So you want to learn the Brabo Choke. That’s excellent news since you’ll be able to do that here. The fact that you’re reading this article means you’re a great student, perhaps better than most grapplers. That’s already something to be proud of.
Constant learning should be your friend. However, today’s world has told us to limit how much we learn. In fact, I see this phenomenon a lot among BJJ trainees. Naturally, you want to avoid that—and reading this article is a suitable way to go about it.
Anyways, the Brabo Choke is an extremely practical submission you want to learn when you’re still a white belt. But, if you’re currently a blue, purple, or even black belt, you still want to familiarize yourself with this submission.
This article will also help those already familiar with this choke to master it. It might be difficult to master a submission, but it’s definitely possible with enough practice.
I think that’s enough Chit Chat. I hope you’re ready for a bumpy ride, as we’re about to dive into the 1st part of this article!
What is the Brabo Choke?
The 1st part of this article (this one) will define what the Brabo Choke is. Likewise, it’ll clear up some fundamental details you want to know about before getting your feet on the mat. Let’s first start with a clear definition and continue from there.
The Brabo Choke is a submission primarily taught in BJJ, but it’s also used in MMA and the UFC. It utilizes trapping the opponent’s arm, usually by passing his lapel behind his back while pulling his far hand and eventually trapping it. It’s typically performed from Side Control and with Gi.
Because it uses the Lapel, you’d have to wear a Gi (Follow the link to buy the most suitable Gi for you!) to execute it properly. If you were to perform it in a No-Gi environment, it would be the D’arce Choke, which is an exceptionally similar technique to the Brabo.
Frankly, it’s fairly complicated to learn, especially from Side Control. But you want to start getting experience using it as soon as possible.
That way, you’ll be more likely to get your first wins using it, further motivating you to keep learning and gaining experience. There’s no better way to say it, what comes first isn’t motivation, but action.
Take action and motivation will soon follow.
In the next part of the article, we’ll review lots of variations (specifically 5) that you want to learn. It’ll break each one down into a step-by-step system, allowing you to understand them quickly. Let’s get to it!
Lots of Brabo Choke Variations You Want to Know
This part of the article will cover 5 variations you want to know and practice throughout your BJJ career. Learning all these variants will make you a much better grappler.
Think about it, which grappler would yield better results? The one who strives to constantly learn new moves and hone his game or the other who isn’t taking any steps to learn more.
The first grappler will yield better results (get more taps.) This is common sense. The more moves you know, the more capable of a grappler you’ll eventually be, with practice and experience, of course.
This is why this part of the article is the most critical to follow through. I encourage you to bookmark this article and learn each of the variations I present.
Bookmarking this article—is key here because you want to practice each variant on its own. If you decide to learn all of them simultaneously, expect your muscle memory to develop more slowly, which you want to avoid.
Brabo Choke From Side Control
The first variant we’ll review is from Side Control. Here’s how to perform it properly:
- Start in Side Control
- Open the opponent’s lapel
- Lift his shoulder
- Place your left hand in the middle of his back
- Lean down while pressuring his jaw
- Grab the opponent’s lapel using your right hand
- Pass it to your left hand, under his head
- Go to Knee on Belly
- Pass the lapel to your right hand, tightening the neck pressure
- Grab his far arm
- Extend it while pulling it
- Drop your knee on the ground
- Control his sleeve
- Tighten your lapel pressure
- Drive your body forward
- Wait for the tap
Alright. 16 steps of pure confusion. I know it might seem difficult when you look at it for the first time. How am I going to remember this? You might ask.
The best way to remember all the steps while starting to get results using this submission is by breaking down the steps until you understand how everything plays out. Then, you’re going to practice each step, one at a time. This is the route you should take to maximize muscle memory.
Here’s a visual aid for you to follow:
There are many things to cover regarding this variant. However, we have to move on to the next variation. Hopefully, you’ve been able to understand the basics of this Side Control Brabo Choke. It’s time for you to either continue to the next variation or bookmark this article and get real experience using this variation.
Whichever you choose, you should also read another article of mine that’s about ways to finish from Side Control. Follow the link to learn how to do it properly.
Closed Guard Brabo Choke
The Closed Guard position is one of BJJ’s most important ones. You’ll definitely have a lot of time in it when you’re sparring or competing, as it’s a position many fights start with. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you want to get comfortable using it before you learn this variation.
If unfamiliar with it, follow this link to learn to use the Closed Guard position properly, including the fundamentals you must know to become a sound user of this position.
Here’s how to perform the Brabo Choke from the Closed Guard position:
- Start in Closed Guard
- Grab the opponent’s back lapel
- Wrap your other arm around his neck
- Grab the lapel with the other arm
- You’re now in the Brabo Grip
- Pull the opponent’s far arm across
- Turn your hips
- Grab the back of his head
- Do a crunch
- Squeeze the lapel
- Wait for the tap
As you can see, the Brabo Grip repeats itself. Spoiler alert, it’ll repeat itself with all the following variations as well. Attaining this grip will be most difficult. After you attain the Brabo Grip, you’ll get so much more control instantly, allowing you to do whatever you want.
You can even go for another submission if you’d like. And this is why knowing more finishing moves from the Closed Guard position is beneficial. If you want to read about the best Closed Guard submissions in BJJ you want to practice, follow this link.
Let’s move on.
Mounted Brabo Choke
The next Brabo variant we’ll review will be from the Full Mount position. Again, if you’re unfamiliar with it, it’ll be best to follow the previous link to learn everything you need to currently know about it.
This variation is a highly effective one, especially because you’re in BJJ’s most dominant position. You have endless options to finish the fight when on Mount. I have another article on the most effective Mount submissions you must learn. Follow the link to learn what they are.
Anyways, here’s how to perform the Mounted Brabo Choke:
- Start in Mount
- Your opponent bridges
- Post to the side
- Throw your right leg over the opponent’s head
- Bring your other leg around
- Place your right knee on the opponent’s hips
- Wrap your right arm under the opponent’s neck
- Extend your other arm over his head
- Grip your biceps with the same hand
- Squeeze
- Wait for the tap
As you can see, it’s not as complicated to learn. The most complex move here is to slide your right arm across the opponent’s head. Then, you pass your other leg around until you’re in a solid position to get this variant through.
Then, it’s all a matter of control. That’s why you place your right knee aside from his hips, blocking hips and gaining more control.
Brabo Choke From Half Guard
The next variation we’ll review is going to be from the Half Guard position. This position is effective from the top or bottom. I’ve written an article on the best Half Guard submissions, both from top and bottom; follow this link to see the complete list.
Anyways, if you’re unfamiliar with the Half Guard, it’s time you start getting comfortable with it since it’s a position all grapplers must know to call themselves, well, grapplers. It’s a fundamental position.
Nonetheless, here’s how to execute the Half Guard Brabo Choke:
- Start in the top Half Guard
- Apply shoulder pressure on the opponent’s chin
- Block his hips with your knee
- Loosen his lapel
- Pass it under his shoulder
- Grab the lapel with your other hand
- Pull the opponent toward you
- Switch your hands again
- Squeeze by applying down pressure
- Wait for the tap
It’s pretty much the same as the Side Control variation but in different positions. Remember the detail that entails you switching your grips again. Many novice grapplers forget to pass their grip the 2nd time, that’s to the hand that loosened his lapel in the first place.
By doing that—you’ll be able to tighten your lapel grip and apply much more neck pressure, resulting in a faster tap.
Brabo Choke From Turtle
The last variation we’ll review today is the Brabo Choke from the Turtle Position. The Turtle Position is a highly effective defensive move you want to learn. It can save you from a guaranteed loss and help transition you into a more dominant position, eventually allowing you to submit the opponent.
On the other hand, you also want to learn to deal with the Turtle Position, as we’ve already understood that it can be a middleman to a more dominant position. This is what this variation will do.
So let’s see how to perform the Turtle Brabo Choke:
- Your opponent is in Turtle
- Free his lapel
- Grab his lapel with your right hand
- Wrap the lapel around his head
- Pass it to your left hand
- Lean back
- Pass the lapel back to your right hand
- Tighten the choke
- Wait for the tap
It doesn’t matter what the opponent will do as long as you control his lapel. When you’re in the Brabo Grip, regardless of your position, you’ll be able to continue going for the choke.
Let’s assume that the opponent transitions from the defensive Turtle to the bottom Half Guard. In that case, you might think you’re in a more inferior position than before. That’s incorrect as long as you were able to get the Brabo Grip in place. So you wrapped his lapel around his head and passed it to your other hand.
Once you do that, you’re in the clear to finish the Choke, regardless of your current position.
Brabo Choke Tips
The last part of this article will review tips you want to implement into your Brabo Choke game to see more results with it. By implementing the following tips, you’ll be able to learn this submission faster while submitting more people with it.
So I think it’s a win-win situation here. Let’s dive into the first one!
Tip #1 – Tighten the neck pressure when you pass the lapel
The first tip is to tighten the neck pressure when you pass the lapel for the 2nd time. So you first loosen and grab it. Then, you wrap it around his head while grabbing it with your other hand. Finally, when you pass it around the 2nd time, you want to tighten the choke even more than before.
This will help you get more control and the tap sooner.
Tip #2 – Once you have the lapel, you’re in the clear
The 2nd tip is more of a mindset you want to adopt. As you know, being overly rushed or stressed is rarely a beneficial state. So understand the following thing:
Once you have the opponent’s lapel in control, you’re in the clear. There’s no need to rush whenever you think you need to take the execution slowly. After all, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Tip #3 – Learn all the variations
The final tip is to learn all the variations eventually. However, you want to learn as few variants at once as possible, as I previously mentioned.
So start with the one you find most intriguing and continue practicing it until you’re comfortable using it. Then, move on to the next one.
I recommend bookmarking this article so as to have all the variations in easy access. You don’t have to remember everything from this article when you’re one click away from returning to it.
Final Words
Chokes are a fundamental part of BJJ. You want to learn as many as you can, but keep a balance between the number of chokes you practice and master. Let me explain.
You want to focus on learning a few techniques at a time. Actually, you should strive for this number to be one. The fewer techniques you practice simultaneously, the faster you’ll learn said technique.
I’ve given you plenty of options to go for in this article. I recommend choosing one that you feel will serve you the most and practicing it until perfection. Then, move on to the next one. And again, this is why bookmarking this article is critical.
While the Brabo Choke is indeed an effective choke, it’s not the most effective one. Follow this link to read a complete guide to the BJJ’s best chokes and how to perform every one of them correctly.
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Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
Short Choke 101 – BJJ Technique Breakdown
BJJ 101: Omoplata (From Setup to Submission)
11 Best Half Guard Submissions From Top and Bottom
BJJ 101: Japanese Necktie (The Right Way)
Guillotine Choke 101 – BJJ Grappling Guide
Mastering the Triangle Choke – Complete BJJ Guide
Rear Naked Choke 101 – Complete Beginner’s Guide
Bow and Arrow Choke – From BJJ Beginner to Pro
BJJ 101: Ninja Choke – Complete Breakdown
BJJ 101: Helio Gracie Choke (From Closed Guard)