Guillotine Choke

During any martial arts or Jiu-Jitsu (often spelled as Jujitsu as well) events, a guillotine choke hold is often performed. This move is taken when your opponent is locked in a perfect position. This hold can only be performed by an experienced fighter who has had the right training and can recognize the opportunity when possible. Whenever you see this hold, you will notice that the guillotine choke can be possible whenever one of the opponents' head is on the outside of the other's body. This is in fact the perfect moment to grab hold of the person. Perhaps at this moment, my explanation may not seem very clear to you. So we are going to first understand what this guillotine choke actually is, and also learn how to perform it. Although there are many other Jujitsu moves, but for now, we are concentrating on this choke hold.

What is Guillotine Choke?

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or martial arts, the guillotine choke hold is used as a submissive move. When learning martial arts, this choke hold is very popular to teach and execute. The opponent who is performing this choke, on someone, uses his/her arms to place it around the opponent's neck. What this hold does is restricts the opponent's air flow since the arms are around the neck and in turn, it cuts off the air supply to his/her lungs. To execute this choke, you can either stand or lie down on the floor. The objective of this hold is to keep your opponent from escaping. While your arms are around the opponent's neck, you will clasp your hands together to make the hold stronger and more effective.

How to Perform a Guillotine Choke?

To perform this hold properly, follow and practice the following steps mentioned.

When your opponent's head is down, place your hand around the neck and pull him down towards you.

His/her head should be facing down, towards the floor.

Just like a regular headlock, your forearm will be underneath your opponent's chin and around the neck.

This is be called your choking arm. So, hold that arm's wrist with the other hand to tighten the grip.

As you can see, when you do this, the opponent's head will be stuck underneath your choking arm.

With your right leg forward, you will try to get up. As you do so, twist your hip in the same direction as the
right leg.

Once you are up and the hold is strong, the guillotine choke hold is successfully done.

You can also do a variation to this hold. To perform the variation, you will place your forearm as you did
before. The only difference is that your free hand will be placed on the opponent's back. From there, you will try to grip your choking arm's wrist to finish the hold. Here, the opponent's spine also gets locked along with the choke. All he/she can do is surrender immediately, because in very little time, within seconds, your opponent can become unconscious.

How to Perform a Guillotine Choke Defense?

If you are the victim of this choke hold, there is a way to escape it. Read the following steps to learn how.

First of all, make sure you are not tensed, and your body is as relaxed as possible.

Depending on the direction of your trapped head, the opposite will be used.

You will take that arm, let's say the right one, and place it as high as you can on your opponent's back.

With your right shoulder (since we are using the right arm), you will put pressure on your opponent's face.

Doing so, the intensity of the guillotine choke hold will lessen.

Now take the left arm and try to dig, with the left elbow, between your opponent's leg and your body. This step needs to be done effectively because it's very tough.

Place your free leg on your opponent's leg. Make sure it's the same side where the elbow was being used to dig.

Here, you will get an opportunity to free your other leg. Slide it out from your opponent's grip.
In the end, all you have to do is twist your hips to the opponent's side as it will help in taking the pressure off the hold.

And that's it. This is how you can get out of the hold.

There are various Jujitsu techniques, moves, and holds. This guillotine choke is merely a small part of it. Even though it may look easy, while performing and being in one of these holds, you will notice a different experience. Both the opponents' objective is to try to get one another in this hold to win.