North-South Choke

What it is

The north-south choke is a strangle from north-south: your arm wraps under their head, your shoulder drops onto one side of the neck and your bicep closes the other, then you sink your hips and squeeze. It is slow to set, hard to see coming and entirely about chest pressure. It works in gi and no-gi and is a safe finish for the top player when the arms are not available.

When to use it

• From north-south, when they turn their head to one side and give you the neck.
• From side control, when they push your head away and you circle to the top.
• When they try to recover guard by turning away from you.

How to do it

1. From north-south, slide one arm under their head so the crook of your elbow is beside one ear.
2. Pin their near arm under your body so it cannot frame.
3. Drop your shoulder onto the side of their neck and let your bicep close against the other side.
4. Walk your hips down toward their hips so your chest comes over their head.
5. Sink your weight down and squeeze your elbow toward your body until they tap.

Key details

• The choke is on the sides of the neck. If your forearm is across the jaw or the throat, it is not working.
• Chest pressure finishes it, not the squeeze of the arm.
• Keep their near arm trapped under you so they cannot push on your hips.
• Be patient: the choke takes a few seconds to land, so hold and let it work.
• Tap early when you are the one caught. A choke works in seconds, and holding on only puts you to sleep.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: setting it with your hips high. They turn under you and recover guard.
• Mistake: wrapping the face instead of the neck. It hurts but it does not finish, and it is a face crank, not a choke.
• Mistake: letting their inside arm free. They frame on your hip and move you off.

What they will try

• They turn their head toward your elbow and push your hip away with the free hand.
• They walk their hips in and bridge to bring you over before the pressure sinks in.