Do you want to be a Ninja? If you do, you came to the right place. Jokes aside, the Ninja Choke in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—is a highly effective submission you must learn to call yourself a grappler.
It’ll serve as another tool in your toolbox. And the broader your toolbox is, the more intimidating you’ll be to your opponents. Think about it; who would you be more intimidated to face, a grappler who knows 5 techniques (but knows them really well) or another grappler who knows 120 techniques (and is competent in using them)?
I would have no issues beating the grappler who knows 5 techniques. But I don’t know about the other who knows 120 techniques.
Anyways, this article will review the Ninja Choke, so you can eventually master it. I encourage you to read this article in order and not skip a single section if your desire is to master it.
We’ll start with its variations and continue by breaking down one. We’ll break it down to its deepest components so that you can master it quickly and correctly.
Enough introduction; let’s dive into the variations of this choke.
Ninja Choke Variations
This 1st part of the article will be entirely about variations. We are starting with this section on purpose. I used to start my BJJ technique breakdowns with a complete step-by-step breakdown of one of the variants.
However, I switched the order around since I believe you want to learn and understand a few variations before we break down one of them. This will better your understanding in the long term.
I recommend bookmarking this article (or putting it somewhere with easy access.) You now want to get comfortable with the Ninja Choke and build muscle memory so you don’t have to think about the steps when you execute it. For that, it’ll be better if you return to the article after trying one of the variations.
Learning each variation separately is better than practicing all of them simultaneously.
Alright. Let’s examine the first variant, which will be from the Closed Guard position!
#1 – Ninja Choke From Closed Guard (No-Gi)
The first variation we’ll cover, also the one I see the most, is the Ninja Choke from the Closed Guard position. If you’re unfamiliar with the Closed Guard position or want to master it, you can follow this link to learn more about it.
Anyways, performing this variant isn’t as difficult as many people think. You’ll be able to build muscle memory in no time, allowing you to use it in real fights.
So here’s how you perform this Closed Guard Ninja Choke (No-Gi.)
- Start in Closed Guard
- Break the opponent’s posture
- Move his head to your left armpit
- Underhook your right hand around his head
- Twist your body to the right
- Grab your left biceps with your right hand
- Lock a Rear Naked Choke grip
- Squeeze your lock
- Pull his head
- Wait for the tap
Mastering this variation shouldn’t take too long, as it’s relatively uncomplicated. Of course, many techniques are simpler, but you can still expect to become comfortable using them in a short period of deliberate practice.
A primary point you want to emphasize here is to get a tight Rear Naked Choke lock over the opponent’s head. The more space you’ll give him, the easier it will be to escape your lock.
So emphasize a tight lock.
#2 – Ninja Choke From Side Control
The Side Control position is one that gives you endless options. You can go for the Guillotine Choke, Lapel Choke, Americana, Gogoplata, Monoplata, or even submit the opponent with a leg lock! If you want to read a guide on how to finish from Side Control more often, follow this link.
That’s why Side Control gives you a massive advantage. We’ll now review the Ninja Choke from the Side Control position to see its effectiveness!
- Start in Side Control
- Apply pressure on the opponent’s chest
- Bring your cross-face hand around
- Place the same hand’s elbow on the opponent’s chin (from the other side)
- Drive your elbow down
- Shift all your weight to your elbow
- Open your lapel with your free hand
- Hook your 1st hand under the opponent’s head
- Pass the Lapel you extended from your 2nd hand to the 1st
- Turn in the opposite direction of the opponent
- Squeeze your hand (pull to tighten the choke)
- Wait for the tap
This variant isn’t as difficult to learn and execute. You want to emphasize here not to show the opponent your plans. That’s why you block his face using your cross-face grip before you free your Lapel.
Because if the opponent catches you freeing your Lapel, he’ll do everything in his ability to counter your Ninja Choke. Therefore, if you can be fairly stealthy about it, you’ll be in a better position to finish the fight quickly.
There are many caveats here you want to know to perform this variation perfectly. Watch the YouTube video below to see these small tips you want to implement when performing this choke.
#3 – Ninja Choke From Top Half-Guard
The next variant we’ll cover is from the top Half-Guard. Knowing to finish a fight by applying a choke from this position will give you many options. However, The primary thing it’ll allow you to do is to be more threatening and intimidating.
Your future opponents will see you’re capable of performing this submission from the top Half-Guard. So they’ll do anything to disallow you the opportunity to get there, giving you an advantage.
That’s why I always preach to keep learning, as the broader your toolbox is, the better!
Here are steps to performing this variation:
- Start in the top Half-Guard
- Pass your arm to the opponent’s far shoulder
- Hook your arm and cup the back of his head
- Bring your other elbow to the same place
- Grab your biceps with the 1st hand
- Shift your weight to the far side
- Squeeze your hands
- Wait for the tap
This is perhaps the easiest to learn and execute. And still, it might be unintuitive for some folks, which is totally fine. Nonetheless, you want to keep practicing until you eventually get comfortable with it.
You want to keep your grip to be as tight as possible, especially in the No-gi realm. You must not let the opponent escape your hand lock if you don’t want to end up in a disadvantageous position. Instead, keep the grip tight and finish the choke gracefully.
And now, let’s dive into the last variation we’ll cover in this article!
#4 – Standing Ninja Choke
The last variant we’ll cover will be from the standing position. While this can still be applied in BJJ, I don’t think it’ll be as effective on this playing field. Instead, it’ll be more practical to use in street fights, self-defense situations, and in MMA.
So let’s see how you can perform the Standing Ninja Choke:
- Start when you and the opponent are standing
- The opponent grabs your leg
- Defend by folding your leg backward
- Push his head
- Slice your arm under his chin
- Bring your other arm around
- Grab your biceps tightly with your 1st hand
- Tighten your lock
- Squeeze
- Wait for the tap
I don’t expect this variation in play as often as in the other ones, especially in BJJ. However, understanding the standing variation will help you better grasp the basics of the Ninja Choke; so it’s a must-learn.
You want to start practicing each of these variations separately and not all together. That will allow you to build better muscle memory in the long term, making you a more competent grappler.
And if that’s something you desire, this website is for you!
Ninja Choke Step-By-Step Breakdown
Alright. Let’s advance to the 2nd part of the article, a step-by-step breakdown of the 3rd variation, which is from the top Half-Guard. We’ll break it down into its deepest components, so you can master it in no time.
Now that you’re familiar with these 4 Ninja Choke variations, you can begin to choose a favorite and invest a lot of time into honing your execution of it.
While knowing a lot is a key part of BJJ, mastering a few techniques will be the best choice, as you’ll be able to use these techniques flawlessly. This eventually will lead to more wins and more motivation to keep learning.
So now, let’s break down the 3rd variation! I hope you’re ready for a bumpy ride.
- Start in the top Half-Guard
- Pass your arm to the opponent’s far shoulder
- Hook your arm and cup the back of his head
- Bring your other elbow to the same place
- Grab your biceps with the 1st hand
- Shift your weight to the far side
- Squeeze your hands
- Wait for the tap
Step #1 – Start in the top Half-Guard
The first step is to start in the top Half-Guard position. If you’re unfamiliar with how this looks, it’s when one of your legs is between the opponent’s guard. Now this position is fairly neutral, as it gives you and your training partner a unique advantage.
Your training partner can go for many submissions when he’s in Half-Guard. But as you can see, you can as well.
So this is the first move.
Step #2 – Pass your arm to the opponent’s far shoulder
The 2nd step is to pass your arm to the opponent’s far shoulder. When you go for this move, the opponent will know of your plans and might try to stop you from advancing.
However, it’s unlikely that he’ll guess you’re specifically going for the Ninja Choke, as the D’arce Choke is more common from top Half-Guard. That’s why this submission can be more effective because the less the opponent expects it, the more likely you are to tap him out.
Step #3 – Hook your arm and cup the back of his head
Once you pass your arm to the opponent’s far shoulder, you want to hook your arm and cup the back of his head. This hold looks like the Guillotine, but it’s not the same.
You can hook the opponent’s head as you would expect to, but this doesn’t give you many options. By hooking your arm in the opposite direction, you’re being less expected and improving the likelihood of getting this properly.
Step #4 – Bring your other elbow to the same place
The following step is to bring your other elbow to the same spot, the back of his head. Spoiler alert: you’re about to close your hands and apply pressure.
Thus, you already want to minimize the space between your biceps and your partner’s neck. Doing so will allow you to apply greater pressure when performing this submission.
Step #5 – Grab your biceps with the 1st hand
You now want to grab your biceps with the 1st hand (the one that you passed in the 2nd step.) This is going to lock your grip and apply initial pressure on the opponent’s neck.
Frankly, some of your opponents will allow you to apply pressure in this step, especially if there isn’t space between the opponent’s neck and your arm. In that case, you want to squeeze your hands now, and you’ll get the tap.
But most of your opponents will not allow you to do that. In this case, advance to the 6th step.
Step #6 – Shift your weight to the far side
Next up, you want to shift your weight to the far side. So if you started from the right side, you should have passed your right arm to the far shoulder (2nd step), and you want to shift your weight to the left.
This will create immense pressure around the opponent’s neck, allowing you to get the tap much quicker.
Step #7 – Squeeze your hands
The last practical step of the Ninja Choke from top Half-Guard is to squeeze your hands together, minimizing the space between his neck and your lock.
This will increase the pressure around the opponent’s neck, forcing the inevitable tap out.
Step #8 – Wait for the tap
The last step is to wait for the tap. Now I know what you’re thinking; this is obvious. But, is it?
You must divert all your attention to the opponent when you squeeze your hands. You can cause permanent damage and injuries if you don’t immediately release all pressure when the opponent taps.
Once the opponent taps, release all pressure immediately. The last thing you want happening is the opponent hurting you or the other way around.
Final Words
This was the Ninja Choke from many positions. You want to start learning and practicing it early on in your BJJ journey, preferably when you’re a white or blue belt.
As you can see, learning and executing is not as difficult. You’ll be able to master it in no time, especially if you got to this article’s end. If you read thus far, you’re a grappler who aspires to improve himself, which might be surprising, but not many grapplers constantly strive to improve.
You can learn many other submissions other than the Ninja Choke to start winning more fights. Follow this link to read about the best submissions from Closed and Open Guard; you must know them to call yourself a sound grappler!
You can also sign up for our Email Newsletter to keep up with our blog posts and gain access to free martial arts/self-improvement courses!
And here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
BJJ 101: Helio Gracie Choke (From Closed Guard)
Ezekiel Choke 101 – Complete BJJ Guide
9 Most Effective Submissions From Mount (Must-Know)
Lumberjack Sweep 101: How to Perform & Master
Mastering the Elevator Sweep in BJJ – Guide
Scissor Sweep 101 – BJJ Technique Breakdown
Butterfly Sweep 101: BJJ Complete Breakdown
BJJ’s 5 Most Effective Sweeps – Suitable for Beginners
BJJ Beginner Moves: The 11 Most Effective Ones
BJJ Leg Lock Positions – Ashi Garami & 50/50 and More