Guillotine

What it is

The guillotine is a front choke on a bent over head: your arm wraps the neck from the front, the blade of your wrist is under the throat, and your other hand clamps the grip. It punishes anyone who dives in head down, so it is one of the first submissions beginners both hit and get caught in. It finishes from standing, from closed guard and from the front headlock.

When to use it

• When they shoot a low takedown or dive into your legs with their head on the outside.
• In closed guard, when their head is down on your chest and the neck is open.
• From the front headlock after a snap down, when their head stays low.

How to do it

1. Wrap their neck with your arm so your forearm runs under the throat and the blade of your wrist is at the front.
2. Clamp the choking wrist with your other hand, palm on the back of your hand or wrist.
3. Lift your choking elbow so the blade pulls up into the throat, not across the jaw.
4. Close the space: from standing, drop your hips and pull their head to your chest; from guard, close your legs around their waist.
5. Lean back, pull the choking arm up and press your chest to the back of their head until they tap.

Key details

• The blade of the wrist goes under the chin on the throat, not on the chin.
• The elbow lifts toward the ceiling; that is what drives the forearm into the neck.
• Keep their head tight under your armpit. If their head slides out to the side, the angle is lost.
• Keep your chest glued to the back of their head so they cannot posture out.
• Tap early when you are the one caught. A choke works in seconds, and holding on only puts you to sleep.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: wrapping the chin instead of the throat. It hurts but it does not finish, and you lose the arm to a pass.
• Mistake: finishing from guard with your legs open. They walk around to the choking arm side and escape.
• Mistake: squeezing with the arm alone. You tire out before the choke lands.

What they will try

• They put the far hand over your choking shoulder, pull their hips in and turn their head toward your elbow to slide out the back.
• From guard they pass to the side of your choking arm and drive the weight of their shoulder into your neck.

Gi and no-gi

The guillotine is one of the main no-gi submissions. The grip is the same, so no substitute is needed.