds total. Release immediately when partner taps using any signal, when they go limp or unresponsive, when they make distress sounds, or when defensive hand fighting suddenly stops. The release must be complete—fully release the collar grip and remove your forearm from their neck, not just reducing pressure slightly.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Paper Cutter Choke exemplifies the principle of mechanical efficiency over raw strength in submission grappling. What makes this technique particularly effective is the biomechanical leverage created by the scissoring action between your forearm and the collar grip. When executed with proper depth and angle, the choke requires minimal force because you’re using your entire body structure—chest pressure, hip position, shoulder drive—to create the constriction rather than relying on grip strength alone. The critical technical detail that most practitioners miss is the importance of the initial collar grip depth. If your fingers penetrate only superficially, you’re attempting to create pressure through the strength of your fingers, which is inherently weak and easily defended. However, when you work your hand deep until your knuckles pass the back of their neck, you’ve now engaged your entire arm structure in the pulling motion, multiplying your effective force by a factor of ten or more. From a safety perspective, this is a blood choke that should never target the trachea. The proper application compresses both carotid arteries simultaneously through lateral pressure, causing rapid but safe loss of consciousness when not defended. In training, the application must be progressive, allowing your partner ample time to recognize the danger and tap. The mark of a skilled practitioner is not how fast they can finish submissions, but how precisely they can apply them with complete control and immediate release capability.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the Paper Cutter Choke is one of my highest percentage finishes from side control because it doesn’t require complex transitions or risk of position loss. When I’m in side control and my opponent is defending the typical submissions like kimura or arm triangle, the paper cutter is always available because they usually don’t see it coming until it’s too late. The key to making this work at the highest level is understanding that the setup happens during the position establishment, not as a separate attack. When I secure side control, I’m already thinking about my collar grip—I use my chest pressure and head position to hide the hand feeding into their collar. By the time they recognize what’s happening, my hand is already deep and the choke is essentially finished. One thing that separates this submission at the black belt level versus lower belts is the timing of the finish. Against elite opponents, you get one chance to finish before they escape side control, so you cannot slowly work the grip and telegraph your intention. You must establish the grip efficiently while maintaining dominant pressure, then commit to the finish decisively. In training versus competition, my approach differs significantly. In training, I apply this choke slowly and progressively, giving my partners time to tap and building the trust necessary for productive training. In competition, once I have the proper depth and angle, the finish is immediate. However, I’m also much more selective about when I commit to the paper cutter in competition—I only attack when I have the perfect setup, whereas in training I’ll work it from suboptimal positions to develop my technical understanding. This submission has won me multiple major titles, and it’s a core part of my side control attack system precisely because it’s low-risk, high-reward, and available against opponents who successfully defend other common attacks.
- Eddie Bravo: The Paper Cutter is classic old-school BJJ effectiveness, and while I love innovation and unusual techniques, there’s something beautiful about how this choke has remained effective for decades. What I teach my students is to think about the paper cutter not as a single isolated attack, but as part of a web of interconnected submissions from side control. When someone defends the paper cutter by turning into you, you can transition to a darce or anaconda. When they turn away, you can take their back or move to north-south. When they fight your collar grip with both hands, their arms are occupied and you can attack with arm triangle or kimura. This is the 10th Planet philosophy—create problems that have no good solution for your opponent. From a training culture perspective, the paper cutter is also an important technique for teaching respect for submissions and tap-early mentality. It’s a choke that can put someone unconscious very quickly when applied correctly, so it demands that both training partners have high awareness and good communication. In our gym, we emphasize that tapping to a well-executed technique isn’t losing—it’s learning. The paper cutter teaches this lesson because once it’s locked in deep, there often isn’t an escape, so you tap and then analyze what defensive mistake you made that allowed the collar grip or the angle. Over time, this builds both offensive skill in applying the submission and defensive awareness in preventing it. The variation I particularly like is the paper cutter from turtle position, which integrates well with our truck system. When someone turtles to defend the twister or other back attacks, the paper cutter becomes available as you transition around their body, and it’s often completely unexpected in that context. So while this technique is traditional, it has endless potential for creative application within modern systems.