Tag: Ezekiel Choke

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How To Do An Ezekiel Choke in BJJ

The Ezekiel choke in BJJ is named after Ezequiel Paraguassu, an olympic Judo fighter who studied with the Gracie BJJ family before the 1988 olympics to perfect his ground fighting. According to Jiu Jitsu Legacy, Paraguassu was frustrated by the tight closed guard of his new Brazilian friends until he remembered an old, rarely used judo choke called the Sode Guruma Jime, Japanese for sleeve wheel constriction. The choke was so effective and popular that it was named after him (albeit with a misspelling).

The Ezekiel choke uses the cross face position from mount, half guard, or even from inside someone’s guard to grip onto the free arm’s sleeve and use that sleeve to choke the opponent. This setup doesn’t require sacrificing your good position, so it’s a great submission to attempt even if your opponent defends it well. 

Start: Mount

Step 1: Establish cross face behind opponent’s neck

Step 2: Grip attacking arm’s sleeve with four fingers of cross face hand

Step 3: Slide attacking hand under opponent’s chin and over their neck

Step 4: Pour weight onto your hands and into the choke

Finish: Submission via Ezekiel choke

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How To Do A No Gi Ezekiel Choke in BJJ

The no gi ezekiel choke in BJJ is one of the meanest chokes in the game. Achieved by wrapping your arms around your opponent’s neck and then figure fouring them so that no space is left and your opponent’s head feels like it’s going to pop off, this choke is one that should be in every Jiu-Jitsu fighter’s arsenal. Slow and methodical but strong and tight, the no gi ezekiel choke is absolutely disheartening for the victim.

The no gi ezekiel choke can also be used in gi BJJ, but there is an easier ezekiel choke that uses a grip on the gi sleeve instead of figure fouring the arms.

Start: Mount

Step 1: Establish deep cross face by pushing opponent’s head into bicep with your head

Step 2: Clear opponent’s free hand so that both of your arms are able to attack the neck (threaten an arm triangle so that opponent’s defense leads them to an underhook)

Step 3: Lean towards arm with cross face

Step 4: Grip bicep of your attacking arm with cross face hand

Step 5: Slide hand along opponent’s ear to their neck

Step 6: Squeeze arms similar to rear naked choke

Finish: Submission via no gi ezekiel choke