Finishing Moves: Chokes, cranks, smothers, etc..

As some of the most effective submissions in the sport, we often look to chokeholds as a way to finish an opponent. When listening to more experienced fighters, you'll often hear how they look specifically for chokes as opposed to other submissions (hyperextensions, crushes, slices, other joint manipulations, restraints and pain tolerance moves). The most common reason for this is the idea that a tough or determined opponent will often not stop fighting due to a crippling type submission. If you think of it, a good portion of submissions don't actually finish an opponent--though they are based on the principle that the threat of severe damage, the unavoidability of crippling injury, or actual trauma will take the fight out of most people. Exception to this is that the massive/destructive effect of some submissions will put a person into shock. However, there are just those rare few that either through determination (choose not to tap), situation (cannot tap--particularly in a self-defense scenario), or inexperience (don't know when to tap) could possibly fight on. We will talk more on those types of Finishing Moves another day, but as hinted in an early blog, we'll comment a bit on different types of chokes.

In contrast, the benefit of solid choke submissions is that they lead directly to unconsciousness from one form or another.

Air (wind) Chokes- Can include rear-naked choke variations, short trachea choke, five finger choke, certain guillotine applications, and what some people will refer to in a very un-politically correct way, a "rape" choke (hands to the throat, thumbs to the trachea). These chokes work directly against the flow of oxygen and are extremely fast. The opponent will often go limp quite quickly. They can also be extremely dangerous as they do not need to be held as long, therefore leading quicker to longterm damage, and can crush parts of soft-tissue structure in the neck. In many cases these strangles are also hard to apply and, in some competition formats, illegal. Even in MMA formats you are not allowed to blatantly attack the windpipe or place thumbs into the neck to purposely strangle an opponent--note: you are allowed to hold and base off of the neck.

Blood Chokes- Notable examples include triangle chokes, arm triangles, anaconda chokes, circular choke, Darce chokes, and, again, certain applications of the guillotine. The key to the application of these is to realize that these submissions work most often against the major arties and/or veins in the neck (carotid and jugular). The opponent will physically slow and only later go limp. In that way, also keep in mind that the execution of these chokes requires a bit more time than wind chokes. A veteran will work these submissions into position and hold them patiently. In competition you will sometimes see beginners release a blood choke far too early or try to reset a choke incorrectly. After seeing many lower level fights, I for one can't count the number of times I have seen an arm triangle fail because the fighter applying it released the hold prematurely in order to "see" why it wasn't working. The other constant danger for beginners is to burn themselves out trying to finish via an improperly secured submission so be sure to be cutting off the blood flow on these chokes. As a tip, expect a tap from a wind choke in under 5 seconds and to secure a blood choke for at least 10 before feeling an effect in competition.

BONUS notes:

Cranks- I'll include neck cranks here despite the fact that they are not true "choke" holds. However, they are often a result of a variant on a choke-type submission. To give you an idea just think of the many times you have seen a rearnaked choke, Ezequiel, north-south choke, or a guillotine {Note the versatility of the guillotine} transitioned into a neck crank. The goal here is to attack the skeletal structure of the neck and jaw through a twisting, crushing, or elongating motion. In these cases, the imminent threat of permanent paralysis (or if you've ever felt a jaw crank, the threat of breaking teeth) will factor into how long an opponent will hold out. Be careful using cranks. There is no excuse for using an explosive application to any type of crank in training. To knowingly do so is grounds for expulsion in many gyms.

Smothers/Compressions- Other submissions that I'll put here only because of the similarity to choke holds as the concept behind these techniques is to attack or disturb breathing. Often this is not very technical as it could be as simple as placing your hand over an opponent's face--again, another 'technique' that is illegal in MMA. Stronger, longer, and larger fighters will use smothers and compressions such as a the pec choke, body triangles, and other moves that can be described as crushing an opponent. However, it's not just the big guys that do this. Even as a lighter class fighter, I will admit that my favorite is a smother that can be used as a particular rear-naked choke variation. Knee on belly and other positions that put great pressure on the ribcage and chest can also affect breathing. That said, realize that often the best way to use a smother is actually to just slow an opponent down, to cause discomfort, as a set-up for a transition, as a method of control, and to prevent him from recovering.