⚠️ SAFETY: Short Choke targets the Carotid arteries. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to loss of consciousness. Release immediately upon tap.
The Short Choke is a highly effective gi-based blood choke executed from top positions, particularly side control and north-south. Unlike traditional collar chokes that require deep grips, the Short Choke capitalizes on minimal space and opponent defensive reactions. The technique involves threading your own lapel or the opponent’s lapel behind their neck while maintaining superior top position control, then applying pressure through a combination of wrist rotation and shoulder pressure. This choke is particularly effective when opponents defend aggressively against more common submissions like the Americana or Kimura, creating the exact spacing needed for lapel manipulation. The Short Choke exemplifies economy of motion - once the lapel is positioned correctly, the finish requires minimal energy expenditure while creating maximum discomfort. The technique is especially valuable in gi competition because it can be concealed within normal top position pressure, making it difficult for opponents to recognize and defend until the submission is deeply locked. Advanced practitioners use the Short Choke as both a primary finish and a setup for transitioning to mount or taking the back when opponents attempt to escape.
Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries 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 loss of consciousness | High | Immediate recovery if released promptly; potential for confusion lasting 30-60 seconds |
| Trachea compression if technique is misapplied | Medium | 1-3 days of throat soreness; seek medical attention if breathing difficulty persists |
| Neck strain from rotational pressure | Low | 2-5 days with rest |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum in training
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap or verbal signal
- Physical hand tap on partner or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any distress signal including body going limp
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release lapel grip and remove all pressure from neck
- Remove your weight from opponent’s torso to allow breathing
- Check partner’s consciousness and breathing status
- If partner is unconscious, elevate legs and monitor airway
- Never apply the choke again in the same training session if unconsciousness occurred
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply sudden jerking motions with the lapel
- Never continue pressure after tap signal
- Never practice on partners with neck injuries or medical conditions
- Always ensure partner can tap with at least one hand
- Never use competition speed during initial learning phases
Key Principles
- Lapel positioning must be established before applying finishing pressure
- Control opponent’s near arm to prevent defensive framing
- Maintain heavy chest pressure throughout setup and finish
- Use wrist rotation rather than raw strength for choking pressure
- Shoulder pressure into opponent’s jaw creates secondary pressure point
- Hip positioning prevents opponent from turning into you during finish
- Proper angle of attack targets carotid arteries, not windpipe
Prerequisites
- Established top position control in side control or north-south
- Opponent’s near arm controlled or isolated to prevent framing
- Access to your own lapel or opponent’s collar/lapel
- Heavy chest pressure preventing opponent’s ability to create space
- Proper head positioning with your head near opponent’s far shoulder
- Your hips positioned to prevent opponent from turning into guard
Execution Steps
- Secure dominant side control position: Establish tight side control with your chest heavy on opponent’s chest. Control their near arm using either an underhook or by pinning it to the mat with your hip. Position your head near their far shoulder while maintaining crossface pressure. Your hips should be low and heavy, preventing any bridging or turning attempts. (Timing: Take 5-10 seconds to establish solid control before proceeding) [Pressure: Firm]
- Feed lapel behind opponent’s neck: Using your free hand (typically the hand nearest their legs), grip your own lapel at chest level or slightly lower. Maintain pressure with your chest and crossface while threading the lapel behind opponent’s neck from the far side. The lapel should pass behind their neck like a scarf, with the material positioned against the side of their neck closest to you. This requires precise hand positioning and often involves slight adjustments to your body angle. (Timing: 3-5 seconds for lapel placement) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Secure lapel grip on opposite side: Once the lapel has been threaded behind their neck, reach under their head with your opposite hand and grip the lapel material. Your grip should be palm-down with fingers curled around the lapel fabric. The key is to have minimal slack in the material while maintaining top position control. Some practitioners prefer gripping their own gi material for additional control. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to establish secure grip) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Consolidate position and remove slack: Before applying finishing pressure, ensure your body position is optimized. Your chest should remain heavy on opponent’s torso, your hips should be positioned to prevent them from turning, and both hands should have secure grips on the lapel. Slowly remove any slack in the lapel material by pulling your grips in opposite directions. The lapel should now form a tight band across the side of opponent’s neck. (Timing: 2-4 seconds to remove slack) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Apply rotational choking pressure: The finish comes from rotating your wrists and forearms in opposite directions while maintaining downward pressure with your shoulder into opponent’s jaw. The hand holding your lapel (or their collar) rotates palm-up, while the other hand pulls the threaded lapel tight. Simultaneously, drive your shoulder into the side of their jaw, which both creates additional choking pressure and prevents them from turning their head. The combination of lapel tightness and shoulder pressure compresses the carotid artery. (Timing: Apply pressure slowly over 3-5 seconds in training) [Pressure: Firm]
- Adjust angle if needed and maintain until tap: If opponent attempts to defend by tucking their chin or creating frames, make micro-adjustments to your shoulder angle and lapel positioning. Small changes in your body angle can dramatically increase effectiveness. Once proper compression is achieved, maintain consistent pressure until tap. Never increase pressure suddenly or jerk the lapel. If no tap occurs within 5-7 seconds of firm pressure, the setup likely needs adjustment rather than more force. (Timing: Hold finishing pressure for 3-7 seconds maximum in training) [Pressure: Maximum]
- Release immediately upon tap: The moment you feel or see the tap signal, immediately release all choking pressure by opening your grips and removing lapel tension. Maintain top position briefly to ensure partner is conscious and recovering normally. If practicing with a new partner, verbally confirm they are okay before continuing training. [Pressure: Light]
Opponent Defenses
- Tucking chin to chest to block lapel access (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Use crossface pressure to create slight gap, or transition to near-side collar grip variation. Patience is key - maintain pressure and wait for opponent to fatigue and create space.
- Framing with near arm against your hips (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Switch to Americana or Kimura attack on the framing arm, forcing them to retract. Once arm is controlled, return to Short Choke setup with better isolation.
- Bridging explosively to create space (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Allow slight bridge while maintaining grips, then ride their hips back to mat with increased pressure. Use their energy expenditure to tighten the choke during the descent.
- Turning into you to recover guard (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Maintain lapel grips and transition to north-south position as they turn. The turning motion often tightens the choke automatically. Follow to mount if they complete the turn.
- Grabbing your choking hand/wrist (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Your leverage from shoulder pressure and body position overwhelms grip fighting on the wrist. Simply maintain pressure and wait for their grip to fatigue, or use their focus on your hand to improve body position.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What are the primary blood vessels targeted by the Short Choke, and why is proper positioning critical? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The Short Choke targets the carotid arteries on the side of the neck. Proper positioning is critical because if the lapel is placed incorrectly (over the front of the throat), you create a painful air choke on the trachea rather than an effective blood choke. The lapel must sit on the side of the neck, allowing the combination of lapel pressure and shoulder drive to compress the carotid artery. Blood chokes are safer and more effective than air chokes in training.
Q2: What should you do immediately if your training partner goes unconscious during the Short Choke? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Immediately release all pressure from the neck and remove your weight from their torso. Check their breathing and consciousness level. Elevate their legs to improve blood flow to the brain. Monitor their airway and be prepared to call for medical assistance. Never shake them or apply stimulation to their neck. Most practitioners regain consciousness within seconds, but should not continue training for the remainder of that session. Document the incident and ensure your instructor is aware.
Q3: Why is controlling the opponent’s near arm essential for successful Short Choke execution? A: Controlling the near arm prevents the opponent from creating defensive frames that would push your body away and create space. If their near arm is free, they can insert it between your chest and theirs, or push against your hips to prevent you from maintaining the pressure needed for lapel manipulation and finishing. The near arm must be controlled via underhook, pinned with your hip, or otherwise isolated before attempting the choke. Without this control, the opponent can easily disrupt your setup and potentially escape to a better position.
Q4: What is the mechanical difference between using pulling strength versus rotational pressure in finishing the Short Choke? A: Pulling strength relies on arm muscle endurance and often creates uneven pressure that allows defensive opportunities. Rotational pressure, achieved by rotating the wrists in opposite directions while driving the shoulder, creates a more complete circular compression around the carotid artery. This rotation is mechanically stronger, less fatiguing, and harder to defend because it uses leverage and body weight rather than arm strength alone. The finish should feel almost effortless when proper rotation and shoulder pressure are combined with correct lapel positioning.
Q5: How should your body position change when transitioning from the Short Choke setup to the finishing mechanics? A: During setup, your chest remains heavy and square to the opponent with mobile hips to prevent their escape. As you transition to finishing, you should slightly angle your body to optimize shoulder pressure into their jaw while maintaining chest weight. Your hips may need to shift slightly away to create the proper shoulder angle, but you must maintain enough pressure to prevent them from turning into you. The key is finding the balance between maintaining positional control and creating the optimal angle for shoulder drive and lapel compression.
Q6: What are the key indicators that your lapel positioning is correct before applying finishing pressure? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: First, the lapel material should sit on the side of the neck, not across the front of the throat. Second, you should be able to feel the lapel band is snug with minimal slack when you pull your grips in opposite directions. Third, your shoulder should be positioned to drive into the opponent’s jaw from an angle, not straight down. Fourth, the opponent’s near arm should be controlled and unable to create defensive frames. Finally, you should feel stable in your top position with no risk of being swept or reversed. Only when all these indicators are present should you begin applying finishing pressure.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Short Choke represents an excellent example of mechanical efficiency in submission grappling. What makes this technique particularly valuable from a systematic perspective is its economy of motion and low energy expenditure relative to its effectiveness. The biomechanics are straightforward: you are creating a lever system where the lapel acts as the primary compressive element, your shoulder provides secondary pressure, and your body weight maintains positional control. This creates a three-point pressure system that is extremely difficult to defend once properly established. The key technical detail that separates effective execution from ineffective attempts is the precise positioning of the lapel material on the lateral aspect of the neck rather than the anterior throat. When positioned correctly over the carotid triangle, the combination of circumferential pressure from the lapel and directional pressure from the shoulder creates complete vascular compression with minimal force application. This is superior to techniques requiring maximum muscular effort because it can be maintained indefinitely without fatigue, giving you patience to wait for the submission. From a safety perspective, practitioners must understand that blood chokes like the Short Choke are inherently safer than air chokes when applied correctly, but they also work faster, requiring vigilance in both the attacking and defending roles. The systematic application involves first establishing unassailable top position, then methodically removing defensive options, and finally applying the submission with controlled, progressive pressure. Never rush the finish - if the setup is correct, the submission is inevitable.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the Short Choke is one of my favorite attacks from side control because it’s sneaky as hell and most people don’t see it coming until it’s too late. The beauty of this choke is that you can disguise the setup within your normal pressure passing and top control - opponents think you’re just maintaining position when you’re actually setting up the finish. Here’s the competition reality: you need to be so tight in side control that they literally can’t create the frames to stop your lapel work. If there’s any space, good opponents will shut this down immediately. I like to use the threat of the Americana or Kimura to force their defensive reactions, and when they pull their arm tight to their body to defend the joint lock, that’s when I switch to the Short Choke. The timing is everything in competition - you’ve got to recognize that one-second window when their arm is controlled and their neck is exposed. In training versus competition, there’s a huge difference in application speed. In the gym, I apply this very slowly and let people tap early. In competition, once I have the setup, I’m finishing fast because there’s no second chances at that level. But you’ve got to drill thousands of reps at slow speed first to build the muscle memory for proper positioning. The biggest mistake I see competitors make is trying to muscle this choke - if you need to use a lot of strength, your positioning is wrong. When it’s right, it feels effortless and they’re tapping in three seconds. Also, this choke chains perfectly with mount transitions and back takes, so always think about the next position if they defend the initial attack.
- Eddie Bravo: The Short Choke is old school brilliance that still works in modern grappling, and that tells you everything you need to know about its effectiveness. From a 10th Planet perspective, we don’t train in the gi, but the no-gi versions of this concept - using your own arm or your opponent’s trapped arm to create similar pressure - are equally devastating. What I love about this technique is the creativity it demands. You’re essentially creating your own weapon out of the gi material, and that type of improvisation is what jiu-jitsu is all about. The lapel becomes an extension of your body, and once you understand that principle, you can apply it in countless situations. In terms of innovation, I’ve experimented with using the Short Choke concept from weird positions like the truck and twister control, where you can thread lapel material while controlling the back. It’s not traditional, but it works if you understand the core mechanics of what creates the choke. The safety culture around this technique is super important - we never, ever spike chokes in training. I’ve seen too many close calls where people got too aggressive with lapel chokes and someone went out unexpectedly. In our gym, the rule is simple: apply slow, release fast, and if someone goes unconscious, that’s an automatic reset and conversation about what went wrong in the safety protocol. The other innovation I bring to this technique is using it specifically to create reactions. Sometimes I’m not even trying to finish the Short Choke - I’m using it to force them to turn, which opens up the back or creates a scramble where my game is stronger. Every attack is also a setup for the next attack, and the Short Choke is perfect for that strategic approach.