Let’s be honest – your Side Control mostly comes down to, well, controlling your opponent. You utilize it for transitions to Mount and North-South, but aside from that, there’s not much you can show for; i.e., you lack submissions from this position. Sure, you may sometimes sneak in an occasional Americana, but you’re not too versatile when it comes to tapping people out directly from here.
That’s the reason why you should learn the Paper Cutter Choke. It’s a submission that comes by surprise and is notoriously effective; you just have to find a way it works for you.
Jeff Glover shares a setup that’s been working well for him over the years, below.
PAPER CUTTER CHOKE SETUP BY JEFF GLOVER
To start setting up your Paper Cutter Choke from Side Control, the first thing you’ve got to do is “swim” underneath the opponent’s near-side arm. You’ll do it in such a way that it resembles an Arm Drag; even though, in this case, you’ll have to dig deep underneath their arm. So deep, in fact, that you’ll be resting your own shoulder and chest over it.
Once your arm is this deep, grab the opponent’s collar – behind their neck. From here, pull them so that they are closer to you. Now, you may place your other arm across their neck and start applying the submission.
If they start defending with their arm, then pull them towards you even more. Then, don’t feel ashamed to drag your forearm across their forehead and nose, in order to ultimately get it underneath their chin.
Jeff Glover demonstrates this Paper Cutter Choke in fantastic detail on the video below:
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.