Which anatomical structures does the Von Flue Choke compress to force the tap?

It is a blood choke targeting the carotid arteries: your shoulder and jaw seal one carotid while the opponent's own choking arm compresses the other, cutting blood flow to the brain rather than restricting the airway.

Your opponent has a tight guillotine and you need to pass — which direction do you pass to set up the Von Flue?

You pass toward the choking arm, not away from it, dropping your near-side shoulder onto the exposed carotid so their wrapping arm completes the strangle. Passing away frees their guillotine and removes the choke entirely.

What must be established before driving shoulder pressure to finish the Von Flue?

You need chest-to-chest connection on the choking-arm side, your shoulder and jaw seated on the carotid, a heavy forward head posture to deny their guillotine, and a low advancing base so body weight supplies the pressure.

As you settle the shoulder, the opponent tries to elevate their hips to finish their guillotine — what prevents them?

Maintaining a heavy, forward head with your hips back keeps your posture ahead of their elevation, denying the angle they need to finish the guillotine while your shoulder continues sealing their carotid.

What signs tell you the Von Flue is cutting blood flow effectively?

You feel your shoulder bone seated firmly on the side of the neck, the opponent's guillotine grip begins to weaken, and they reach for a verbal or physical tap; flushing of the face also signals the carotid is being compressed.

The pressure feels close but not quite enough to finish — what adjustment increases it without losing position?

Walk your feet and hips toward the opponent's head to drive your shoulder progressively deeper into the carotid. The Von Flue requires no grip change, so ratcheting with your base is the safest way to add pressure.

Von Flue Choke Attacker | BJJ Submission Guide

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

As the attacker, your job is to recognize when an opponent’s guillotine has become a liability and convert it into a finish. The Von Flue is not a separate technique you set up; it is a passing choice you make the instant the opponent refuses to release their guillotine. By passing toward their choking arm and driving your near-side shoulder and jaw into the exposed carotid, you complete a blood choke in which the opponent’s own wrapping arm seals the opposite side. Success depends on direction of pass, shoulder placement, forward posture to deny their guillotine finish, and patient, body-weight-driven pressure rather than raw shoulder strength.

From Position: Side Control (Top)

Key Attacking Principles

What are the key principles for executing Von Flue Choke?

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

Prerequisites

What do you need before attempting Von Flue Choke?

Opponent is holding a committed guillotine or front headlock and refusing to release it
You are positioned on the same side as the opponent’s choking arm and passing toward it
Chest-to-chest or shoulder-to-neck contact is established on the choking-arm side of the neck
Strong forward posture with a heavy head to prevent being guillotined during the pass
A stable, advancing base on knees or feet to drive body weight forward into the neck

Execution Steps

How do you execute Von Flue Choke step by step?

Recognize the committed guillotine: Identify that the opponent has a deep guillotine and is refusing to release it as you pass, which is the trigger that makes the Von Flue choke available to you. (Timing: The instant the opponent commits to and holds the guillotine)
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 shoulder lines up with the carotid their arm is not covering. (Timing: As you begin clearing the legs or hips)
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, sealing the carotid that their own arm leaves open. (Timing: Immediately upon arriving chest-to-chest)
Establish chest pressure and a low base: Flatten your chest against the opponent and widen your base, transferring body weight through your shoulder into the neck instead of pushing with the arm. (Timing: As the shoulder seats on the neck)
Deny their guillotine with posture: Keep your head heavy and posture forward with your hips back so the opponent cannot elevate their hips to finish their own guillotine while you settle the choke. (Timing: Continuously throughout the finish)
Walk the hips to ratchet pressure: Step your feet and walk your hips toward the opponent’s head to drive your shoulder progressively deeper into the carotid, increasing pressure without changing grips. (Timing: Once the shoulder line is established)
Apply progressively and watch for the tap: Increase pressure smoothly over several seconds, watching for the verbal or physical tap and releasing instantly, since the opponent’s trapped arms may make a hand tap impossible. (Timing: Final phase, always with safety priority)

Possible Outcomes

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

Opponent Defenses

How might your opponent defend against Von Flue Choke?

Opponent releases the guillotine grip immediately (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Accept the freed grip and complete your pass to side control top, where you retain dominant position even though the choke is gone. → Leads to Side Control
Opponent turns away and tucks the chin to relieve carotid pressure (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their turn with your shoulder, keep chest pressure, and continue to side control if the carotid clears. → Leads to Side Control
Opponent elevates their hips and finishes their own guillotine before you settle (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Re-establish forward posture and a heavy head earlier next time; if caught, defend the guillotine and recover. → Leads to Guillotine Control
Opponent frames on your shoulder to keep the carotid line open (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Walk your hips toward their head to slip past the frame and re-seat the shoulder on the neck. → Leads to Side Control

Common Attacking Mistakes

What mistakes should you avoid when executing Von Flue Choke?

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. Rushing the pressure with no tap window

Consequence: The partner’s arms are often trapped and cannot tap in time, creating a high risk of injury or rapid unconsciousness
Correction: Apply slowly over several seconds and accept verbal or foot taps, releasing the instant any signal appears

5. Failing to control the far side, letting the opponent turn out

Consequence: The opponent rotates their neck and chin away, clearing the carotid and escaping to recover position
Correction: Maintain chest connection and follow their rotation with your shoulder to keep the carotid sealed

6. Misidentifying which arm is the choking arm

Consequence: You place your shoulder on the wrong side and compress nothing, wasting the opportunity
Correction: Trace the arm wrapped under the chin and target the carotid on that same side

Training Progressions

How do you train Von Flue Choke (Attacker)?

Recognition - Identifying the trigger Drill spotting a committed guillotine and instantly calling out the choking-arm side and the correct passing direction, without applying pressure.

Positional drilling - Shoulder placement and posture Slowly pass toward the choking arm and seat the shoulder on the carotid with a heavy head, holding the position without finishing to ingrain mechanics.

Pressure calibration - Safe, progressive finishing Apply gradual body-weight pressure with a cooperative partner who taps early, building feel for the carotid line and the release timing.

Live counter-to-guillotine - Application under resistance Spar from a guillotine-defense start where the bottom player holds the grip, finishing the Von Flue against progressive resistance while respecting tap signals.

Von Flue Choke Attacker

Outcomes