Ezekiel Choke Execution and Defense

The Ezekiel choke is one of the most dangerous chokes in all of BJJ-land. Much like the Kimura, its name comes from an old-time BJJ competitor who basically cleaned out his competition in a tournament with this choke back when nobody knew about it. If there was ever a choke to stay diligent to prevent, it’s the Ezekiel. Here’s why:

1. It’s one of the few subs that can be executed from inside your opponent’s guard
2. Once it’s slapped on (more so with gi), it’s very difficult to defend against and almost impossible to get rid of
3. You can hit it from guard, mount, side control
4. Getting your trachea smashed really sucks
5. It’s so easy, even a caveman can do it

Here’s Erik Paulson with the particulars of how to execute this choke no gi:

Here’s what it looks like with gi:

To defend it, you need to stay alert. With the gi, as soon as your opponent gets his fingers in the attacking sleeve, it’s too late. Usually the attacker begins with an arm deep behind your neck with his head about level with yours. If the attacker is in your guard, they abandon any attempts to pass and lean deep into your guard. As with a lot of stuff in BJJ, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound.

Here’s the dee: