Brabo Choke
Gi collar choke related to the darce family — threading the lapel under the neck from top half or side control and finishing with a tight shoulder-line squeeze.
blood choke
Overview
The brabo choke uses a gi lapel threaded under the opponent’s neck from top half guard or side control, then finishes by clamping the shoulder line similar to a darce. It often appears when they underhook from bottom half and expose the near-side neck for a collar feed.
#Setup
- From top half or side control, clear space to feed a lapel under the neck.
- Trap their near arm so they cannot peel the collar early.
- Secure the grip that will become the brabo clamp (lapel and supporting hand).
#Execution
- Thread the lapel deep under the neck toward the far shoulder line.
- Walk your body toward the north-south / shoulder-pressure angle.
- Squeeze the carotids with collar and shoulder pressure, not a neck crank.
#Finishing
- Keep their near arm trapped so they cannot frame the choke open.
- If the finish stalls, transition to arm-triangle, darce (no-gi), or pass completions.
- Release on tap — collar chokes finish quickly when sealed.
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Safety Note
Brabo chokes compress the neck with collar and shoulder pressure. Apply gradually in training and avoid twisting the cervical spine when the head is trapped.
Primary Targets
- Neck
- Carotid arteries
Key Concepts
- It is a gi collar attack with darce-like shoulder-line geometry.
- Lapel depth and arm trap beat raw squeeze.
- Have a pass or arm-triangle exit when they peel the collar.
Primary Entries
- Top half guard when they underhook and expose the near neck.
- Side control after clearing a near-side frame.
- Passing scrambles where a loose lapel is already in hand.
Defenses & Counters
Follow-Ups
- Arm-triangle when the near arm stays trapped and the collar slips.
- Darce-style finishes in no-gi if the arm-in path appears.
- Knee-cut or smash-pass if the choke fails but frames are dead.
Training Drills
- Top-half lapel feeds to brabo clamp without hard finishes
- Brabo to arm-triangle recognition rounds
- Gi collar retention under progressive peel defense
Related Techniques
Deepen your study with complementary positions and attacks.
Summary
Brabo choke feeds a lapel under the neck from top half or side control and finishes along a darce-like shoulder line. Trap the near arm, walk to the pressure angle, and exit to arm-triangle or the pass when the collar peels.