The brabo choke is one of the most versatile Brazilian jiu-jitsu Gi chokes. It is a strangle submission with a high success rate introduced to BJJ by Leo Vieira in the 2000s. Indeed, you can perform the brabo choke from various BJJ positions, including the half guard, side control, etc.
Clever jiu-jitsu practitioners should master this choke variant from their early days on the mats. Besides, chokes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) bring unique complexity to the game.
However, you must learn the basics and the required abilities to perform these fantastic techniques properly. Hence, if that is the case, you’ll build a brutal attack that will put you on the right road to accomplish your competition’s goals.
How to Do the Brabo Choke from Half Guard?
The half-guard is one of the fundamental Brazilian jiu-jitsu positions where both fighters have an equal chance to win the BJJ fight.
In addition, this position can provide you with some great sweeps from the bottom and brutal choke submissions from the top. So, the half-guard player may get a brabo choke by using his opponent’s lapel, but how does he do this?
- The first step is to go into the top half guard position and secure it with proper grips, pressure, and distance management.
- Many bottom-half guard players base their game on obtaining an underhook. This move gives them access to an abundance numbers of sweeps and transitions. Therefore, if you see this happening, you should open the opponent’s and block the underhook.
- Now, grab the opponent’s lapel from its extremity by the nearby hand and transfer it to your other hand behind the opponent’s head.
- The next step is to drive your opponent’s plate into his back and transfer the lapel grip to your other hand.
- You could go for the cross-lapel choke if the opponent did not react. However, the opponent often used his top hand to fight against the X choke. As a result, you must grasp this hand and drag it across your chest, neglecting its ability and controlling it with the proper pressure.
- Finally, finish the Gi brabo choke by applying sufficient pressure on the opponent’s shoulder.
Need more assistance!
Stephan Kesting teaches doing a gi brabo choke from the half-guard position in the following instructional video.
Source: Stephan Kesting
Wait! The following sections will teach how to perform a brabo choke in gi and no-gi from various Brazilian jiu-jitsu positions. In addition, you’ll discover some interesting facts about this jiu-jitsu strangle variant that you should be aware of before you try it out on your friends.
What Is a Brabo Choke? and How Does It Work?
The brabo choke is one of the traditional old-school BJJ chokes that requires the usage of the opponent’s lapel. It’s a very effective choke submission often used after a failed cross-lapel choke.
Otherwise, advanced fighters often perform the jiu-jitsu brabo choke from the half guard. Still, it may also be performed from side control, the guard, and other positions.
Moreover, the attacker will apply tremendous pressure using his hands and upper body on his opponent’s carotid arteries when performing this technique. Thus, the brabo choke submission falls under the blood chokes family, like other BJJ gi chokes.
How to Perform a Brabo Choke from Side Control?
The top side control position is one of the most powerful positions in BJJ martial arts. In addition to various choke submissions like the brabo choke, it also offers several transitions to other dominant positions.
So, what best way to perform brabo strangulation from the top side mount?
- First, you must place yourself in the top-side control position and secure it with appropriate grips and weight distribution to prevent your opponent from escaping.
- Begin focusing on opening the opponent’s lapel. But first, maintain good shoulder pressure on the opponent’s head to prevent him from facing you or escaping from you.
- Raise the opponent’s shoulder a little bit and drive your hand behind his back while simultaneously lowering your shoulder on his jaw. As a result, these moves will leave the opponent’s underhook very weak, and you will make it challenging for him to create space.
- Pass the gi’s lapel to your other hand behind the opponent’s head and control it well.
- Now, block the opponent’s hip using your free hand and go from the knee-on-belly position.
- Switch the lapel grip to your other hand. But make sure that your hand goes deep into the opponent’s lapel behind his neck to make the choke so tight and effective.
- Go for the cross choke, and when your opponent tries to protect himself, cross his arm and sink your chest under his tricep to secure.
- Move your knee toward the ground to allow your opponent to turn on his side. So, Seize the opportunity to readjust the lapel’s grip as deep as you can. Indeed, don’t forget to control the opponent’s sleeve so that his arm and shoulder stand against his neck in the proper position.
- Finally, finish the Gi BJJ brabo choke by applying enough pressure on the opponent’s shoulder.
Need more help!
Professor Gustavo Gasperin demonstrates step-by-step how to do a gi brabo choke from the top side control position in the instructional video that follows.
Source: MMA Leech
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.
Brabo Choke Variations
In the following video, Thomas Lisboa illustrates several things you will encounter as you are ready to finish the brabo choke.
Because of this, you will receive excellent alternatives and solutions that will assist you in completing the submission.
Source: BJJ Fanatics
Brabo Choke Vs. D’arce Choke
The brabo and darce are two excellent choke submissions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Indeed, the mechanisms of these two chokes are identical, but some grapplers may confuse the two chokes.
The brabo choke is a well-known submission that demands using the opponent’s lapel. In addition, the d’arce choke is well-known in no-gi jiu-jitsu submission.
However, these chokes function identically and can be achieved from the same positions, such as the side control, the half guard, etc.
How to Do the No-Gi Brabo Choke/ Darce Choke?
Stephan Kesting demonstrates the technique of performing a no-gi brabo choke/darce choke from the half-guard position in the instructional video below.
Source: Stephan Kesting
Final Thoughts
The brabo choke is one of the most severe and efficient gi/no-gi techniques for putting an opponent to sleep. As a result, numerous competitors, like Leo Vieira, have demonstrated the effectiveness of this choke type in many Brazilian jiu-jitsu events.
Fortunately, you can perform the brabo choke from various BJJ positions, including the turtle, side control, half guard, and so on. Therefore, you should include this choke submission in your offensive plan if you want to become a dangerous grappler.
It would also be beneficial to be familiar with the different jiu-jitsu techniques and submissions. On the other hand, chokes have consistently been regarded among the most effective methods anybody can use on the mat to submit even a more challenging opponent.
I hope that this post has been of assistance in successfully finishing the brabo strangulation. As a result, you will be able to develop a decisive attacking game while still having a great time while training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Tell us: Is the brabo choke one of your favorite jiu-jitsu Gi chokes?
Recommended: Enter the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and learn the distinct advantages of Gi and No-Gi training. Click here to learn about the main distinctions between BJJ Gi and No-Gi and which style is best for MMA or self-defense.
