Guillotine Choke: Helpful Guide to Master This Submission

Every grappler knows that choke submissions are among the most effective methods to tap out an adversary and win the battle. This is because it’s the quickest, simplest, and most consistent way to tap out your opponent.

Submissions, like the guillotine, are the juice of grappling training. Still, it takes hours of sparring, energy, and technical knowledge. However, it does not have to be this complicated!

The guillotine choke is one of the most reliable and effective methods of immediately taping out an opponent in BJJ, submission wrestling, and MMA. Otherwise, it can be done from many positions, including the guard, standing, etc.

If you want to perform a successful guillotine submission, there are many things to learn. Therefore, look at parts of this article to get everything you need to know about this head and arm choke. Stay tuned!

Guillotine Choke from Closed Guard

The guard is one of the most fundamental positions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. Therefore, the closed guard is the most often used term, although there are other guard types, such as the half and butterfly guards.

A smart fighter will always utilize the guard as a starting point and a solid foundation to beat his opponent. He can obtain a variety of submissions and transitions from the guard, such as the BJJ guillotine headlock choke, triangle choke, armbar, and so on, all of which are effective.

Chewjitsu demonstrates how to correctly set up a guillotine submission move from the full guard in the following video. Watch & learn!

Source: Chewjitsu

Guillotine Jiu-Jitsu Choke from Butterfly Guard

The butterfly guard is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu position primarily known for its effective sweeps, leglocks, guillotine headlock submission, etc.

In the video below, Marcelo Garcia shows how to properly set up a guillotine choke submission from the butterfly guard. Watch & learn!

Source: Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu

Aside from that, Marcelo Garcia is a well-known grappler renowned for his outstanding Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique. He holds a fantastic tournament record with five world Jiu-Jitsu championships, four ADCC world championships, and numerous other honors and titles.

BJJ Guillotine Submission from Top Half Guard

The half guard is a fundamental jiu-jitsu position with numerous submissions, sweeps, and transitions in Gi and No-Gi.

In the video below, you’ll learn how to set up a guillotine choke hold from the top half guard. Watch & learn!

Source: Hurricane Jiu-Jitsu

Guillotine BJJ Choke from Standing

Standing is one of the most critical positions in grappling martial arts. Because that is where most fights begin, handling this position strategically and efficiently is your first step toward victory.

In the video below, Knight Jiu-Jitsu teaches you how to set up a guillotine choke jiu-jitsu submission from a standing position. Watch & learn!

Source: Knight Jiu-Jitsu

Guillotine Chokehold Move from Mount

The mount is one of the most basic and robust positions accessible in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. It provides its players with a variety of submissions and transitions. Still, it must be well understood to use in a fight effectively.

You Know, in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you can also get a guillotine choke from the mount position. Here is How?

Source: Chewjitsu

Jiu-Jitsu Guillotine Choke from Side Control

After passing your opponent’s guard, you’ll find yourself in one of the most favorable BJJ positions possible: side control. It’s a fantastic position for fighters with a dynamic offensive game from the top of the pyramid.

The side control offers many attack possibilities, including joint locks and chokes.

You Know, in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you can also get a guillotine choke from the side control position. Here is How?

Source: Cheat Code Jiu Jitsu

Related: This comprehensive article will teach you everything you need to know about the BJJ side control position. It explains the position basics and offers effective submissions to improve your game.

Closed Guard Guillotine Defense

When executing the guillotine choke, the attacker will connect his arms around your head from the guard or other positions. So, To avoid a guillotine headlock submission, you don’t want anything like this to happen.

Here are some helpful steps to escape a guillotine chokehold from the guard.

  1. First, get your legs posted up, put your forehead on the mat and drive forward to decrease the guillotine choke’s pressure.
  2. Use your elbow to close the arm of your opponent that is wrapped around your neck. This will prevent him from shrimping away and getting an advantage to finish the choke.
  3. Use your free arm to set up an under hook on the opponent’s bicep and then push his arm away. This will prevent the opponent from using his choking arm to finish the technique.
  4. After that, lowering yourself to your knee with the same side leg is an excellent idea to angle up the opponent’s choking side.
  5. Finish the closed guard guillotine escape by raising your head and neck over your shoulders to break the guillotine control.
  6. Utilize your hand to move your opponent’s wrist away from re-applying the choke, and go for the guard passing.

Need more help!

Stephan Kesting teaches the proper process of getting up a guillotine choke submission from the top guard in the following video. Watch & learn!

Source: Stephan Kesting

Standing Guillotine Choke Escape

When attempting to execute the guillotine choke, the adversary will link his arms around your head from the guard or other positions. Consequently, you need to react fast before this happens if you wish to defend the choke submission.

Here are some helpful steps to escape a guillotine chokehold from standing.

  1. Begin by grabbing your opponent’s wrist and pulling it lower to give yourself some breathing space.
  2. Then, throw your free arm over your opponent’s shoulder and neck.
  3. Shift the opponent’s shoulder at an excellent angle to alleviate the strain on your neck while simultaneously utilizing your neck and shoulder as a climbing tool.
  4. Raise your head to release your neck and break the guillotine grips.
  5. Take your opponent down using an appropriate takedown technique.
  6. Finish the guillotine escape from the ground, pass his guard and reverse the game.

Need more help!

In the following video, Chewjitsu teaches how to defend and escape a standing guillotine submission and gives you two possible takedown variations. Watch & learn!

Source: Chewjitsu

Guillotine Choke in MMA

Here are some of the top guillotine submissions from standing in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Source: UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship

Related article: Best Grappling Martial Arts for MMA

Final Thoughts

The guillotine choke is an excellent submission in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and MMA that can be done from the guard and other positions. It is one of the most effective attacks that every practitioner should learn and master as quickly as possible.

Although, beginner or advanced MMA And BJJ practitioners will have several issues setting up or escaping a guillotine choke submission.

The BJJ tutorial above can help you set up a guillotine choke from guard, standing, etc. Also, it will give some significant steps to escape this choke variation. Eventually, I hope it will help you build a brutal attacking system.

Speak your mind; Is the guillotine choke one of your favorite submissions in jiu-jitsu?

Related: The triangle choke is one of the most excellent attacks you should add to your BJJ arsenal. This firm chokehold is a must-know for any serious practitioner. Click here to learn more!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Guillotine Choke?

The guillotine choke is a chokehold technique used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and MMA. It may be applied from the front of the opponent’s body while standing and from the ground. Otherwise, this choke requires utilizing one or two arms to surround the opponent’s neck like a guillotine.

How Does the Guillotine Choke Function?

The guillotine choke works like other choke variations by restricting blood flow to the head. But in addition, it exerts pressure on the blood arteries that provide oxygenated blood to the significant front portion of the brain. So, this fact will turn the opponent into unconsciousness mode unless he taps out.

What Is the Best Guillotine Choke Variation?

The best guillotine submission is determined by the attacker’s ability and the opponent’s size, skill, level, and so on. However, the guillotine choke from the closed guard is considered the best guillotine variation to learn.