The Little Black Book of Violence

backside, are not used in these applications because they are softer and provide less mechanical leverage.

• Hands: The grips you use with your hands are very important. The interlacing of the fingers, as if in prayer, is never to be used. Your fingers can be crushed and/ or dislocated if you grip that way. Grabbing your own wrist can, at times, be a correct technique, but for our discussion here, it will not be used, as it is a bit more complicated to perform properly due to sweat and grime that can make a good grip go bad fast. The correct position is to clasp your hands together as if clapping, and then to grip a forefinger and thump around your opposite hand’s thumb.

Subtlety. Being subtle while attempting a choke is the beginning of a path to success. Both authors, having trained with champion judoka Kenji Yamada, can attest to the subtlety that he used while choking. Wilder says, “The first time Yamada Sensei choked me, I had no real concept of what was taking place. I wasn’t really able to feel his intention until he had the choke applied. I remember the technique too; it is called ‘The Hell Choke.’ By the time I realized what was happening it was too late.” Kane has had similar experiences. The first time he was choked-out in a judo tournament, he did not realize what the other guy was doing until he woke up afterward.

Carotid Artery

Trachea

Architecture of the Neck

An attack to the neck is perceived as life threatening. While you might be choking to knock the other guy out, he is bound to think you are intent on killing him. Once he feels the choke, he is going to switch on his “fight or flight” reflex immediately and instinctively. You’ll be in for a wild ride. You need to be sneaky and subtle. Not showing your intent until it is too late is the key to getting a successful choke or crank begun. Once it’s on properly, an untrained opponent will very unlikely get away from your technique until you choose to release him.

Arm—Comparison with Propeller Blades

An important ingredient in successful choking is control. In most cases, this means controlling your opponent’s hips with your legs. If you have a solid hold, he cannot buck you off of him or find some way to squirm away and break your chokehold. In a standing choke, this might simply mean dragging him backward so that he cannot get his feet under him or achieve any leverage to take the pressure off and continue the fight. In groundwork, that typically means controlling his hips with your legs.

Incorrect grip: interlaced fingers can be easily crushed or dislocated as you try to apply the technique.

Correct grip: clasp your hands together with interlocking thumbs.

Four Chokes and Cranks You Can Use

The type of chokes and cranks discussed here are designed for the street. Several of them have been banned from judo competition because they are too dangerous for sport. Since they may result in life-threatening injuries to your opponent, you must only use chokes when the situation warrants a high level of countervailing force (see the section “Use Only as Much Force as the Situation Warrants” for more information). There are some fantastic neck-crank takedowns that can be executed from a standing position that we have not included here because they are far too dangerous to attempt without properly supervised instruction. Performed incorrectly, they can prove fatal. If you decide to take martial arts classes, you can learn such things there.

Attempting a choke on the street without practice is a poor choice for combat, one that is very likely to fail. Chokes require both subtlety and control. Supervised practice is essential. You will most likely learn these techniques by practicing with a uniform gi initially. This heavy clothing not only facilitates many chokes, but also does not tear easily. Once you get good, practice with a t-shirt too. Use an old one as it will quickly get trashed, but it is very important to be able to use these kinds of techniques in street clothes. Finally, practice against a shirtless opponent so that you will be prepared for every eventuality.

Successful chokes and neck cranks require that you control the other guy’s movement until he passes out or gives up. That’s easiest to do, and most commonly done, from the ground. If both you and your adversary are on the ground, you can hold him in place with your legs while choking him with your arms and/or hands. Never intentionally go to the ground in a real fight, however, unless you can do so safely. While you’re working on your opponent, paying attention to getting the choke in place, his friends may intervene and put the boots to you. Be wary of bystanders if you decide to try these techniques on the street (see “Six Things to Avoid in a Fight” for more information).

Once you have successfully choked an opponent unconscious, release the pressure while maintaining the architecture of your technique. You can never know for sure if he’s playing possum until you let up a little, so don’t relinquish control too quickly in case he begins to fight back. Conversely, you do not want to inadvertently choke him to death either, so loosening up is a happy medium that maintains your control but provides a window of safety.

Kubi Hishigi — Neck Joint Crush

This is done from the ‘mount’ position. When in the mount, you need to be straddling your opponent, sitting on his lower stomach to control his hips. Your knees are on each side, riding along by his floating ribs. With both hands, not necessarily at the same time, reach behind your opponent’s head and cup the back of his skull with the palms of your hands. Once both hands are behind his head, cover one with the other and place both of your elbows on his collarbones. Using the shoulder and collarbone area as a fulcrum, pull his skull forward, crushing your opponent’s chin into his sternum.

Kubi Hishigi — step 1

Kubi Hishigi — step 2

Kubi Hishigi — step 3

Gyaku Hishigi — Opposite or Reverse Crushing (Guillotine)

This is a reverse choke and neck crush. While the guillotine can be done from a standing position or a ground position, the ground is most common and generally the most effective. Consequently, we demonstrate how it works from the standing version. Gyaku hishigi often comes from an attempted tackle, or wrestler’s take down by your opponent.

The opponent’s head is pushed into your armpit, in this illustration the right armpit. The right arm wraps around his head placing the blade of your arm across his throat. As this arm wrap comes across the opponent’s throat, you drop to the ground, opening your legs so you can wrap them around his lower abdomen and hips. This leg wrap is very important, as without it you will not be able to maintain control of your adversary and the choke will fail.