What Does John Danaher REALLY Think About The SMOTHER TAP?
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Belly Smother·FloGrappling
John Danaher breaks down why his students have found such success with the smother tap. Make sure to like, comment, and…
Belly Smother
Familyベリースマザー(Berī Sumazā)
TransliterationTranslation: belly smother
Overview
The belly smother is a smother lock applied by pressing the chest, abdomen, or ribcage directly over the opponent's face — primarily from mount position — to obstruct breathing through the nose and mouth. [1] The attacker uses body weight distribution, arm control (typically crossface or underhook), and hip positioning to create a seal that progressively restricts the opponent's air intake. The belly smother is more effective with larger body mass differentials and in gi grappling, where the gi material helps create a tighter seal. [2] While rarely a competition-ending submission at elite levels, the belly smother creates psychological pressure and forces panicked defensive reactions — bridging, turning, extending arms — that open up choke and armlock opportunities. [3]
History & Origin
Smothering from mount has been an implicit element of grappling since antiquity — the mounted position's dominance derives partly from the ability to restrict the bottom fighter's breathing. In judo, heavy osaekomi-waza (pinning techniques) like tate-shiho-gatame (mount hold) include an inherent smothering component, though judo scores the pin on control time rather than submission. [1],[2] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has formalized smother attacks from mount, with some practitioners — particularly larger athletes — developing deliberate chest-pressure finishing sequences. [3]
Effectiveness
The belly smother uses body weight across the opponent's face to obstruct breathing, forcing a tap through suffocation pressure. [1]
Lineage
Smother techniques appear in catch wrestling and military combatives as weight-based control and finishing techniques. [1]
Competition Record
Belly smothers occasionally force tap-outs in MMA and submission grappling events. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Cross-collar or lapel-driven compression of the carotid arteries using gi material as a friction anchor
Joints Involved — Cervical spine (flexion or lateral bend), wrists and forearms (grip and rotation)
Force Vector — Opposing forearm rotation creates a scissors effect across both sides of the neck
Gi Factor — Lapel fabric increases friction and distributes force over a wider surface area, making the choke harder to escape
Position & Entry
From dominant position — Isolate the target limb, secure the controlling grip, and apply force beyond the joint's range of motion
From guard (bottom) — Control the limb from guard position, configure the submission grip, and apply the lock
From transition — During a scramble or positional change, catch the exposed limb and lock the submission
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
Belly smothers restrict breathing through chest-on-face pressure; slow onset reduces acute danger
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Not a standard judo technique — may be considered n...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Not a recognized sambo technique
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — no specific prohibition against smotherin...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The belly smother places the abdomen or chest directly over the opponent's face from the mount or north-south position — blocking both the mouth and nose with body weight (Danaher, New Wave Jiu Jitsu, 2020)
✓From mount, the belly smother drives the chest forward and down over the opponent's face — the opponent's own defensive arm frames create the seal by pressing the attacker's body closer
✓The north-south belly smother is particularly effective: the attacker's torso completely covers the opponent's face while the hips prevent escape
✓The key to the belly smother is hip pressure combined with upper-body coverage — the hips pin the opponent's body while the torso blocks the airway
✓The belly smother creates a dilemma: if the opponent bridges, they drive the attacker's weight deeper into the smother; if they lay flat, they can't escape
✓Gi smothers enhance the belly smother: pulling the lapel across the opponent's face creates an additional barrier to breathing
✓The belly smother forces the opponent to choose between accepting the smother or opening their arms to create space — opening arms creates submission opportunities
Common Mistakes
!Sitting too high on the mount — the hips must be low and forward to create the chest-to-face coverage
!Not committing full weight — the belly smother requires committing body weight forward; holding back creates breathing gaps
!Ignoring the opponent's frames — the opponent will use their arms to create space; swim through the frames to maintain coverage
!Attempting on a flat back — the belly smother works best when driving forward and down, not when sitting upright
!Not combining with submission threats — use the opponent's reaction to the smother to set up chokes and armbars
!Staying on the smother when the opponent creates space — if they create a breathing gap, transition to a submission instead of re-establishing the smother
!Applying so much weight that you lose balance — maintain a stable base even while driving weight forward
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Tuck Chin — protect the neck by lowering the chin to prevent the choke from sinkingTwo-on-One Grip Fight — use both hands to strip the choking grip before it locksTurn Into — rotate toward the choking arm to relieve carotid pressurePosture Up — straighten the spine and create distance to break the choking angle
Setup Chain
1Achieve Controlling Position — secure the position from which the choke is applied
2Isolate the Neck — clear defending hands and establish access to the throat
3Set the Grip — lock the choking configuration (arm, lapel, or leg placement)
4Apply Pressure — squeeze to compress the carotid arteries for the finish
Sources & References
Primary Source
Koryu Jujutsu / Sumo — related to osae-komi (pinning) traditions
1BookKoryu Jujutsu / Sumo — related to osae-komi (pinning) traditions
Japanese terminology sourced from Koryu Jujutsu / Sumo — related to osae-komi (pinning) traditions
2Oral TraditionKoryu Jujutsu (Classical Japanese Jujutsu)
Classical schools: Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu, Takenouchi-ryu, etc.
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationKoryu Jujutsu / Sumo — related to osae-komi (pinning) traditions
Japanese terminology sourced from Koryu Jujutsu / Sumo — related to osae-komi (pinning) traditions
Community
Athletics
Requires
grip strength, joint isolation ability, positional control
Favours
strong forearms and stable base
Key muscles
forearm flexors, core stabilisers, hip muscles for base
Sub-techniques
Notes
The belly smother uses body weight across the opponent's face from mount or north-south to restrict breathing. Legal in competition but considered a low-percentage submission — most opponents will endure the discomfort rather than tap. More effective as a setup for transitions. (BJJ competition strategy)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the belly smother a reliable submission on its own?
According to John Danaher, the belly smother isn't as universally applicable as submissions like armbars or triangles, and skilled athletes can escape pins as effectively as they apply them. It's used primarily as a setup to create panic reactions that set up the real submissions.
Why is interrupting breathing such an effective strategy in grappling?
John Danaher emphasizes that breathing is one of the top five most fundamental operations of the human body, making it one of the best ways to cause distraction prior to executing your main attack.
When does the belly smother work as an actual finish?
The belly smother becomes an effective submission hole when an opponent lacks strong pin escape skills. Danaher notes that much of the success his students have with asphyxiation finishes comes from their extensive work developing pinning skills.
How does the Belly Smother work?
The belly smother is a smother lock applied by pressing the chest, abdomen, or ribcage directly over the opponent's face — primarily from mount position — to obstruct breathing through the nose and mouth. The attacker uses body weight distribution, arm control (typically crossface or underhook), and hip positioning to create a seal that progressively restricts the opponent's air intake.
Where does the Belly Smother come from?
Smothering from mount has been an implicit element of grappling since antiquity — the mounted position's dominance derives partly from the ability to restrict the bottom fighter's breathing. In judo, heavy osaekomi-waza (pinning techniques) like tate-shiho-gatame (mount hold) include an inherent smothering component, though judo scores the pin on control time rather than submission.
Is the Belly Smother legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — no specific prohibition against smothering techniques; IJF: restricted — Not a standard judo technique — may be considered non-combative if applied wi…; ADCC: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: restricted — Not a recognized sambo technique; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Belly Smother?
Danger rating 4/10. Belly smothers restrict breathing through chest-on-face pressure; slow onset reduces acute danger
How do I set up the Belly Smother?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Controlling Position → Isolate the Neck → Set the Grip → Apply Pressure.
How do I defend against the Belly Smother?
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.
What are the variants of the Belly Smother?
Common variants: Standard variation (primary grip configuration and finishing angle); Gi variation (using the gi material for grip assistance and control); No-gi variation (adapted grips for submission grappling without the gi); Transition variation (applied during a positional change or scramble).
How effective is the Belly Smother in competition?
Belly smothers occasionally force tap-outs in MMA and submission grappling events.
What are common mistakes when doing the Belly Smother?
Top errors to watch for: Sitting too high on the mount — the hips must be low and forward to create the chest-to-face coverage / Not committing full weight — the belly smother requires committing body weight forward; holding back creates breathin… / Ignoring the opponent's frames — the opponent will use their arms to create space; swim through the frames to maintai… / Attempting on a flat back — the belly smother works best when driving forward and down, not when sitting upright.
What are other names for the Belly Smother?
The Belly Smother is also known as Berī Sumazā, Belly Smother Choke, Chest Smother, Weight Smother.