Von Flue Choke

The Von Flue Choke is a no-gi blood choke applied while passing toward an opponent’s committed guillotine, driving your shoulder into their exposed carotid while their own trapping arm seals the other side to force the tap.

Choke Blood Choke Targets Carotid arteries 58% success

Safety

Von Flue Choke targets the Carotid arteries. Primary risk: Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness. Tap early; release immediately on the tap. Full safety guide ↓

Play as Attacker Play as Defender

Named after UFC veteran Jason Von Flue, who popularized the technique against Alberto Crane in 2006, this counter-choke has become a staple deterrent against the over-committed guillotine in no-gi grappling. It transforms a defensive scenario — an opponent clinging to a guillotine grip from bottom as you pass — into an immediate offensive finish, using shoulder pressure and body weight to compress one carotid artery while the opponent’s own wrapping arm compresses the other. The technique is especially valuable because it requires no grip changes and no separate setup: the moment an opponent refuses to release a guillotine while you pass toward their choking arm, the finish is available. Beyond the finish itself, the Von Flue carries an outsized psychological effect — once caught with it, opponents become reluctant to hold deep guillotines from bottom, fundamentally changing how they defend your guard passing. It embodies a core BJJ principle: every offensive grip held too rigidly contains the seeds of its own defeat.

Starting Position: Side Control · From: Side Control (Top)

Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	game-over	55%
Failure	Side Control	30%
Counter	Guillotine Control	15%

Attacker vs Defender

	Attacker	Defender
Focus	Execute and finish	Escape and survive
Key Principles	The opponent’s guillotine arm becomes one side of your stran…	Your own guillotine arm becomes one side of the choke — hold…
Options	7 execution steps	3 defensive options

Playing as Attacker

→ Full Attacker Guide

Key Principles

• The opponent’s guillotine arm becomes one side of your strangle — you only have to seal the other carotid with your shoulder

• Always pass toward the choking arm, never away from it; passing away frees their guillotine and removes the choke

• Drive your shoulder and the side of your jaw into the exposed carotid, not into the windpipe — this is a blood choke, not an air choke

• Maintain heavy, forward head posture so the opponent cannot elevate their hips and finish their own guillotine

• Generate pressure with chest connection and a low, advancing base rather than muscling with the shoulder alone

• Walk your feet and hips toward the opponent’s head to ratchet pressure deeper without changing any grip

• Treat recognition speed as the primary skill — the finish is available only while the opponent stubbornly holds the grip

Execution Steps

• Recognize the committed guillotine: Identify that the opponent has a deep guillotine and is refusing to release it as you pass, which is…

• Pass toward the choking arm: Direct your pass to the same side as the opponent’s choking arm rather than away from it, so your sh…

• Drop the shoulder onto the carotid: Lower your near-side shoulder and the edge of your jaw onto the exposed side of the opponent’s neck,…

• Establish chest pressure and a low base: Flatten your chest against the opponent and widen your base, transferring body weight through your s…

• Deny their guillotine with posture: Keep your head heavy and posture forward with your hips back so the opponent cannot elevate their hi…

• Walk the hips to ratchet pressure: Step your feet and walk your hips toward the opponent’s head to drive your shoulder progressively de…

• Apply progressively and watch for the tap: Increase pressure smoothly over several seconds, watching for the verbal or physical tap and releasi…

Common Mistakes

• Passing away from the choking arm instead of toward it

  • Consequence: You free the opponent’s guillotine entirely and the choke disappears, often leaving you in their guillotine instead
  • Correction: Always commit your pass to the same side as the opponent’s choking arm so your shoulder seals the open carotid

• Pushing with shoulder muscle instead of body weight

  • Consequence: The pressure is weak and easily resisted, the choke stalls, and you fatigue your shoulder
  • Correction: Connect chest-to-chest and drive weight through a low, advancing base so gravity supplies the pressure

• Posturing up or lifting the head during the finish

  • Consequence: You give the opponent room to elevate their hips and finish their own guillotine on you
  • Correction: Keep a heavy, forward head and hips back to deny the guillotine while you settle the shoulder

Playing as Defender

→ Full Defender Guide

Key Principles

• Your own guillotine arm becomes one side of the choke — holding it too long against a passing opponent is what creates the danger

• Release early: a surrendered guillotine and a lost position always beat going unconscious

• Recognize the shoulder-pressure cue before the carotid is fully sealed, while you still have time to react

• Turn your chin toward the choking arm to keep a blood path open if you cannot release instantly

• Never posture flat and leave the carotid exposed under the descending shoulder

• Frame and angle away from the pressure rather than bridging straight into the shoulder

• Treat a deep, high guillotine as a possible race — finish it first or abandon it, but do not stall in between

Recognition Cues

• The passing opponent drives a shoulder and the edge of their jaw into the side of your neck where your own arm wraps

• Rising, deep pressure on one carotid combined with a sudden feeling of light-headedness

• Your opponent is passing toward your choking arm and flattening their chest onto you rather than pulling away

• Your guillotine grip suddenly feels like it is helping their pressure instead of threatening them

Escape Paths

• Release the guillotine and hip escape to recover guard before the pass is completed

• Turn in toward the attacker and come up to a front headlock or scramble

• Bridge and turn to turtle to relieve neck pressure once the grip is released

Variations

Von Flue from Half Guard: When passing half guard against an opponent holding a guillotine, you can apply the Von Flue choke before fully passing to side control. The setup is identical, but you must be careful to prevent them from using their half guard to sweep you as you apply pressure. (When to use: When opponent maintains guillotine grip from bottom half guard during your passing attempt, allowing you to finish the pass with a submission threat)

Standing Von Flue: If opponent attempts a standing guillotine and you successfully sprawl, you can apply Von Flue pressure from the standing position by driving your shoulder into their neck while they hold the guillotine. This is less common but highly effective in no-gi scrambles. (When to use: Against standing guillotine attempts where opponent refuses to release grip after you’ve sprawled and established superior position)

Von Flue to Mount Transition: As you apply the Von Flue choke, if the opponent attempts to bridge or create space, you can swing your leg over into mount while maintaining shoulder pressure. This creates an even more dominant finishing position with the same choke mechanism. (When to use: When opponent creates upward movement or bridging that makes the mount transition available while you’re applying the choke from side control)

From Which Positions?

• Side Control
• Half Guard
• North-South
• Knee on Belly
• Mount
• Front Headlock
• Guillotine Control

Related

• Guillotine Choke
• Arm in Guillotine
• North-South Choke
• Arm Triangle
• Darce Choke
• Anaconda Choke
• Ezekiel Choke
• Side Control - Primary position for applying the Von Flue choke and the position you consolidate into when it fails
• Guillotine Control - Position and grip being countered by the Von Flue technique
• Half Guard - Common position where the Von Flue can be applied mid-pass against a guillotine
• North-South - Alternative top position where similar shoulder pressure can be applied
• Front Headlock - Related upper-body control position used in guillotine and counter sequences
• Kesa Gatame - Side control variation that shares the shoulder and head-pressure principles of the Von Flue
• Mount - Alternative finish position when the opponent bridges during a Von Flue attempt

Safety Guide

Injury Risks:

Injury	Severity	Recovery Time
Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness	CRITICAL	Immediate recovery if released promptly, potential brain damage if held past unconsciousness
Neck strain from resisting the choke	Medium	3-7 days with rest
Shoulder impingement from pressure application	Low	1-3 days

Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum to allow partner to recognize the danger and release their guillotine grip

Tap Signals:

• Verbal tap (most important as arms may be trapped)
• Physical hand tap on your body or mat
• Physical foot tap on mat
• Releasing the guillotine grip immediately
• Any distress signal including body going limp

Release Protocol:

1. Immediately remove shoulder pressure from neck
2. Lift your head and upper body away from opponent’s neck
3. Create space by posting your hands and moving your torso back
4. Check partner’s consciousness and breathing
5. If partner is unconscious, elevate legs and monitor recovery

Training Restrictions:

• Never apply full pressure in training — use gradual pressure to allow tap
• Never hold the choke after partner releases their guillotine grip
• Always allow partner’s arms to be free enough to tap
• Never use competition speed or sudden pressure in drilling
• Stop immediately if partner’s grip loosens (indicates impending unconsciousness)
• Require verbal confirmation that partner understands the danger before practicing