On the back position in Jiu-Jitsu, the famed John Danaher has this to say:
No other weapon in the jiu jitsu submission arsenal offers such variation in severity of application as the back/strangle combination. It can go from a mild hold-down/immobilization to a safe means of rendering an uncontrollable opponent safely unconscious; to a truly brutal elbows-to-the-back- of-the- head beatdown position to a lethal strangle in a life or death struggle. No other submission offers this mix of versatility allied with safety and high percentage success rate. As such, the back and the mata leao strangle are the most symbolic representation of jiu jitsu.
The infamous Vagner Rocha had an incredible choke from the back a few months ago, where he trapped an arm with his leg, blocked an arm with his arm and with his free arm put his hand over the opponent’s mouth causing him to suffocate.
He calls this the Python Choke.
Here is how he does it:
The defense against the muffler or python choke in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where the opponent covers your mouth and nose with their hand, can be very effective. Here’s a detailed explanation of the defense:
1. **Open Your Mouth and Grin**: By opening your mouth and grinning, you create a small gap between your teeth. This gap allows you to breathe through your teeth, bypassing the obstruction caused by your opponent’s hand covering your mouth and nose. This technique helps you to continue breathing normally without panicking, which is crucial to maintaining calm and thinking clearly during the defense.
2. **Stay Calm**: Panicking will only make the situation worse. Focus on your breathing through your teeth and keep your composure. Staying calm allows you to think clearly and execute the next steps in your defense.
3. **Hand Fighting**: Use your hands to fight against the opponent’s grip. Try to peel their hand away from your face or control their wrist. This reduces the pressure and gives you more room to breathe.
4. **Body Movement**: Move your body to create space and leverage. Shrimping (hip escape), bridging, or turning into your opponent can help you create the necessary space to defend the choke and improve your position.
5. **Positional Escape**: Once you’ve secured your breathing and controlled their hand, work on escaping the position. Depending on the situation, you might want to recover guard, sweep, or stand up to neutralize the attack.
6. **Practice**: This defense requires practice to become instinctive. Drill the technique with a partner to become comfortable with the sensation and the mechanics of breathing through your teeth under pressure.
It’s important to remember that while this defense is effective, it should be part of a broader strategy that includes positional awareness, hand fighting, and escape techniques.
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