So you want to learn the German Necktie. Fantastic! It’s an infamously strong submission that will allow you to apply a lot of neck pressure and force your opponent to tap out. If you perform it correctly, you’d get this submission done in under a few seconds, which is incredibly short.
The German Necktie is a choke that you want to learn. Many grapplers, however, believe that this submission is hard to learn and execute, so they don’t bother learning it.
This is what I designed this article for; fast learning. I’ve thoughtfully placed each section where it is to ensure you’re (1) motivated to learn it, and (2) know how to learn and execute it properly.
I’m confident you’ll be able to make this necktie work. You’ll just how effective it can be when you learn it the right way. Alright. So I want you to get on the mat and practice already; without further intro, let’s dive into the 1st part of this technique breakdown!
What Is the German Necktie?
The 1st part of this article will clear out what the German Necktie is. It’ll also explain some nuances you want to know before learning it. And lastly, I’ll tell you how long executing it should take. Spoiler alert, it’s going to be a few seconds to get the tap.
The German Necktie is a choke that utilizes your arms and hamstrings to cause a lot of neck pressure. It’s primarily taught in BJJ and MMA, and its popularity has increased over the last few years. Furthermore, you can perform it from top Half Guard or Side Control.
I’ll mainly focus on the Side Control variation for this article. As you might know, you have endless options to go for when in this position. You can go for the Loop Choke, Wrist Lock, Triangle Choke, Guillotine, and even the Kimura and Americana. Learn more about Side Control’s best submissions by following this link!
I will review the top Half Guard variation shortly after the Side Control one. So stay tuned for that (in the following part of the article.)
Naturally, learning the German Necktie will add another color to your pallet. You’ll be to use it whenever you find yourself in one of these positions and be able to finish the fight quickly. It allows you to cause enormous levels of neck pressure, which equals physical pain.
How to Perform the German Necktie
You can perform the German Necktie in two different ways. The first is from the top Half Guard and the second is from Side Control. Both utilize the same movements, so if you learn one you’ll get comfortable with the other quicker than it took you to learn the first.
For the sake of clarity, let’s now review the steps to executing the German Necktie from the Side Control position:
- Start in Side Control
- Your opponent underhooks you
- Slide your right arm until you reach his neck
- Hook the opponent’s neck with your other arm
- Grab your 1st wrist with the 2nd arm
- Push your arms until they reach the back of his neck
- Go to a 3-fingers grip
- Step over the opponent’s bottom leg
- Take control over his bottom leg
- Step up with your other leg
- Bring your other leg’s knee around your elbow
- Lean forward
- Squeeze your arms
- Get the tap
This execution process isn’t as difficult as it looks. It’ll all flow naturally once you practice it a few times. So don’t hesitate to start learning and practicing it.
Eventually, nothing will ever replace mat experience. You want to roll as many times as possible; practice this variant as many times as possible. The more you do so, the more likely you’ll be to develop solid muscle memory and get more taps using it!
Here’s a visual aid for you to watch to deepen your understanding of this wonderful choke.
German Necktie From Top Half Guard
So you now know to perform the German Necktie from Side Control. That’s great. I hope you’re ready to get on the mat and start gaining real experience already. But before you do that, I want you to take a look at another variation of this necktie, which is going to be from the top Half Guard position.
Before we break it down, if you want to learn more about the Half Guard position and some other options you have from it, follow this link!
Anyways, here’s how to perform the German Necktie from the top Half Guard:
- Start in top Half Guard
- Your opponent underhooks you
- Grab the leg you don’t control with the same arm
- Lift his leg
- Push the opponent forward
- Hook your other arm around his neck (like the guillotine)
- Plant your 1st arm through
- Place your hands behind his neck
- Go to a 3-fingers grip
- Step forward (forward than his head)
- Post with your head
- Squeeze your arms
- Apply downward pressure with your hamstring
- Get the tap
Fairly simple stuff. Once you get comfortable with both variations, you’ll become an unstoppable user of the German Necktie. Do give both variations a try to see which one you want to master first!
Should I Learn the German Necktie?
You should learn the German Necktie since it’ll allow you to apply tons of neck pressure on your opponent and force him to tap quickly. It can take under 4 seconds to perform it correctly, which is low enough to be a surprising move.
Is the German Necktie Effective?
The German Necktie is a highly effective submission, both in BJJ and MMA, because it allows you to apply neck pressure using your arms and hamstring. Therefore, you’ll be able to apply much more neck pressure than your standard choke.
If you want to learn about BJJ’s best chokes you want to learn and get comfortable with, follow this link!
Final Words
It’s time we wrap this article up. It has been a lot of pleasure writing and researching about it, as I’m a big fan of constant learning. Even BJJ Grandmasters and Coral Belts admit they have much more to learn. So who are we to stop?
The German Necktie is a highly effective submission you want to learn. Experiment with both variations, Side Control and Half Guard, to gain the most experience using them.
And remember, nothing will replace real mat experience. So get on the mat and start practicing!
The German Necktie isn’t the most effective necktie. Learn more about BJJ’s most powerful neckties by following this link!
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And here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
BJJ 101 – Nelson Necktie (How to Perform Flawlessly)
Peruvian Necktie 101: From Beginner to Pro
BJJ 101: Japanese Necktie (The Right Way)