Choke Holds

[June1]

Hey, all!

Here's a question for all you grapplers out there: is there any possible way of getting out of a choke hold, or is it just too late once you're in it?

I keep hearing no, you can't get out, and that the best cure is really just prevention: avoid getting into one in the first place. What about elbowing, though? Or grabbing at the crotch, or something? Would that help at all?

Thanks.

[UseoForce]

First of all, there are 827 different kinds of "choke holds" so you should be more specific.

Striking to break any good hold has not proven to be very effective. You don't see it much in MMA, and when you do, it generally doesn't. Eye gouging and grion grabbing may work, but remember, you only have about 5 seconds if it is a tight blood choke. Plus, if I am behind you, I can easily defend both of these vulnerable targets.

[marie curie]

Yeh, I've gotten out of some choke holds, but it was only in MMA fighting, and usually it is a good elbow that just lets them loosen for a second.

[patusai]

As others have mentioned it is possible but there needs to be something done and it needs to be effectively reletively fast. Am I correct?

[June1]

All I really know is that when you're in a choke hold, you have between 5-8 seconds before you pass out. So, yeah, I'd imagine you have to move fast. The thing is, most people would just panic and thrash, so you have to condition yourself to get used to the feeling of being choked. My sensei told me that the guys in the UFC dampen cloths, put them on their faces, and breathe through them, in order to know what it feels like to suffocate and work through the panicky feeling. Kind of creepy...

[DokterVet]

Yeah you really need to be more specific about what kind of hold you want to escape (there are many variations of triangle chokes, rear naked chokes, collar chokes, etc).

Generally speaking, once a blood choke is 'sunk,' you are toast, as you will be incapacitated basically immediately. In many cases, even if you were able to struggle for a few seconds, you would not be in a position to do any damage. There is the odd case of someone escaping a triangle choke by picking up and slamming his opponent, but that is usually only done by a big strong individual with a very good base.

That said, you can defend chokes as they are in the process of being applied. Trying to strike your opponent while he attemps to choke you may in fact leave you more open to the choke or another submission hold (for example, if your opponent is setting up a triangle choke in his guard, trying to punch him with your trapped arm might make it easier for him to trap it and sink the choke).

[Jersey Devil]

Much of what everyone else is saying is pretty true- when a choke is sunk in, you're just about dead. Defending a choke is all about not letting your opponent get his hands by your neck in the first place.

Food for thought- you're a striker- to turn the question around on you, think of it like this:

Whats the best way to keep from getting knocked out? Keeping your opponents attack from hitting you in the first place. If you wait until your opponents fist hits your face, you're really not going to have enough time to do anything. The same is true for chokes and joint locks. Stopping the punch before it hits you and stopping the hands before they choke you are how you defend yourself

[Elalo]

well here is some bit of advice keep ur chin down !! it'll be harder for him to choke you and more time for you to get out of the choke

[Jersey Devil]

Depends on the skill level of the person hes fighting- an experienced grappler (say 2+ years of training) will just choke you over your face if you tuck your chin, which will result in him either breaking your jaw, or breaking your teeth.

[topdawg]

With a good "blood" choke some people usually beginners don't know they are in danger of going out until things start to go black.