Chokes and More Combat Grappling (diary entry)

19.03.14

Private Lesson

This is my seventh session on basic self-protection for this particular lesson. We have covered all aspects of pre-fight soft skills training up to the point of the “fence”. Today we went through a quick revision of pre-emptive striking, recovery and anti-grappling before focusing more on combat grappling.

We began with a revision of the philtrum take-down. This followed onto a better exploration of attacking the face at very close-quarters. In addition to the already covered eye gouges, we touched fish-hooks and other places of purchase on the head. The point was emphasized that these were support tools only in order to return to striking. This led onto controlling the highline and manipulation of the head. Here we used the wrestler’s necktie hold and wrist control. We moved onto taking the back and revised strangles/chokes. This, one of the most lethally efficient of all unarmed combat techniques, is often badly applied because not enough all-round pressure is applied and the fighter doesn’t attack with it properly.

Keeping the theme of chokes, we moved onto the guillotine. The standing guillotine is another very effective primal grappling technique. Its most obvious vulnerability is that it can leave the groin open to attack. However, this is unlikely and a poor counter to a tight choke from this position. Nevertheless, a good precaution is to change to the reverse arm-triangle. The session was finished with the guillotine from the ground guard position. 

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