Bread Cutter Choke
Submission · Side Control
A forearm choke anchored by the collar: your forearm lies across the side of his neck and your chest weight drives it down. It comes in side control when he pushes your hips with both arms and leaves his neck open. Open his far collar and pass it to your top hand, thumb inside, at medium depth: too deep and the forearm misses the neck, too shallow and the collar has slack. Lay that forearm across the side of his neck and put your elbow on the mat as a wall the head cannot slip past. Your other arm goes under his armpit to trap the arm he sneaks between you. Sprawl back and drop your chest onto the top arm slowly. If he tucks the chin, switch to the paper cutter; if he pushes your elbow, take the armbar.
How to do it
- From side control, when their arms push your hips and the neck is open, open their far collar with your far hand, pulling it away from the neck.
- Pass the collar to your top hand: thumb inside, neither too deep nor too shallow. The right depth lets the forearm lie across the neck with the collar tight behind it.
- Lay that forearm across the side of their neck. The other hand grips the collar, sleeve or triceps underneath, the anchor arm going under their armpit to trap the arm they sneak between you.
- Bring your elbow down so it touches the mat. The elbow on the mat is a wall, and the head cannot slip out on that side.
- Sprawl back and drop your chest weight onto the top arm, slowly, until the tap. Stay heavy on their chest with the hips low; the weight does the choke, not the arm.
Key details
- Grip depth matters: too deep or too shallow and the choke will not close. Too deep leaves the forearm off the neck; too shallow leaves slack in the collar.
- Chest weight does the choke, not the arm. Your arm only holds the forearm in place on the neck.
- The elbow touching the mat builds a wall the head cannot escape. Without it, the head slides out under your arm.
- The anchor arm goes under their armpit and traps the arm they sneak between you. That arm would otherwise push your forearm off the neck.
- Put the hinge of your grip over his Adam's apple so the forearm drops onto the side of the neck, and curl your wrist in as you drop. Come up onto your toes so the heaviest point of your body is the forearm; if he grips your arm to defend, put your forehead on top of your grip and drive with it.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing with the arms. — If the arms burn out, something in the position is off: the grip depth or the elbow. — Fix the grip depth and the elbow, then use your weight.
- Pushing with the arm. — The arm tires and the choke is weak. — Drop your chest weight onto it.
- Lifting the hips too high. — They escape the hips and recover guard. — Stay heavy on their chest with the hips low.
How to drill it
From side control, 6 slow entries each side; stop at the first pressure.
Safety
Pressure on the throat: drop your weight slowly and release at the tap.
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