Standing Guillotine Choke: 3 Ways

The standing guillotine choke is a highly effective and versatile grappling technique that I want to share with you today. 

It is commonly used in various martial arts disciplines, such as BJJ, no gi submission grappling and MMA. 

There are several variations of the standing guillotine choke, each with its own unique techniques and setups. 

To learn how to execute three different variations of the standing guillotine choke, you can watch my video instructional below. 

The video provides step-by-step demonstrations and detailed explanations of the technique.

There are three different standing guillotine choke finishes that you are going to learn today.

The first one is the regular variation and then the Marcelotine variation.

Lastly, the final one is the nastiest one and it is called the power guillotine.

Continue reading below to learn more and I am going to start with the regular standing guillotine choke.

The regular standing guillotine choke is a fundamental variation of the technique.

It involves wrapping your arm around your opponent's neck while standing and applying pressure to the throat to create the choke. 

This is a common and effective way to execute the standing guillotine choke.

Pummel your hand that is on the opponent's bicep to the inside.

Establishing inside control is the first step in executing the standing guillotine choke when you and your opponent are in a standing position.

The lock-up is a common wrestling and grappling position where you control the back of your opponent's head with one hand while gripping their bicep from the outside with the other hand.

Your opponent, on the other hand, also does the same thing to you.

To gain inside control, you need to pummel your hand that is gripping your opponent's bicep to the inside, positioning it between your opponent's arm and body. 

This allows you to gain better leverage and control for setting up the standing guillotine choke.

Refer to the animated image above for a visual demonstration of the technique.

Snapping your opponent's head into the front headlock.

Next, take a step back while simultaneously snapping your opponent's head down to set up the standing guillotine choke.

When performing the snap, ensure that your snapping hand is positioned behind your opponent's head, rather than on their neck. 

Placing your hand on the neck can allow your opponent to posture up and escape.

By controlling your opponent's head from behind, you'll have stronger leverage for the snap, increasing the effectiveness of the technique.

As your opponent's head goes down due to the snap, swiftly transition into a front headlock position by wrapping your arm around their neck. 

Refer to the animated image above for a visual demonstration.

Inside the headlock, you also want to have a strong chin strap like this:

The chin strap.

The chin strap is another important control for the standing guillotine choke.

Be heavy on your shoulder as well on your opponent's neck so he cannot posture up.

Connect your hands to form a guillotine grip.

Slide the hand that is gripping the chin strap slightly inward until you can feel the outside of your thumb touching the side of your opponent's neck. 

Then connect your hands together with both palms facing your chest, as shown in the animated image above for reference.

Please note that the reason I lift my opponent's head in the reference above is because I want to show you clearly what I am doing.

In an actual fight or grappling match, you would want to maintain control over your opponent, keeping their posture broken and preventing them from recovering their position by ducking down.

Now, you are ready to finish the standing guillotine choke.

Finishing the regular standing guillotine choke.

The final step is the finish, where you'll complete the standing guillotine choke.

To finish the regular variation, simply pull your hands closer to your upper chest, stand up straight, and then arch your back, applying maximum pressure on your opponent's neck.

Refer to the animated image above for a visual demonstration of the finishing move.

The Marcelotine is a modified version of the standing guillotine choke that adds extra leverage and control. 

It's named after BJJ living legend Marcelo Garcia, known for popularizing this variation.

The Marcelotine grip.

The Marcelotine features a unique grip to finish the standing guillotine choke.

To execute the Marcelotine, turn your elbow high towards your opponent's upper back, as shown in the animated image above.

The high elbow grip is effective in preventing your opponent from pummeling their arm inside your armpit to defend against the guillotine, and it also creates a tighter and more powerful choke.

Once you have secured the high elbow grip, the finishing mechanics remain the same: pull your hands up and arch your back while standing up straight, applying maximum pressure on your opponent's neck.

The final variation in this set of standing guillotine chokes is the most aggressive and nastiest one - the power guillotine.

Unlike the previous variations, the power guillotine not only involves choking your opponent but also folding their head and neck aggressively, making it a potent crank that can potentially cause paralysis if executed with full force.

It's crucial to exercise extreme caution when practicing this technique in class to avoid injuring your training partners.

Power guillotine set up.

To execute the power guillotine variation, you'll need to slide your chin strapping hand all the way through the opposite side of your opponent's neck, while simultaneously pushing their head towards your solar plexus.

The animated image above shows how to do it.

You then want to grab your own bicep and establish a grip that is similar to a rear naked choke grip.

Maintain your opponent's head tucked under your solar plexus.

See the image above for reference.

Finishing the nastiest variation of the standing guillotine choke.

To finish, simply thrust your hip and torso forward, applying intense pressure to your opponent's neck from all sides. 

This will result in a powerful choke and a strong neck crank.

It's important to exercise extreme caution when practicing this technique, as it has the potential to cause serious neck injury if executed with excessive force. 

Always prioritize safety and proper technique during training.

Refer to the animated image above to see how small the margin is for applying the neck crank and choke effectively.

The standing guillotine choke is very effective for grappling to gain control and potentially finish their opponents. W

ith variations such as the regular, Marcelotine, and power guillotine, there are different grips and mechanics to consider, each with its own level of difficulty and potential for damage.

It is crucial to prioritize safety and proper technique during training, as these chokes can be dangerous and have the potential to cause serious neck injuries if not executed correctly.

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