Simple Ground Fighting Choke Hold
Ending A Ground Fight
As you know, I don’t advocate taking a fight to the ground. In fact, I suggest you avoid the ground in a street fight at all costs. However, sometimes you simply can’t avoid it and that’s why you need to have a few ground fighting tricks up your sleeve in case you ever wind up there. What we’re about to show you is a great technique to know.
Easy, Right?
As you saw in the video, this is a pretty simple move, and believe me, simple is good. Simple means you will remember it in the heat of the moment when your adrenaline is pumping. What’s happening here is you are essentially using your attacker’s own weight to bring him into the hold.
How To Pick Locks. (Who Needs Keys?)
You may find this shocking, but picking open a standard "tumbler" lock, (like the one on your front door), is pretty damn easy when you know how it's done.
And in a "meltdown" survival situation, (once the smash-n-grab crowd has stolen everything not tied-down), the food and water and secure shelter will all be behind locked doors, (which explains why Special Forces are often trained in lock picking... and why they carry a set of lock pics with them).
It's a lot of fun learning this skill, (it doesn't take long)... and kinda nice to help out that buddy locked out of his house after the wife discovered what really happened on that "no money down" real estate seminar in Vegas.
Breaking It Down
- If he is throwing punches at you while you are on your back or coming in for a choke, you simply knock his arm off of you and let his weight cause him to fall forward into the choke.
- One key to making this work is that you must have your legs wrapped around his torso and lift your hips off the ground right when you are deflecting his arm. This will give you more control because it will move his hands away from your body momentarily (removing the support for his body).
- After you have deflected his arm you need to let your hips come back down to the ground so that he will fall into the choke. You can also pull his arm as you saw in the video to get him into the position you need.
- From this point you simply wrap your outside arm around the outside of your attacker’s neck, blocking off the blood supply to his head with your bicep and his opposite shoulder.
- Remember to secure the choke by locking your hand into the crook of your arm and placing your free hand behind your neck. Locking your free hand behind your neck gives you leverage which is crucial.
- When you lift your hips and push your legs away from your body, the added leverage of the hand behind your neck will allow you to separate the vertebrae in your attacker’s neck. This allows you to not only cut off his blood supply, but also cause a lot of pain.
Ending The Fight
As with any fight, having two ways to end the fight is better than having one. If for some reason you are not able to get the blood choke (i.e. he has a really short neck, is somehow tucking his jaw to block his shoulder, etc.) the separation of the vertebrae will give you a second chance to end the conflict.
As you say: simple is good to remember. I’m a big, BIG believer in keeping it simple at all times. Keeping it basic and uncomplicated in everything we do is something worthwhile to aim for (but don’t always achieve. . .). Your lessons are not too difficult to remember—even for older folk. Thank you
This information is very vital for ladies, who have to walk home at night from work; because that’s the very furst maneuver that your attacker will do, is try to get you on the ground to control you. If that happens and a women doesn’t have this vital skill, then the situation can become very deadly for her.
Would be interested in ground fighting. Thats what I do best. The best move if your down and every one else is up. Is “the cat” I think it is ju.jitsu. never could spell so you get the idea though from the cat you can break legs smash feet do groin kicks and spread several opponents in a wide circle around you and while they are thinking on how to get at you you can get up I am NOT fast on my feet so I wait for somebody to grab me then I put him on the ground and hurt them it works for me the ground is good
I truly enjoy your mini videos. As a Hapkido, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jijitsu player for over 30 years I love seeing the moves that I cut my teeth on.
Keep up the good work
Anyone else learn this in the army… It’s a concept that can be used in plenty of different ways…
Very well done. Your instructions were simple but very useful.Thank You. Knowledge is good especially when it can save a life.
This is such great stuff. I love it!!
Brilliant choke-counter.
How to remember all its elements if needed?
Very informative.
Good stuff.
Your video went really fast ( just like a fight would ), so I had to watch it multiple times. I need to snag one of my nephew’s to really try it out. I am a little, out of shape, older lady, so need to get this one spot-on. I LOVE these little training videos!!
Mayy H’s comments (below) is a good example of the kind of person who would benefit from this article.
Great Move! Learned it in Police Academy.
Hope this works with a 130 lb female vs a younger stronger attacker?
Great demo I really learned a lot from demos thanks joe Liguori
That’s a cool move. Thanks, Mark? is it?. Thanks again. Yeah, Mark. Great move.
I love these video lessons!!! Thanks so much for the knowledge! Learning to become a survivor rocks!
Easier said then done,however with practice,and muscle memory with a learned technique,seems that an attacker will wonder what he got himself into. These are great moves anyone can learn.Simplicity is the greatest asset.Thank you
Great video learned a lot thanks. Glenn
first of all every fight I ever been in or have seen the man on top is sitting on you & his knees on your arms so 2 me it’s a totally a BS move & I watch every video but this 1 is failure !!!
Good Stuff, Thanks!
This is good stuff, thank you for putting it out there.
Really enjoy these quick lessons! Thanks!
Hi, I was the victim of an attack where the attacker sat on top of me. I put a kidney lock on him with my legs, broke a bunch of his ribs and damaged one of his kidneys.It took about 30 seconds to do so.
I found the “ground blood choke” to be potentially very useful. It is a move that will have to be practiced until the brain has muscles programmed. Thanks very much.
These videos are truly Awesome ! Great insights to procedures I would have never thought of.
Seems to be a great move. I’m an older guy with much arthritis but I want to see more. Thanks!
Great move! Simple. easy, fast, effective! Thank You!
Thank you for the very educational and informative videos!! They are very helpful.
Still remembering when I was in the military, yeah it’s better not to be on the ground. Too little leverage there, but you’re bringing out what is, thank you!!!
This was a very effective tool during my 3rd deployment. I was helping clear a building when close contact happened and I didn’t have my weapon on the ready. It came quickly and I had no time but this choke and I’m alive to write this. Great advice to all!
I have actually used this technique in a conflict a couple of times IT does work for any of those “skeptical” people out there. I’m a 55 year old male who has 9 years special ops for the U.S. Navy and I have also been in the “martial arts” since I was 13. I hold 3 “black belts” , and have “studied ” several styles both here in the states and abroad. Mark Hatmaker is a “no no sense” instructor. I would of loved to have trained under his advisorship while in the martial arts field. Just saying as an afterthought though, I myself have probably already forgotten more about “self defense” than most people will ever know uessthey get off their butts and train, train , train. Train until it becomes a “second nature” to you. Good going Mark. And Jim bo keep up the good work.
Thank you always very informative
I am a 57 year old woman from Australia. Although I hope to never be in a situation that needs this move. I would rather be prepared and not need it than be unprepared and need it. It is clever in its simplicity. Thank you.
I am a 63 year old woman about 5’3″ and don’t have the strength I once had. Would this really work with a 180 lb. man on top of me trying to choke me out? Or even a man about the same size as me? Naturally a man is so much stronger than a woman unless she’s some kind of body builder so do you have defensive moves for someone like me??
Excellent simple movement, just practice ???
Good move,as usual easy to( execute)no pun intended and get away with out getting your face beat off.
Excellent move .What if it were the other way around if you were in a leg lock trying to get out
Yes a very effective move. I must admit to being slightly amazed at the age bracket of those who viewed this clip and other fight clips, I’m in the slightly older age group of 60+. Thanks
Another good one as usual. This move doesn’t look like it would take as much practice to master this one.
Another very good move. The first thing is you need 2 good legs. I would have to use something else on him before I wound up on the ground.
Mark,
Great technique to do, as you say, “when your adrenaline is pumping”.
Tom Arillotta
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Another good one. This move looks to be very simple and easy to remember.
Thanks..very neat hold.quick and easy thanks again
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I just hope my arms are long enough to get them around him.
Good move that
Another good move that will take some practice.
Good move… Makes sense. I see a lot of MMA fighters who don’t think to do it, and it’s quite simple to learn and perform. Thanks.
What a great move