UFC 180 Guillotine Choke Breakdown /Quick Tutorial
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Posture Guillotine Escape·Shawn Williams BJJ·Added by Admin
The inverted high elbow guillotine choke used by Benitez and front head arm choke used by Ricardo Lamas in UFC 180. The…
Posture Guillotine Escape
Genus姿勢崩しギロチン逃げ(Shisei Kuzushi Girochin Nige)
HybridTranslation: posture guillotine escape
Overview
The Posture Guillotine Escape uses postural adjustment to relieve the choking pressure of the guillotine by extending the spine and lifting the chin line above the attacker's choking arm. [1] The defender drives the hips forward, straightens the back, and lifts the head, which changes the angle of the choke and reduces compression on the carotid arteries. [1],[2] Once posture is established, the defender can work to strip the grip, pass the guard, or disengage entirely. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The posture-based guillotine escape is the most fundamental guillotine defense, relying on posturing up and driving the chin toward the attacker's chest to relieve the choke pressure. [1] It is effective when executed early before the guillotine is fully locked, but becomes less reliable once the attacker has secured a deep grip and closed guard. [1],[2]
Lineage
The posture escape uses head positioning and stack pressure to relieve guillotine pressure. [1]
Competition Record
Posture-based guillotine defence is the primary escape method in MMA. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Breaking the opponent's leg control to advance to a more dominant position
Joints Involved — Hips (posture and pressure), knees (opening the guard with knee-in or standing), hands (grip fighting)
Force Vector — Forward pressure (stack/smash) or backward posture (stand-up break) to open the closed guard
Passing Mechanic — Once the guard is opened, speed passing, pressure passing, or toreando passing advances the position
Position & Entry
From bottom (opponent has back control) — Fight the hands to prevent the choke, slide hips to the mat on the choking side, escape the hooks and turn into the opponent
From standing (opponent has back clinch) — Drop the hips, peel the hands, turn and face the opponent
From body triangle — Address the body triangle first by positioning the trapped leg to pry it open, then escape the hooks
Variants
Slide to side (choking-arm side) — fighting hands and sliding hips to the mat on the choking side
Peel-and-turn — stripping the seatbelt grip and turning into the opponent
Trap-arm escape — trapping one arm and rolling to pin the opponent's back
Body triangle escape — addressing the body triangle lock before escaping the hooks
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
Submission escapes carry risk of injury if executed too late; timing-critical
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— Unified MMA — Legal defensive/transitional technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IBJJF — Legal
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— NCAA Folkstyle — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal s...
NCAA Wrestling Rules 2025-26PDFTraining Notes
✓The posture guillotine escape uses aggressive posture recovery to deny the guillotine its choking angle — head up, back straight, and hips forward (Danaher, Front Headlock System, 2019)
✓The posture escape works because the guillotine requires your head to be pulled below the opponent's chest — posture does the opposite
✓Execution: drive the head up toward the ceiling, straighten the back, and drive the hips forward into the opponent
✓In guard: posture up explosively, use the hips to drive into the opponent, and stack them to relieve pressure
✓From standing: drive the hips forward, arch the back slightly, and push the head toward the ceiling
✓The posture escape transitions naturally to a pass: once posture is established, pass to the choking-arm side
✓Combine posture with grip stripping: as you posture, peel the opponent's wrist grip
✓The posture escape must be explosive — a slow posture recovery lets the opponent adjust their choke
Common Mistakes
!Posturing straight back instead of up — the head drives toward the ceiling, not backward
!Not driving the hips forward — the hips provide the power for the posture recovery
!Posturing but not stripping the grip — posture alone is temporary; the grip must be broken
!Posturing with a rounded back — the back must be straight for effective posture
!Not circling after posturing — posture creates the opening; circling to the choking side completes the escape
!Attempting posture against a very tight, locked guillotine from full guard — sometimes opening the guard (stacking) must come first
!Posturing and then relaxing — maintain the posture until the grip is broken and you've passed or created distance
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Create Space — use frames, hip movement, or leverage to generate room to move
2Disrupt Control — break or weaken the opponent's grips and weight placement
3Execute Escape — apply the specific escape mechanic with timing and commitment
4Recover Position — establish a safe position (guard, standing, or top)
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher, 2003)
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher, 2003)
3OtherJapanese Martial Arts Hybrid Terminology
Mixed Japanese-Western terminology — combines traditional Japanese terms with katakana loanwords
4CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher, 2003)
5CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher, 2003)
Community
Athletics
Requires
grip fighting ability, hip mobility for sliding to the mat, chin defence
Favours
strong hands for grip fighting, flexible hips
Key muscles
forearms (grip fighting), core, hip flexors, neck
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the posture guillotine escape so hard to counter compared to a regular guillotine?
According to Shawn Williams, the high elbow position over the trap makes it extremely difficult to counter, and even if your opponent passes your guard on the same side, you're still applying choking pressure. This makes it effective because your opponent can't fully escape the threat even after advancing their position.
What's the most critical detail I need to get right when setting up this guillotine?
Shawn Williams emphasizes that you must yank all the slack out of your arm as you sit down—if you miss this, your opponent's head will pop out. Your hands need to be positioned all the way past the armpit, and your leg should go deep enough to touch your opponent's knee so your hip catches the tricep.
When is the best time to attack with a posture guillotine?
Shawn Williams notes that back control is a great position to hit this attack from because it's hard to see coming and feels subtle to your opponent, allowing the choke to go on rather quickly.
How does this guillotine work differently from a standard guillotine?
Shawn Williams explains that this version goes on more efficiently without requiring wrist or shoulder flexibility—you simply dive to the side, making it an immediate threat that doesn't depend on creating space for angle adjustments.
How does the Posture Guillotine Escape work?
The Posture Guillotine Escape uses postural adjustment to relieve the choking pressure of the guillotine by extending the spine and lifting the chin line above the attacker's choking arm. The defender drives the hips forward, straightens the back, and lifts the head, which changes the angle of the choke and reduces compression on the carotid arteries.
Where does the Posture Guillotine Escape come from?
Posture-based guillotine escapes represent the most fundamental defensive response to front headlock attacks, taught across all grappling and MMA programmes as the primary guillotine defence. Good posture is universally considered the first line of defence against the guillotine.
Is the Posture Guillotine Escape legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive/transitional technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal; UWW: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point (freestyle), reversal scores 1 point; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; NCAA Folkstyle: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal scores 2 points
How dangerous is the Posture Guillotine Escape?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — submission escapes carry risk of injury if executed too late; timing-critical
How do I set up the Posture Guillotine Escape?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the Posture Guillotine Escape?
Standard counters include: Maintain Pressure — keep consistent weight distribution to limit escape space / Anticipate Direction — read escape attempt direction and block early / Transition — flow to a new position when the current one is threatened.
What are the variants of the Posture Guillotine Escape?
Common variants: Slide to side (choking-arm side) (fighting hands and sliding hips to the mat on the choking…); Peel-and-turn (stripping the seatbelt grip and turning into the opponent); Trap-arm escape (trapping one arm and rolling to pin the opponent's back); Body triangle escape (addressing the body triangle lock before escaping the hooks).
How effective is the Posture Guillotine Escape in competition?
Posture-based guillotine defence is the primary escape method in MMA.
What are common mistakes when doing the Posture Guillotine Escape?
Top errors to watch for: Posturing straight back instead of up — the head drives toward the ceiling, not backward / Not driving the hips forward — the hips provide the power for the posture recovery / Posturing but not stripping the grip — posture alone is temporary; the grip must be broken / Posturing with a rounded back — the back must be straight for effective posture.
What are other names for the Posture Guillotine Escape?
The Posture Guillotine Escape is also known as Shisei Kuzushi Girochin Nige, Posture Break Guillotine Defense, Head Pop Escape.