Ten Finger Guillotine
Submission
The Ten Finger Guillotine (also called the Ten Finger Choke) uses all ten fingers interlocked around the opponent's neck without an arm-in configuration, creating a powerful blood choke. It is applied from front headlock, guillotine control, standing clinch, or during scrambles when the opponent's head is exposed, and works in both gi and no-gi.
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · Interlocking all ten fingers in a ball-and-socket grip around the throat maximizes constriction without relying on a traditional gable or S-grip.
- · Pulling the elbows tight to your ribcage while driving your wrists into the carotid arteries creates the choking pressure.
- · Arching the back and extending the hips generates the finishing force rather than relying on arm strength alone.
- · Keeping the opponent's posture broken and their forehead driven toward the mat prevents them from posturing out or peeling the grip.
- · If the opponent attempts to guard jump or pull you down, transitioning to closed guard while maintaining the grip secures the finish.
Execution
- 1 From front headlock or clinch, snap the opponent's head down and secure it under your chest, placing the blade of your forearm across the front of their throat.
- 2 Wrap both hands around the neck and interlock all ten fingers, positioning your wrists on either side of the trachea against the carotid arteries.
- 3 Squeeze your elbows tight to your body while pulling the grip into your sternum, ensuring the opponent's chin cannot slip over your forearm.
- 4 Finish by arching your back, extending your hips forward, and driving your chest upward to tighten the choke; if on the ground, close your guard and apply the same hip extension.
Common mistakes
- × Placing the forearm directly on the trachea instead of angling wrists into the carotids turns it into a painful crank rather than an efficient blood choke, giving the opponent more time to escape.
- × Leaving elbows flared wide allows the opponent to swim an arm inside and relieve pressure or strip the grip entirely.
- × Failing to break the opponent's posture before locking the grip lets them posture up, stack, and extract their head.
Do it from
Positions and situations where the Ten Finger Guillotine shows up.
