十字絞（ガードから）(Juji-jime — From Guard)
TraditionalTranslation: Cross Strangle — From Guard
The cross collar choke from guard (jūji-jime) is a fundamental gi strangle executed from closed guard by feeding both hands deep into the opponent's collar with crossed grips. [1],[2] The attacker pulls the opponent's head down while rotating the wrists inward to create bilateral compression on the carotid arteries using the collar edges. [1] It is one of the first submissions taught in BJJ and judo, prized for its simplicity and effectiveness when the opponent's posture is broken. [2],[3]
The cross collar choke from closed guard is among the most foundational submissions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The underlying grip — juji-jime (十字絞, 'cross strangle') — was systematised by Jigoro Kano in the Kodokan judo shime-waza curriculum in the late nineteenth century, though it was primarily applied from top position in judo. [1] Helio Gracie and his students adapted the cross collar grip for use from the guard (bottom position), making it a centrepiece of the Gracie self-defence system where the guard was reframed as an offensive position rather than a disadvantage. [2] Renzo Gracie and Royler Gracie describe the cross collar choke from guard as 'the first submission every BJJ student should learn,' as it teaches fundamental principles of grip fighting, posture breaking, and guard retention simultaneously. [3] The technique became a signature weapon of competition BJJ in the 1990s and remains one of the highest-percentage gi submissions at all belt levels. [2],[3]
The cross collar choke from guard is one of the most fundamental gi submissions, using deep collar grips to strangle the opponent from closed guard. [1]
This was one of the first submissions taught in the Gracie BJJ curriculum and remains a fundamental technique. [1]
The cross collar choke from guard is one of the most commonly attempted submissions in IBJJF gi competition at all belt levels. [1]
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Henry Akins Hidden Jiu Jitsu Closed Guard Attack System. Rickson was know for his cross choke from inside the guard an…
How to actually successfully choke someone out with the cross collar choke from closed guard. Excerpt from https://www.g…
The cross collar choke from guard is executed by securing two grips on the opponent's collar lapels while in closed guard, then applying pressure via wrist rotation and arm connection to the neck. Both Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu and Stephan Kesting emphasize that arm-to-neck connection is more critical than grip strength alone. Akins stresses obtaining the first grip despite opponent resistance by turning shoulders to deflect defensive hands, then slapping the second grip behind the neck before finishing with wrist curling—a technique requiring minimal strength. Kesting similarly prioritizes a very tight first collar grip while allowing looser secondary grip positioning, and emphasizes finding the sharp bone of the wrist rather than a flat surface to cut the carotid. Where Akins demonstrates both underhand and overhand grip variations and teaches wrist rotation as the primary finishing mechanic, Kesting focuses on a single preferred variation with tight chest-to-chest positioning and uses the collar choke as a base control to set up arm bars and triangles. Both instructors recommend incorporating leg and arm pulls for efficiency once the choke is established, though Akins highlights that proper technique should work with wrist movement alone. Kesting additionally warns against overexertion and emphasizes timing when the opponent leaves gaps in defense.
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Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
Cross choke from closed guard is a fundamental attack; Helio Gracie considered it essential
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Kodokan Judo — Juji-jime
Japanese terminology sourced from Kodokan Judo — Juji-jime
Official Kodokan ground technique classification system
Standard Japanese martial arts terminology (kanji/hiragana)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
Japanese terminology sourced from Kodokan Judo — Juji-jime
grip or squeeze strength, positional control
strong upper body for sustained compression
forearms, biceps, pectorals, core stabilisers
According to Henry Akins, the connection of your arm to the opponent's neck is far more important than the grip itself. Once your arm is touching the neck, you can grab whatever cloth is available, and small wrist movements will immediately affect the choke.
Henry Akins emphasizes not letting your opponent prevent you from getting the deep grip behind the neck—don't sit up, turn your shoulders, and deflect their arm to get your hand behind their neck. If they successfully keep you from establishing this grip, they've defended the choke.
Stephan Kesting stresses that you want the sharp part of your wrist to cut into the opponent's neck rather than being flat. You should also finish by coming up with your posture, pulling your elbows tight while expanding your chest open.
Henry Akins teaches that you should incorporate your whole body—using arms and legs together rather than relying on arm strength alone. The technique works best with small wrist movements combined with pulling in with both arms and legs.
The cross collar choke from guard (jūji-jime) is a fundamental gi strangle executed from closed guard by feeding both hands deep into the opponent's collar with crossed grips. The attacker pulls the opponent's head down while rotating the wrists inward to create bilateral compression on the carotid arteries using the collar edges.
The cross collar choke from closed guard is among the most foundational submissions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The underlying grip — juji-jime (十字絞, 'cross strangle') — was systematised by Jigoro Kano in the Kodokan judo shime-waza curriculum in the late nineteenth century, though it was primarily applied from top position in judo.
IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes are the safest submission cat…; IJF: legal — Legal (shime-waza) — strangulation techniques are one of three permitted subm…; ADCC: restricted — N/A (no-gi competition only — technique requires gi); Unified MMA: restricted — N/A (technique requires gi — not applicable in MMA); FIAS Sport Sambo: banned — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
Danger rating 8/10. Cross choke from closed guard is a fundamental attack; Helio Gracie considered it essential
The standard setup chain: Achieve Controlling Position → Isolate the Neck → Set the Grip → Apply Pressure.
Standard counters include: Tuck Chin — protect the neck by lowering the chin to prevent the choke from sinking / Two-on-One Grip Fight — use both hands to strip the choking grip before it locks / Turn Into — rotate toward the choking arm to relieve carotid pressure / Posture Up — straighten the spine and create distance to break the choking angle.
Common variants: Palm-up palm-down cross collar (standard gi choke with opposing hand rotations); Deep collar cross choke (fingers inserted deep past the label for maximum leverage); Loop choke variant (one collar grip feeds the loop for a tighter neck compres…).
The cross collar choke from guard is one of the most commonly attempted submissions in IBJJF gi competition at all belt levels.
Top errors to watch for: Not getting the first grip deep enough — the first hand must be inside the collar past the centre line; shallow grips… / Opening the guard to chase the choke — maintain closed guard for posture control; opening allows the opponent to post… / Pulling outward instead of toward the chest — the elbows contract toward the body; outward pulling crushes the trache… / Not breaking the opponent's posture first — if they're fully postured, the collar grips can't reach deep enough; use ….
The Cross Collar Choke From Guard is also known as Juji-jime — From Guard, Guard Cross Choke, Juji-jime from Guard, Guard Collar Choke.
