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:

The half guard is a position that I’ve been trying to get better at for many years. A lot of people shy away from it because it may seem like the half guard is an inferior position to the full guard – like it’s halfway to getting passed. I like to look at it the other way around. The half guard is one step closer to getting side or back control. Either way, it’s a position that every grappler should be proficient in because it’s a very common situation to be in.

The key to success from this position is understanding that there is no single “magic bullet” sweep. It’s the ability to combine several options run in succession based on your opponent’s reactions that makes a good half guard player. So, knowing a series of sweeps and the proper times to use them is where you should begin.

A few points for half guard success:

• Underhooks: at a minimum, you’ll need the underhook on the same side as the half guard.
• Don’t let your opponent control your head: tuck your head close to his chest so he can’t crossface you. Alternatively, use your non-underhooking arm to keep his chest and arm from controlling your head.
• Don’t be flat on your back. Always be a little on your side so you’re not directly under your oppoent.
• Get good at switching your half guard legs so that as you attempt sweeps, your opponent can’t pop his leg out and into side control.

Old School

This sweep is demonstrated here with the “lockdown” but the sweep can be accomplished without it.

Other half guard sweeps can be built off of how your opponent reacts to the Old School sweep. If he pushes his weight into you to stop Old School, go with it and sweep to the other side.

Timing the execution of these two sweeps as your opponent adjusts his weight is tricky, but is much more effective than trying for one sweep over and over.

Here’s a fantastic video that includes lots of other (more advanced) options based on what your opponent might try to do. Focus on the techniques and try not to be distracted by the fact that the instructor looks a lot like Bobby Hill.

Happy half guarding!

Found this old Jiu-jitsu book that dates back to 1904 on Google books. It’s called Jiu-Jitsu: A Comprehensive and Copiously Illustrated Treatise. That’s a mouthful. An interesting perusal, I must say. Interesting indeed. *Tweaks moustache*

But wait, there’s more! Here’s an article in a 1930 issue of Popular Mechanics on Jiu-jitsu. Here’s an illustration from the magazine. Never seen that move before, but if it involves cupping the balls, I’m not interested.

Here are a few other interesting JJ-related finds:
Outing Magazine – 1906
Jiu-Jitsu Combat Tricks – 1904
The Black Cat – 1904 (You don’t need a gun if you know Jiu-Jitsu!)

Commemorate the legendary Grand Master Helio Gracie with 18″ x 24″ of old school awesome. Frame one up for your gym, bedroom, office, or man-cave wall.

$20 at Amazon

A while back I posted about a wetsuit drying clothes hanger that could be used for drying your gi. At the time Hangair was still bringing the product to market, but now it’s been distributed and ready to be ordered.

If you live in a small place, you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to dry a gi day after day. If you don’t have laundry in your unit, washing your gi daily is out of the question, so it’s important to keep it dry and funk-free.

Purchase on Amazon.com