Neil Knot

Submission · Closed Guard

A choke from the Williams guard (shoulder pin), named after Neil Melanson who teaches it: your forearm and your own leg close around his neck. It comes when your shoulder pin is locked — leg high over his shoulder, your arm under your own leg, hands locked, cranking his shoulder down toward his legs into the AC joint — and he stays pinned low. Inch your grip and head higher on his shoulder, then unlock, turn the palm out and slide that forearm under his chin. With that hand grab your own shin close to his neck, bring the other hand over to grab your own forearm, and squeeze; the tap comes quickly. If the hand cannot reach the shin, drive a fist into the side of his neck instead. Keep cranking down, never push him away: pushing gives him space, and pressure on his face instead of his neck lets him slip out. If he straightens the trapped arm, take the armbar from Williams guard; if he postures up hard, go to the omoplata. Apply slowly: it tightens fast and hurts.

How to do it

Lock the Williams guard (shoulder pin): hip out to an angle, leg high over his shoulder, your arm under your own leg, hands locked with a three-finger grip or a gable grip.
Crank his shoulder down toward his legs, into the AC joint — not away from you — and squeeze the knees, feet curled or crossed, so he stays pinned low.
Inch your grip and head higher on the shoulder, then unlock, turn the palm out and slide the forearm under his chin.
With that hand grab your own shin close to his neck; bring the other hand over and grab your own forearm.
Squeeze, pulling everything toward you, slowly until the tap; if you cannot reach the shin, drive a fist into his neck instead.

Key details

The forearm goes under the chin onto the neck, not onto the jaw or face.
Crank down toward his legs, never push him away: pushing gives him space.
Keep the angle: his shoulder dead center on your chest, your head deep on his shoulder.
Grab the shin close to his neck so the loop is tight.

Common mistakes

Grabbing the shin with the forearm still shallow. — The forearm sits on his face, there is no choke and he slips out. — Thread the forearm under the chin first, then grab the shin.
Pushing him away from you. — The space you give lets him pull his head out of the loop. — Crank his shoulder down toward his legs the whole time.
Locking the shoulder pin too early. — All the space is gone and you cannot move your hips to fix the angle. — Get your hips and legs in position from an overhook first, then lock the pin.

How to drill it

Partner in your closed guard: build the shoulder pin from an overhook, crank down, thread the forearm under the chin, grab your shin and forearm and squeeze very lightly. 5 reps each side.

Safety

It tightens fast and the crank also loads his shoulder: squeeze slowly and release at the first tap. Do not force your own knee into the high guard.

What comes next

RhizoBJJ

EN