Escaping chokes and locks
Learn how to escape the guillotine, the straight ankle lock and the kimura. You will also learn to fight chokes from the back. After every escape, get to a good position.
The guillotine
Guillotine: they wrap your head under their arm with the forearm across your throat. Your head is on the side of their choking arm.
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This is the guillotine you are escaping, with your head trapped under their arm. Guillotine Defense in the library ›
- Turn your chin toward the elbow of the choking arm.
- Reach your far arm over the shoulder of the choking arm.
- Drive your weight onto that shoulder.
- Move your hips to the choking-arm side, the side your head is on.
- Your head slides free. Settle into side control.
Arm-in guillotine: one of your arms is inside with your head. Reach that hand toward their far hip so your shoulder fills the space.
Which way do you move your hips to escape the classic guillotine?
The straight ankle lock
Straight ankle lock, also called a footlock: they trap your foot under their armpit. Then they fall back to bend the ankle.
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This is the lock you are escaping, with your foot trapped under their arm. Straight Ankle Lock in the library ›
- Turn your knee so the foot points through, not back.
- Point your toes and push the heel past their armpit.
- Put your free foot on their hip.
- Sit up, grab the collar or the head, and come up on top.
The kimura
Kimura: they hold your wrist and lock their other arm under your upper arm, then turn your shoulder.
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This is the kimura you are escaping: they hold your wrist and turn your shoulder. Kimura in the library ›
With the trapped hand, hold your own belt or the inside of your thigh. Keep the elbow tight to your ribs. Then get onto your side, toward them.
If the grip breaks and they lift the elbow, straighten the arm along your body. Put your hand on your own hip and turn into them.
You are flat in half guard. They have a crossface: an arm under your head that turns your face away. They reach for your far wrist. You put that hand on your belt, keep the elbow in and turn onto your side.
Chokes from the back
Rear naked choke: from behind you, their arm wraps your neck. Neck first, always: both hands on the choking arm, chin down.
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This is the rear naked choke you are fighting, with their arm around your neck. Rear Naked Choke in the library ›
If one of your arms is trapped under their leg, the free hand still goes to the choking arm.
- Chin down, free hand on the choking arm.
- Shrug the shoulder of the trapped arm.
- Pull the trapped elbow down and out from under their leg.
- Put both hands back on the choking arm.
- Fall to the side of their arm under your armpit, as in Back escapes.
The cross collar choke
Cross collar choke, in the gi: they put both hands deep in your collar and pull their elbows down.
Fight the first hand as it goes in. One deep grip is a warning. Two deep grips is a choke.
They are mounted and slide one hand deep in your collar. You break that grip at once with both hands, chin down. The second hand never gets in.
The first hand of a cross collar choke is deep in your collar. When should you act?
Escape, then position
An escape is not finished until you are safe. After every escape, end on top or in a good position.
| Attack | Where the escape ends |
|---|---|
| Guillotine | Side control |
| Straight ankle lock | On top |
| Kimura | On your side, fighting for the underhook |
| Back choke with an arm trapped | Two hands on the choke, then the back escape |
Train it on the Path
Reading is the first step. The Escaping chokes and locks unit has 5 short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.
Escaping chokes and locks is part of the Blue belt, included in Rolla Plus. Start free with Foundations and the white belt.