Bow and Arrow Choke
Submission · Back Control
A collar choke: his own far collar is pulled across his neck while your leg pulls his body the other way, like drawing a bow. From back control, when he fights two-on-one and turns his body away from your seatbelt, opening the collar. Feed a deep grip in his far collar with your top arm, knuckles reaching toward the back of his neck, and grab his pants at the knee with the other hand. Shift your hips out and swing your leg over his shoulder so your body is at 90° to his and your weight hangs on him, then pull the collar and extend your body. Open your bottom leg so you sit with your hip on the mat, not on your own leg, and lie back: the whole body stretches collar and knee apart. If he turns in, take mount; if he grabs the collar grip, the armbar from the back.
How to do it
- When they turn their body away from your seatbelt, feed a deep grip in their far collar with your top arm, the knuckles reaching toward the back of their neck.
- Grab their pants at the knee with the other hand. This grip is the other end of the bow.
- Shift your hips out to the side and swing your leg over their shoulder, so your body ends up at 90° to theirs and your weight hangs on them.
- Pull the collar and extend your body like drawing a bow, the collar and the leg pulled in opposite directions. Open your bottom leg so your hip sits on the mat, not on your own leg, and lie back to stretch the whole body.
Key details
- The deeper the collar grip, the faster the finish. A deep grip puts the collar across the neck instead of across the chest.
- Your body at 90° to theirs. The angle gives the collar a straight line to pull along and puts your weight on them.
- Pull the leg and the collar in opposite directions. The tension between the two ends is what closes the choke.
- If he clamps both hands on your collar wrist, put your feet on his arms to block them and then lie back: the leverage is far stronger than his grip.
Common mistakes
- Staying behind them. — There is no angle and no tension on the collar. — Move your hips out to the side before you pull the collar.
- A shallow collar grip. — A shallow grip lets the collar slide instead of tightening on the neck. — Feed the grip deep toward the back of the neck.
- Not extending the leg. — A bent leg gives no tension between the collar and the leg. — Extend your body like drawing a bow, pulling collar and leg apart.
How to drill it
Bow and arrow setup from the back, 8 reps; finish slowly on the last 3.
Safety
Strong choke: extend slowly.
What comes next
Where it comes from