Collar Chokes are one of those hidden pleasures of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that you cannot know about unless you train. There’s “nothing better” than setting up a neat Collar Choke to tap out your training partners and opponents.
But, as awesome as they are, they can often be quite tricky to finish… You think that you have it in place and then bam! Your grips get worn out and the opponent escapes the submission.
Why does this happen? Well, there’s quite a high likelihood that it’s because you’re not establishing your first grip properly. Here’s how to change that.
MAKE COLLAR CHOKES GREAT AGAIN – FOCUS ON THE FIRST GRIP
A lot of BJJ students rush towards finishing the Collar Choke long before they’ve set their first grip at an appropriate height. And what’s the appropriate height? It does depend a bit on the actual position you’re applying the choke from and it does depend a bit on your and your opponent’s anatomy… But all things considered, you should grip the collar so that your wrist ends up against the opponent’s collarbone.
Try this with a Collar Choke from the back. You’ll see it work in quick notice.
Also, don’t focus on merely pulling with this grip. Rather, flex your wrist as you apply the choke. You will be amazed by how quick your training partners will tap out.
Nick “Chewy” Albin explains more on these details on the video below:
