Clock Choke
Submission · Turtle
A gi collar choke on the turtle: your forearm and his own far collar close the neck from both sides. The moment is when you are at the side of the turtle, his near arm is blocked and his head is down. Feed one hand under his neck to a deep grip on the far collar, fingers inside, and pin his near arm with your knee or shin so he cannot post or roll toward you. Sprawl your legs back, chest heavy on his back, and walk your feet toward his head like a clock hand: the grip stays fixed and your circling body tightens it. Beginners pull with the arm or start with a shallow grip. If he rolls toward the choke, take the back; if he sits up, switch to the bow and arrow.
How to do it
- From the side of the turtle, open their collar with one hand and feed your other hand under their neck to the far collar.
- Take a deep collar grip on the far side, fingers inside the collar, as close to the back of the neck as you can before you start to move.
- Block their near arm with your knee or shin so they cannot post it or roll toward you.
- Step your free leg forward past the line of their shoulders, then sprawl, hips low and head on the mat if needed, so your hips and chest press down on their shoulders and the back of the neck, not on your knees.
- Walk your feet toward their head like the hand of a clock. The grip stays fixed, so your body circling around it pulls the forearm tight across the neck.
- Keep your chest heavy on their back as you walk: the pressure pins them and increases the choke until the tap.
Key details
- Walk around toward the head; do not pull. The choke comes from your body turning around the fixed grip, while pulling with the arm only tires it and lifts your chest off.
- Block their near arm with your knee or shin: it is the arm they need to post and roll toward you.
- Chest on their back adds the pressure: your weight keeps them flat and drives the neck into the forearm.
- Deep grip first: once you start walking, a shallow grip cannot be improved.
- Get past their shoulder line: only then do your hips push their head and shoulders down while the grip pulls up; from behind the shoulders it is just your arm pulling and they lift the head.
Common mistakes
- Kneeling while choking. — On your knees your weight is not on them; you are light, and they roll you over their back. — Sprawl your legs back, straight, and put your weight on their back.
- A shallow collar grip. — The collar does not wrap the neck, so there is no choke, only pressure on the throat. — Open the collar with your other hand and feed a deep grip before you start walking.
- Leaving the near arm free. — They post it, roll toward you and escape. — Block the near arm with your knee or shin so they cannot roll.
- Shoving the choking arm deep before your weight is set. — They clamp your wrist to their body and roll through, and you end up pinned underneath. — Open the collar with the other hand, feed it to a short choking hand, set the grip, then commit your weight.
How to drill it
Clock choke walk-around, 6 reps each side; finish slowly on the last 2.
Safety
Walk slowly: it gets tight quickly.
What comes next
Where it comes from