Judo choking methods

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Judo choking methods

While there many other ways to deliver a choke to the neck, it might be that looking at the Judo choking methods is a good place to start.

I was not taught to choke as a student of Isshinryu. Then as a new black at my first tournament an Instructor of Goshin Jutu asked me to assist him in he locker room after the tournament. He did not explain what he was doing. I remember him placing his hands on my neck, next I was coming too on the floor. Then I listed as he described how the carotid artery choke works.

That began my own independent study for a few years looking into variations of this choke. Solely for my own knowledge.

Years later as a mixed martial arts summer camp I was asked to give a seminar. As I did not feel comfortable giving instant Isshinryu instruction, I believed delivering a seminar on choking methods would be interesting to the others.

When the camp originator saw what I was showing he immediately stopped me, telling me that was too dangerous.

As years passed at times I saw other demonstrations, one time even from Sherman Harrill at a clinic.

So my knowledge grew. I, with a student who was a surgeon assistance, cane to understand how the carotid choke worked and how in seconds you could be rendered unconscious. Of course held for a longer time death might result. The carotid choke stops the heart from beating.

I never taught these to my youth students. Instead stressing any time anyone places their hands on your neck that was the time to instantly go all out to defend yourself.

Nor did I teach these chokes to my adult students, exactly. Instead giving examples of how they worked. It would be their own initiative to take this further.

But Judo teaches many of them and is a good place to start.

Note they are often used on the ground, but work equally well when standing.

Back in the late 1960’s I remember a match on TV where a Russian Judoka competed against an American Judoka.

As soon as the macth began the Russian Judoka grasped the American’s uniform collar and in seconds the American collapsed out cold. The Russian won the match with that choke.

The Judo chokes.

Nami juji jime or normal cross lock from the front with arms crossed grasping the collars with the thumb inside.

Gyaku juji jime or reverse cross lock from the front with the fingers inside.

Kata juji jime or half cross lock with one hand fingers-in and one hand thumb-in.

Hadaka jime or naked lock applied from the rear with the forearm across the throat.

Mae hadaka jime or front naked lock (sometimes called the guillotine).

Okuri eri jime or sliding collar lock applied from the rear with one hand reaching around the neck grasping the collar with the other hand reaching under the arm to the opposite collar.

Kataha jime or single wing lock from the rear with one hand around the neck to the collar but the other hand under the arm and behind the neck.

Katate jime or one hand choke from the front or side reach across the throat to the collar.

Ryote jime or two hand choke from the front grabbing the collars with the thumbs inside and turning your fists into the sides of the neck.

Sode guruma jime or sleeve wheel choke from the front reaching around the back of the neck with one hand and across the front with the other and grabbing your own sleeves.

Tsukkomi jime or thrust choke from the front grasping a lapel and pushing the fist directly into the side of the neck.

Jigoku jime (hell strangle) from the rear with one leg and one hand across the throat while the other leg and hand controls the opponent’s arms.

Sankaku jime or triangle choke from the front using the legs in a figure-four position around the neck and arm.