The High Elbow Guillotine by John Danaher
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Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine·Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics
The High Elbow Guillotine by John Danaher - Click Here To Check Out John Danaher's Instructional Videos - https://bjjfan…
Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine
Speciesマルセロチン(Maruserochin)
TransliterationTranslation: Marcelotine high elbow guillotine
Overview
The Marcelotine is a guillotine choke performed without the opponent's arm trapped inside, using a high elbow position over the opponent's trapezius to create direct blade-of-wrist pressure on the trachea and carotid arteries. [1] Perfected by Marcelo Garcia (5x ADCC champion, one of BJJ's greatest competitors) as his signature submission. The name was coined by the BJJ community in his honor. [2] Unlike the arm-in guillotine which requires crunching to the side, the Marcelotine finishes by pulling elbows back and pulling legs back from butterfly guard to increase throat pressure.
MarcelotineHigh Elbow GuillotineArm-Out GuillotineMarcelo Garcia Guillotine
History & Origin
Perfected by Marcelo Garcia (5x ADCC champion). Named 'Marcelotine' by the BJJ community in his honor. [1]
Effectiveness
One of the highest-percentage guillotine variations at the elite level. Marcelo Garcia used it to submit world-class opponents throughout his career. [1]
Lineage
Perfected by Marcelo Garcia (5x ADCC champion, Alliance BJJ).
Competition Record
Marcelo Garcia: 5x ADCC champion, used the Marcelotine as his signature submission throughout his career.
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Bony part of wrist placed under opponent's throat; choking arm's elbow positioned HIGH over the trapezius, creating a V-shape
Grip — Ball-and-socket grip — free hand grabs the choking hand
Force Vector — Without the arm trapped, there is direct blade-of-wrist pressure on the trachea/carotid
Finish — Pull elbows back and legs back from butterfly guard to tighten
Position & Entry
From butterfly guard — Opponent dives for a pass; catch the chin with blade of wrist, establish high elbow, lock grip
From front headlock — Sprawl on a shot, secure the chin, elevate the elbow over the trapezius
From standing — Catch opponent's neck during a level change or clinch exchange
Variants
Standard Marcelotine from butterfly guard — Marcelo Garcia's classic setup
Standing Marcelotine — caught during level changes
Power guillotine — variation with maximum crushing pressure
Ten-finger guillotine — alternative grip variation
Videos
How To Do The Perfect Jiu Jitsu Guillotine by Marcelo Garcia
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Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine·Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics
Marcelo revolutionized how people do Guillotines in Jiu Jitsu. And it was a huge honor for me to learn from him once aga…
2 videos
What Instructors Say
The Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine is a front headlock submission that emphasizes positional control and precise hand placement to achieve a high elbow position against the opponent's neck. Both John Danaher (via Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics) and Marcelo Garcia stress the importance of understanding the battle for distance and hand positioning, though they emphasize different strategic approaches. Danaher identifies three critical elements: maintaining distance between the attacker's chest and the opponent's shoulder, positioning locked hands inside the opponent's clavicle (between shoulder and neck), and head movement from one shoulder to the other to achieve an elbow position pointing at the ceiling. He emphasizes that flexibility is irrelevant; proper head positioning alone creates the high elbow. Garcia, conversely, focuses on the chase—the relentless pursuit of the guillotine even as the opponent defends, adapting to their movements and maintaining consistent pressure rather than explosive force. Both instructors agree that preventing the opponent from closing distance and covering the elbow is essential. Danaher details the defensive mechanics the opponent uses (shoulder driving forward, covering the elbow), while Garcia emphasizes maintaining pressure consistency and following the opponent's movements to prevent escape. Garcia additionally highlights the importance of grip security, thumb coverage, and explosive leg positioning to finalize the submission. Both instructors present the high elbow guillotine as a highly reliable submission when executed with proper positioning.
Synthesized from 2 instructors
- Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics — The High Elbow Guillotine by John Danaher: Danaher provides systematic analysis of the three battle zones: distance between chests, hand positioning inside the clavicle, and head movement across shoulders to achieve proper elbow height. He emphasizes that flexibility plays no role and that mechanical position solves the puzzle.
- Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics — How To Do The Perfect Jiu Jitsu Guillotine by Marcelo Garcia: Garcia demonstrates the chase methodology—pursuing the guillotine through opponent movement and position changes, maintaining consistent pressure without relying on strength, and using leg positioning to block escape routes. He stresses grip security, thumb coverage, and building grip endurance through progressive training.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
7
Very High7/10
Direct throat/trachea pressure can cause windpipe damage if cranked; more aggressive than arm-in variant
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Advanced
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
— FIAS Sport Sambo — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes a...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — choke submissions are among the mos...
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Marcelo Garcia perfected this technique and used it extensively in ADCC competition. The key mechanical difference from arm-in guillotine: the choking arm's elbow is positioned HIGH over the opponent's trapezius rather than low against the ribs. This creates a V-shape with the arms that applies direct blade-of-wrist pressure to the throat. The arm-in guillotine requires crunching to the side (average unconsciousness: 10.2 seconds). The Marcelotine is more commit-to-finish but has less transitional flexibility — you can't easily flow to D'Arce or anaconda if it fails.
Common Mistakes
!Elbow too low — must be HIGH over the trapezius
!Wrong grip — must use ball-and-socket, not S-grip
!Not pulling legs back — the butterfly guard extension tightens the choke
!Attempting without proper chin placement — wrist must be under the chin, not on the jaw
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Catch the chin with blade of wrist → Elevate choking elbow HIGH over opponent's trapezius → Lock ball-and-socket grip → Pull elbows back → Pull butterfly guard legs back → Squeeze for the finish
Sources & References
Primary Source
BJJ World — The Marcelotine
1BookBJJ Fanatics — Arm in Guillotine vs High Elbow Guillotine (Marcelotine)
[2] BJJ Fanatics — comparison with arm-in guillotine
2OtherJapanese Martial Arts Community Terminology
BJJ World — What Makes The Marcelotine Better (bjj-world.com) || BJJ Fanatics — Arm in Guillotine vs High Elbow Guillotine (Marcelotine)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationBJJ World — What Makes The Marcelotine Better (bjj-world.com)
[1] BJJ World — Marcelotine mechanical analysis
5CitationBJJ Fanatics — Arm in Guillotine vs High Elbow Guillotine (Marcelotine)
[2] BJJ Fanatics — comparison with arm-in guillotine
Community
Athletics
Requires
precise wrist placement, high elbow mechanics, grip strength
Key muscles
forearms, biceps, core
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the key difference between bending your elbow down versus keeping it high in the Marcelotine guillotine?
According to Bernardo Faria, instead of bringing the elbow high, many people bend it down, but the pressure has to go the other way—the elbow goes up. Staying flat helps keep the elbow higher than the hips, which is what makes the technique work.
How do I prevent my opponent from escaping by passing to the side when I have the guillotine locked?
Bernardo Faria emphasizes that after locking the guillotine, you must prevent your opponent from passing to either side by using your guard to block everything—you can block with your leg, hook their leg, or even cross your legs to keep them contained, then the elbow goes up.
What should I do if my opponent keeps spinning or moving away while I'm attacking the guillotine?
Bernardo Faria teaches to follow your opponent's movement—if you keep spinning, stay ready to follow them. The key is to get ahead of them rather than just spinning back, and when they stick their chin out, chase them to get ahead instead of just spinning repeatedly.
How can I improve my guillotine hold strength over time?
Bernardo Faria recommends practicing the guillotine like lifting weights—hold it and gradually increase how long you can maintain it, adding a little more time each day. This builds the ability to hold the position until your opponent taps, rather than expecting them to tap immediately.
How does the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine work?
The Marcelotine is a guillotine choke performed without the opponent's arm trapped inside, using a high elbow position over the opponent's trapezius to create direct blade-of-wrist pressure on the trachea and carotid arteries. Perfected by Marcelo Garcia (5x ADCC champion, one of BJJ's greatest competitors) as his signature submission.
Where does the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine come from?
Perfected by Marcelo Garcia (5x ADCC champion). Named 'Marcelotine' by the BJJ community in his honor.
Is the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine legal in competition?
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: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — choke submissions are among the most common finishes in MMA; FIAS Sport Sambo: banned — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
Danger rating 7/10. Direct throat/trachea pressure can cause windpipe damage if cranked; more aggressive than arm-in variant
How do I set up the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
The standard setup chain: Catch the chin with blade of wrist → Elevate choking elbow HIGH over opponent's trapezius → Lock ball-and-socket grip → Pull elbows back → Pull butterfly guard legs back → Squeeze for the finish.
How do I defend against the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
Standard counters include: Von Flue Choke — counter if attacker holds from side control / Hand-fight the choking wrist — strip before it locks / Posture recovery — stand up before the choke is secured / Pass to side control — neutralize the butterfly hooks.
What are the variants of the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
Common variants: Standard Marcelotine from butterfly guard (Marcelo Garcia's classic setup); Standing Marcelotine (caught during level changes); Power guillotine (variation with maximum crushing pressure); Ten-finger guillotine (alternative grip variation).
How effective is the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine in competition?
Marcelo Garcia: 5x ADCC champion, used the Marcelotine as his signature submission throughout his career.
What are common mistakes when doing the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
Top errors to watch for: Elbow too low — must be HIGH over the trapezius / Wrong grip — must use ball-and-socket, not S-grip / Not pulling legs back — the butterfly guard extension tightens the choke / Attempting without proper chin placement — wrist must be under the chin, not on the jaw.
What are other names for the Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine?
The Marcelotine High Elbow Guillotine is also known as Maruserochin, Marcelotine, High Elbow Guillotine, Arm-Out Guillotine, Marcelo Garcia Guillotine.