Von Flue Choke

SAFETY: Von Flue Choke targets the Carotid arteries. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness. Release immediately upon tap.

Play as Attacker Play as Defender

The Von Flue Choke is a devastating counter-submission that punishes opponents who maintain an overly committed guillotine grip from bottom position. Named after Jason Von Flue who famously used it in the UFC, this technique transforms a defensive scenario into an immediate offensive threat. The choke works by using shoulder pressure combined with body weight to compress one carotid artery while the opponent’s own arm compresses the other, creating a blood choke that renders the guillotine grip not only ineffective but actively dangerous for the person holding it. This submission is particularly effective in no-gi grappling where guillotine attempts are common, and it serves as a crucial defensive concept that every practitioner must understand. The psychological impact of the Von Flue choke cannot be overstated—once an opponent has been caught with it, they become hesitant to hold guillotine grips from bottom position, fundamentally changing the dynamics of guard passing exchanges. The technique demonstrates a core principle in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: every offensive position contains the seeds of its own defeat if held too long or too rigidly.

Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries Starting Position: Side Control Success Rate: 58%

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:

Immediately remove shoulder pressure from neck
Lift your head and upper body away from opponent’s neck
Create space by posting your hands and moving your torso back
Check partner’s consciousness and breathing
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

Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	game-over	60%
Failure	Side Control	25%
Counter	Half Guard	15%

Attacker vs Defender

	Attacker	Defender
Focus	Execute and finish	Escape and survive
Key Principles	Shoulder pressure creates one-sided carotid compression whil…	Release the guillotine grip immediately when your opponent p…
Options	7 execution steps	3 defensive options

Playing as Attacker

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Key Principles

Shoulder pressure creates one-sided carotid compression while opponent’s arm creates the other
Body weight distribution amplifies the choke without requiring arm strength
The opponent’s defensive grip becomes the mechanism of their own submission
Patience is critical—rushing the finish allows the opponent to release and escape
Head position must be tight to opponent’s far shoulder to prevent space creation
Hip pressure prevents opponent from turning into you and escaping the choke
The choke is a positional control problem first, submission second

Execution Steps

Secure side control position: As you pass the guard or establish side control against an opponent holding a guillotine, ensure you…
Position your shoulder against their neck: Drive your near-side shoulder (the shoulder closest to their head) directly into the side of their n…
Establish crossface control: Your near arm should cross their face, with your hand gripping behind their far shoulder or under th…
Control the far hip: Your far arm should reach across their body to control their far hip, either by gripping their belt,…
Drive weight through the shoulder: Begin to gradually transfer your body weight through your shoulder into their neck. The key is to dr…
Walk your hips toward their head: To increase the pressure and eliminate any escape routes, walk your hips in small steps toward their…
Maintain position until tap or release: Hold steady pressure without increasing it further. Most opponents will tap within 3-5 seconds of fu…

Common Mistakes

Applying sudden or explosive pressure to the neck
- Consequence: Partner loses consciousness without time to tap, risking serious injury and creating dangerous training environment
- Correction: Always apply pressure progressively over 3-5 seconds minimum, watching carefully for tap signals or the grip loosening
Using the jaw or chin as the pressure point instead of the neck
- Consequence: No choke occurs, opponent experiences jaw pain but no real danger, technique fails
- Correction: Ensure your shoulder is positioned on the soft tissue of the neck lateral to the trachea, below the jaw line, directly targeting the carotid artery
Failing to control the far hip, allowing opponent to turn in
- Consequence: Opponent escapes by turning into you and recovering guard, losing the submission and potentially the position
- Correction: Maintain constant connection to the far hip with your far arm, keeping your elbow tight to prevent space creation

Playing as Defender

→ Full Defender Guide

Key Principles

Release the guillotine grip immediately when your opponent passes to side control—your offensive grip has become a liability
Recognize that every second you hold the guillotine from bottom side control increases your vulnerability to the Von Flue exponentially
Turn your body toward the opponent to reduce the angle their shoulder can create against your neck
Create frames against their chest and hips to prevent them from settling weight and establishing the shoulder-on-neck position
Use your legs actively to push their hips away and deny them the close hip position needed to finish the choke
If you feel shoulder pressure on your neck while holding a guillotine, treat it as an emergency requiring immediate grip release

Recognition Cues

Opponent has passed your guard to side control while you are still holding a guillotine grip from bottom—this is the primary danger signal
You feel increasing shoulder pressure on the side of your neck rather than your opponent trying to pull their head free from the guillotine
Opponent’s hips begin walking toward your head rather than settling into standard side control position, indicating they are actively pursuing the Von Flue
Your opponent establishes a crossface grip while you hold the guillotine, locking your head position and preventing you from turning away from the shoulder pressure
You notice your opponent is not fighting your guillotine grip but instead seems comfortable or even encouraging of it—this indicates they recognize the Von Flue opportunity

Escape Paths

Release guillotine grip and transition to standard side control bottom defensive frames, then work hip escapes to recover half guard or full guard
Turn toward the opponent while pushing their hips away with your legs to re-establish a guard position where the guillotine is viable or can be safely abandoned
Bridge toward the opponent to disrupt their shoulder position, then immediately insert your knee to recover half guard before they can resettle

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?

Match Outcome

Successful execution of Von Flue Choke leads to → Game Over

All submissions in BJJ ultimately converge to the same terminal state: the match ends when your opponent taps.

Safety Guide

Outcomes

Attacker vs Defender

Playing as Attacker

Key Principles

Execution Steps

Common Mistakes

Playing as Defender

Key Principles

Recognition Cues

Escape Paths

Variations

From Which Positions?

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Match Outcome

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