The Short Choke is a compact, high-percentage collar strangle executed from back control, particularly effective when combined with body triangle control. Unlike the rear naked choke which requires getting the choking arm deep across the throat, the Short Choke uses a shortened grip configuration where your hand grabs the collar behind the opponent’s neck while your forearm creates the choking pressure across their throat. This makes it an excellent alternative when the opponent successfully defends the traditional RNC by tucking their chin or fighting your choking arm.
The technique capitalizes on the stability provided by the body triangle, which frees your upper body to focus entirely on the choke without worrying about maintaining positional control with your legs. The body triangle’s breathing restriction compounds with the Short Choke’s throat pressure, creating a synergistic attack that becomes increasingly difficult to defend. Opponents often panic when they realize they’re being attacked on multiple fronts - restricted breathing from the triangle squeeze and blood flow restriction from the collar choke.
Strategically, the Short Choke fits into a systematic back attack game where you cycle between RNC attempts and collar chokes based on the opponent’s defensive reactions. When they defend one attack, it often opens the other. The Short Choke is particularly effective in gi competition where collar access is readily available, and it requires less physical exertion than fighting for the deep RNC position. Elite practitioners use this choke as part of a continuous threat cycle that eventually overwhelms the defender’s ability to protect all attack vectors simultaneously.
From Position: Body Triangle (Bottom)
Key Attacking Principles
- Collar grip depth determines choke effectiveness - the deeper behind the neck you grip, the more powerful the strangle becomes
- Use the body triangle squeeze to restrict breathing and create urgency that forces defensive mistakes opening collar access
- Forearm blade placement across the throat is critical - aim for the side of the neck rather than the trachea for blood choke effect
- Maintain chest-to-back connection throughout the attack to prevent opponent from creating space or turning to escape
- Coordinate pulling elbow down toward your hip while expanding chest to maximize choking pressure without excessive strength
- Use your non-choking hand to control opponent’s defending hand or assist the choke by pushing their head into the strangle
Prerequisites
- Established back control with body triangle locked around opponent’s torso at lower ribcage level
- Gi collar access on at least one side - ideally the collar on the same side as your top arm in seatbelt position
- Opponent’s chin tucked or hands defending neck, preventing clean RNC entry
- Chest-to-back connection maintained with minimal space between your torso and their upper back
- Non-choking arm controlling opponent’s defending arm or establishing secondary collar grip
Execution Steps
- Secure collar grip: With your top arm (over-shoulder arm in seatbelt), reach across opponent’s neck and grip their collar as deep as possible behind their neck, thumb inside the collar, palm facing down toward the mat
- Position forearm blade: Rotate your wrist so your forearm blade (the bony edge of your forearm near the wrist) is positioned across the side of opponent’s neck, targeting the carotid artery rather than the windpipe
- Control defending hand: Use your non-choking hand to trap opponent’s hand that’s defending their neck by controlling their wrist or pinning it to their body, preventing them from inserting fingers to relieve pressure
- Tighten body triangle: Increase squeeze pressure with your body triangle to restrict their breathing and core movement, creating multiple pressure points that compound the choke’s effectiveness and prevent escape
- Pull elbow down: Drive your choking elbow down toward your hip in a circular motion while keeping the grip locked deep in the collar, this pulls the collar tighter and increases forearm pressure on the neck
- Expand and finish: Arch your back slightly and expand your chest while continuing the downward elbow pressure, creating a pincer effect between your forearm and the collar that cuts off blood flow to the brain
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | game-over | 65% |
| Failure | Body Triangle | 25% |
| Counter | Back Control | 10% |
Opponent Counters
- Two-on-one grip fighting where opponent uses both hands to strip your collar grip before the choke tightens (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Transition immediately to armbar on the exposed arm since both their hands are occupied with grip breaking → Leads to Body Triangle
- Turning into you by rotating toward the choking arm to reduce pressure angle and create space (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow the turn and transition to bow and arrow choke as their rotation gives you better pulling angle → Leads to Back Control
- Tucking chin extremely deep and hunching shoulders to create barrier against forearm blade (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Use non-choking hand to push their forehead and extend their neck, or switch to clock choke variation → Leads to Body Triangle
- Bridge and roll attempt to reverse position while defending the choke (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Body triangle prevents effective rolling - increase squeeze and continue choke finish → Leads to Back Control
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary goal of the Short Choke from body triangle? A: The primary goal is to finish the opponent with a blood choke by applying forearm pressure across the carotid artery while using the collar grip as an anchor point. It serves as a high-percentage alternative when the opponent successfully defends the rear naked choke by tucking their chin.
Q2: What position do you start Short Choke from? A: This technique starts from back control with body triangle established, specifically from the bottom perspective where you are the attacker with your legs locked around the opponent’s torso and your chest against their back.
Q3: What are the key grips needed for Short Choke? A: The primary grip is a deep collar grip behind the opponent’s neck with your thumb inside the collar and palm facing down. The grip should be as deep as possible, ideally at skull-base level. Your secondary hand controls the opponent’s defending arm or can establish a second collar grip for the double-collar variation.
Q4: Your opponent is grip-fighting aggressively with both hands to strip your collar grip - what opening does this create? A: When both hands are occupied with grip fighting, their arms become exposed for attack. You should immediately transition to an armbar attempt by isolating one of the reaching arms. Their focus on stopping the choke creates the submission opportunity on a different limb.
Q5: Why is driving your elbow toward your hip more effective than pulling straight back? A: The circular elbow-to-hip motion creates a mechanical advantage by engaging your lat muscles and back rather than relying on arm strength alone. This motion tightens the collar progressively while angling the forearm blade more effectively across the neck, requiring less strength while generating more pressure.
Q6: How should you position your forearm blade for maximum effectiveness? A: Position the bony edge of your forearm near the wrist across the lateral side of the neck where the carotid artery runs, not across the windpipe. This creates a blood choke that restricts blood flow to the brain, which finishes faster and cleaner than a trachea crush that opponents can often endure through discomfort.
Q7: Your opponent turns toward your choking arm to relieve pressure - how do you adapt? A: Follow their turn and use the momentum to transition to a bow and arrow choke. Their rotation actually improves your angle for the bow and arrow by allowing you to shoot your leg over their shoulder. The defensive movement becomes the entry for a higher-leverage finishing position.
Q8: How does the body triangle enhance the Short Choke’s effectiveness beyond just positional control? A: The body triangle creates synergistic pressure by restricting the opponent’s breathing through ribcage compression while you simultaneously attack their blood flow with the collar choke. This multi-vector attack overwhelms their defensive capacity and creates panic that leads to mistakes. The triangle also prevents hip movement that could create escape angles.
Q9: What determines whether to attack with Short Choke versus continuing to fight for the rear naked choke? A: Choose Short Choke when the opponent has successfully tucked their chin and is actively defending RNC entry, or when your arm is fatigued from fighting for deep RNC position. The Short Choke requires less positional depth and uses the collar as leverage, making it ideal when the opponent’s chin defense is strong but their collar is accessible.
Q10: When should you avoid attempting the Short Choke? A: Avoid the Short Choke when you don’t have secure collar access, when your body triangle is loose or threatened, or when opponent has already inserted defensive hands under your choking arm. Also avoid if your grip strength is compromised from previous attempts, as shallow or weak collar grip will fail against experienced defenders.
Safety Considerations
The Short Choke is a blood choke that can cause unconsciousness within seconds when properly applied. Always train with partners who understand tap signals and release immediately upon tap. Never apply this choke explosively or with jerking motions that could injure the neck. In training, apply pressure gradually and give partners time to tap. The combination of body triangle breathing restriction and neck choke can cause faster unconsciousness than typical chokes - be especially vigilant with this technique. Never continue pressure after a tap, and if a partner goes unconscious, release immediately and elevate their legs while calling for assistance. Avoid this technique on partners with neck injuries, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular conditions.