Cross Body Arm Choke Tutorial

The technique I’m highlighting this week is a cross body arm choke. It’s actually one of my favorites and one I use quite often. Some of my students have given the choke my name, however I’m sure it’s been around for a long time. It’s really a variation of the Brabo or Darce choke.

One of the most important aspects of this choke is the control of your opponent’s elbow on the trapped arm. Another vital component is blocking your opponent from turning into you. You must keep your opponent as flat as possible, while still giving yourself enough reach to get your arm under his head far enough so you can cup the bicep of your other arm.

When I first started doing this choke, I thought of it as more of a strength technique, primarily because I wasn’t doing it correctly. I often found myself squeezing with all my might to get the tap, with about a 50% success rate. Once I began to understand the counters and escapes from the choke, only then was I able to understand not only the proper technique, but also a multitude of ways to maneuver into this choke.

Take a look at the video tutorial to see a couple of variations of how I execute this choke.