Tribe Verified

Submission Grappling: Master BJJ Chokes and Armbars

byGaurav GulliyaGroup sessions at Crosstrain Fight Club, Sainik Farm; Private at-home sessions across New DelhiStarts from2,000 per sessionView full gallery

Real BJJ isn't about fancy moves that look good on camera. It is about controlling your opponent with high-percentage chokes and armbars. These are the drills we use to build that control.

Teaching the basics at home. This sequence shows a guard pass drill that ends with me securing a dominant position on my son.

This is a Neil Knot, a tricky choke that can be applied from side control. It's about using creative grips to finish the fight.

The rear-naked choke is the king of submissions. Here's a drill showing the proper way to secure the back and finish the choke.

Sometimes unorthodox moves work. We drill everything, including old-school techniques that might look weird but can be surprisingly effective.

The Head and Arm choke from the North-South position is a powerful submission that relies on pressure and body weight.

A classic combination drill: executing a sweep from the guard to reverse the position and immediately attacking with an armbar.

Sometimes you have to let your opponent think they are passing your guard to set a trap. Here, I bait the pass to lock in a choke.

A basic armbar from the guard. This is one of the first submissions everyone in BJJ should master.

Drilling a choke from side control. This technique, credited to David Dunn, shows how to use the Gi to apply pressure.

A friendly but intense roll with a student. This clip shows a scramble that ends with me demonstrating control from the top position.

About Submission Game: Chokes & Armbars

You don't need to learn a hundred different submissions to be effective. In my classes, we strip away the flashy stuff and focus on high-percentage chokes and armbars that actually work under pressure. We drill the setups and the control positions first, because if you cannot control your opponent, you cannot submit them. Expect to put in the work on these basics until they become muscle memory.

Similar work from other experts

Browse through Curated picks from other experts on mytribe