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The Baseball Choke's grip is as literal as its name: both hands go into the opponent's collar, one palm facing in, one facing out, in a grip that looks exactly like holding a bat. It compresses both the airway and the carotid arteries at once, and it's one of the few chokes in jiu-jitsu that can be applied from a dominant position (mount, side control, knee-on-belly) or a bottom position. This entry breaks down the grip and finishing mechanics, three entry timings, strengths and limitations, common counters, and the story of the 19-year-old fresh black belt who used it to tap two more experienced opponents in the same tournament.
1. Origins: choking someone out with a bat grip
Two BJJ technique databases, AKBAN and the instructional platform Digitsu, describe the grip identically: both hands go into the opponent's collar, with one thumb close to the neck and the other thumb far from the neck, a position that looks exactly like holding a baseball bat with both hands, which is where the name comes from. In judo, this grip is classified as Ura-Juji-Jime; Wikipedia records it as the fourth variation of the traditional cross choke family, Juji-Jime, following Katate-, Gyaku- and Nami-Juji-Jime. AKBAN's technical write-up notes that the technique appears across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Ninjutsu curricula, and Digitsu's material separately confirms its formal judo name as Ura-Juji-Jime.
The signature win of a 19-year-old black belt: Magid Hage, "Gorilla Hands"
The person most responsible for bringing this choke into the modern spotlight is Magid Hage, nicknamed "Gorilla Hands." An interview with BJJ media outlet BJJEE and an athlete profile from BJJ gear platform Gold BJJ, two independent sources, agree: Hage was born in Brazil, and his family immigrated to the United States in 1999, where his father, Magid Hage III, later became an instructor at a Gracie Barra academy in San Diego, California, so Hage, then 10 years old, started training alongside his father in the adult classes. Hage explained the choke's origin himself in the interview: "I started doing the baseball choke when I was 12 years old because it was the only thing that worked with the big guys when I was a kid." In that same interview, published in January 2013, Hage mentioned he'd been "a black belt for one month," which puts his promotion sometime around late 2012 to early 2013. A technique article from Evolve Daily records that shortly after his promotion, he submitted both Zak Maxwell and the well-known Gracie family competitor Clark Gracie with the baseball choke; a separate BJJEE news report further specifies that both submissions took place at the Abu Dhabi World Pro qualifier held in San Diego, California (the "San Diego Trials"), launching the fresh black belt to instant fame.
Hage's story also gets at the choke's core value: it doesn't rely on size or strength, but on the grip structure itself creating the pressure, which is exactly why it appeals to smaller practitioners who need a way to deal with bigger training partners at the gym.
2. Mechanics: from the grip to the finish
Both AKBAN's and Digitsu's technique breakdowns use knee-on-belly as the standard teaching position, splitting the whole sequence into five stages:
| Stage | Key points |
|---|---|
| ① Establish the bat grip | Insert both hands into the opponent's collar as if holding a bat: one thumb close to the neck with the palm facing in, the other thumb far from the neck with the palm facing out |
| ② Lock the pinky and index finger | Instructional platform Evolve Daily's technique article stresses that once the grip is set, the pinky and index finger must never separate, or the whole structure collapses |
| ③ Rotate the shoulders, squeeze the elbows | Turn your upper body toward the opponent's head and pull your elbows in as tight as possible, shrinking the choke's leverage radius |
| ④ Pull in opposite directions | Imagine ripping the collar apart down the middle, pulling both hands in opposite directions rather than simply squeezing inward |
| ⑤ Feel the double compression and finish | Done correctly, it compresses both the airway and the carotid arteries at once, and most opponents tap within seconds |
Instructional platform Evolve Daily's technique article also lays out an "underdog" variation from the bottom: as the opponent closes in with a pressure pass toward side control, the bottom player bridges (an Upa) to lift the opponent's upper body and create space, feeds one hand deep into the far collar while the other hand grabs behind the opponent's gi, and as the opponent settles back into side control, tucks the elbow under the opponent's neck and rolls into the finish, a comeback submission from the bottom position.
3. Entry timings and setups
First, from knee-on-belly, before the opponent's hands are defending the collar. This is the classic entry: from a stable knee-on-belly, while the opponent's hands are still occupied dealing with lower-body threats and haven't reached up to defend the collar, insert both hands to establish the bat grip.
Second, from bottom side control, right as the opponent is transitioning to knee-on-belly. Evolve Daily's teaching material specifically flags this as the key underdog window: to upgrade position, the opponent has to briefly loosen control over your upper body, and that's the moment to sneak the first hand deep into the far collar.
Third, once the opponent is already pinned in side control, kesa gatame, or another dominant position, not just knee-on-belly. Digitsu's technique list shows that beyond knee-on-belly, side control (top) and kesa gatame (top) can also chain directly into the baseball choke: as long as the pin is stable and your hands are free to move, the grip can be established, which is part of why Digitsu specifically describes the baseball choke as working "from both dominant and inferior positions."
4. Strengths and limitations
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Works from both dominant and inferior positions, one of the few "comeback chokes" that still gives you offense even from the bottom | A pure gi technique: with no collar to grip, there's no structure at all, so it doesn't exist in no-gi |
| Doesn't require crossing your arms into an X, so it's harder for the opponent to read as a threat than a standard cross collar choke, high surprise factor | Both hands need to be deep in the collar to lock the pinky-and-index-finger structure, a harder grip to establish than single-hand chokes |
| Compresses both the airway and carotid arteries at once, so a correctly set grip usually finishes fast | Once an opponent develops the reflex of protecting their collar first, the grip gets broken up before it ever forms |
5. Common counters
Digitsu's defensive breakdown centers on one principle: react as early as possible.
First, before the opponent gets both hands in deep, protect your own collar or strip their wrist. The baseball choke depends on both hands being buried deep in the collar, so protecting the collar tightly before both hands go in, or grabbing and pulling an opponent's wrist away, stops the grip from ever forming.
Second, keep your upper body upright, don't tuck your chin down. Digitsu notes that tucking your chin toward your chest actually gives the opponent's hands more room to work; keeping your spine straight and your chin slightly up slows down how fast the choke can close.
Follow-up options once both hands are already in your collar
If both of the opponent's hands are deep in your collar but haven't opened up to finish yet, prioritize working a hand into the gap between their arm and your neck to create breathing and movement space, and straighten your spine rather than passively waiting for the pressure to build.
If the choke has already noticeably tightened and your breathing is restricted, don't try to grind it out or guess how much longer you can hold on. Tap immediately, this choke tends to close much faster than people expect.
6. Competition frequency
Neither the IBJJF nor ADCC publishes usage or finish rates for specific chokes, only placements and bracket results, so the baseball choke has no official statistic of its own; the best available reference is the third-party tally kept by instructional platform Digitsu's database (accessed 2026/09). Among the baseball choke finishes on record there, Magid Hage leads with 4 wins, followed by Guilherme Mendes with 3, and Lucas Lepri, Gabriel Vella and Fernando Pontes with 2 each, with the tracked data spanning IBJJF World Championships, Abu Dhabi-affiliated events and regional competitions from 2011 through 2026. Overall, the baseball choke sits in a "rare but reliably resurfacing" category among recorded finishing methods; it's never the mainstream choke, but every few years a competitor puts together a signature run with it.
On the rules side, the baseball choke is a standard gi collar choke involving no joint manipulation. A prohibited-techniques guide compiled by Gracie Barra Irvine and a separate belt-by-belt illegal moves list from MatGoat, two independently compiled sources, both come up empty when cross-checked for any collar choke banned at white or blue belt. As of the current 2026 rule set, the baseball choke is legal across every belt level in gi competition.
7. Safety notes
The baseball choke itself doesn't put pressure on a joint; its main risk, like any neck choke, is a delayed tap. A medical case report documents an incident of abnormal carotid blood flow caused by judo's Shime-waza (the general term for chokehold techniques, which the baseball choke also falls under in the judo system), illustrating that sustained pressure past a safe window carries a theoretical risk of rare but serious complications from any choke. During drilling or competition, tap immediately the moment you feel real pressure on your airway or the sides of your neck, don't wait until you feel lightheaded to react; coaches and training partners should also stay alert for tap signals and release instantly. For a broader look at collar choke safety, see our other article: BJJ Choke Safety Guide: Reading Tap Signals and Avoiding Delayed-Release Risk (Chinese only).
・As the top player, apply pressure gradually rather than snapping it fully tight all at once, giving your partner time to react and tap
・As the bottom player, tap early or signal verbally the moment you feel both hands buried deep in your collar, don't wait until you're actually gasping for air
・Training partners should agree on clear tap signals (tapping the mat, tapping the partner's body, or a verbal "tap"), and the top player should release the instant they feel one
・Beginners should first drill the grip and finishing rhythm at slow speed, and only add live-speed resistance once weight and pressure control feel natural
FAQ
Can white belts use the Baseball Choke?
Yes. The baseball choke is a gi collar choke with no joint manipulation involved, and independently compiled prohibited-technique lists from Gracie Barra Irvine and MatGoat don't list any collar choke as banned for white or blue belt. White belts should focus on drilling the depth of the grip and the elbow squeeze before adding movement.
Does the Baseball Choke work in no-gi?
No, it's a pure gi technique. Both points of pressure come from inserting both hands into the opponent's collar and pulling in opposite directions; without fabric to grip there's no structure to the choke, so no-gi matches typically substitute a guillotine or rear naked choke instead.
How is the Baseball Choke different from a regular cross collar choke?
Both insert two hands into the collar, but the palm direction differs. The cross collar choke has both palms facing in with the arms crossed into an X; the baseball choke has one palm in and one palm out, gripping like holding a bat, so the arms never cross. That means it doesn't telegraph like a cross choke does, which is exactly why it can be applied from mount, side control, knee-on-belly, or even as a comeback from the bottom.
How do I escape the Baseball Choke?
The earlier you react, the better. Before the opponent gets both hands deep into your collar, use your own hand to protect your collar or strip their wrist to stop the two grip points from forming. If both hands are already in deep, straighten your spine and lift your chin instead of tucking it down, and work a hand into the gap between their arm and your neck to buy breathing room; tap the moment you feel you can't hold on any longer.
Is the Baseball Choke risky to drill?
The choke itself doesn't put pressure on a joint. Like any neck choke, the main risk is a delayed tap: it compresses both the airway and the carotid arteries at once, and sustained pressure past a safe window carries a theoretical risk of rare but serious complications such as abnormal carotid blood flow. Tap the instant you feel your airway or the sides of your neck under real pressure, don't wait until you feel dizzy.
References
1. AKBAN. Baseball choke. akban.org (accessed 2026/09; supports the two-hand bat-grip description, the judo name Ura-Juji-Jime, the knee-on-belly entry position, the classification as a combined airway and carotid choke, and the record of the technique spanning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Ninjutsu)
2. Digitsu. Baseball Bat Choke in BJJ: How It Works, Setups & Stats. digitsu.com (third-party statistics and technical breakdown, cross-checked against the previous source for the grip description, accessed 2026/09; supports the judo name Ura-Juji-Jime, the note that side control and kesa gatame (both top) can also chain into the choke, the "dominant and inferior positions" framing, the defensive principles, and the recorded finishes: Magid Hage with 4, Guilherme Mendes with 3, and Lucas Lepri, Gabriel Vella and Fernando Pontes with 2 each, spanning 2011-2026)
3. Wikipedia contributors. Ura juji jime. en.wikipedia.org (accessed 2026/09; supports the judo classification of Ura-Juji-Jime as the fourth variation of the Juji-Jime cross choke family)
4. BJJEE. Magid Hage On His Famous Baseball Choke, His Goals At Black Belt & His Family Origins. bjjee.com (accessed 2026/09; supports, from a first-person interview, that Magid Hage was born in Brazil, immigrated to the US in 1999, started using the baseball choke at 12 against bigger training partners, and, from a January 2013 interview quote of being "a black belt for one month now," that his promotion fell around late 2012 to early 2013)
5. Gold BJJ. Magid Hage IV: Jiu Jitsu Athlete Profile. goldbjj.com (accessed 2026/09, cross-checked against the previous source; supports Magid Hage's birth in Brazil, his family's 1999 immigration to the US, his father Magid Hage III teaching at Gracie Barra San Diego, and his black belt at age 19)
6. Evolve Daily. BJJ 101: Baseball Choke. evolve-mma.com (accessed 2026/09; supports the record of Magid Hage submitting both Zak Maxwell and Clark Gracie with the baseball choke at the 2013 Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials, the pinky-and-index-finger grip detail, and the bottom side-control comeback variation)
7. BJJEE. Newly Promoted Black Belt Magid Hage Taps Out Clark Gracie & Zak Maxwell (San Diego Trials). bjjee.com (accessed 2026/09, cross-checked against the previous source; supports that both submissions took place at the Abu Dhabi World Pro qualifier held in San Diego, California)
8. Gracie Barra Irvine. A Complete Guide to IBJJF Prohibited Positions. gbirvine.com / MatGoat. IBJJF Illegal Moves by Belt and Age. matgoat.com (accessed 2026/09, two independently compiled prohibited-technique lists cross-checked against each other; supports that neither white nor blue belt prohibited-technique lists include any collar choke)
9. Kato Y, et al. (2017). Carotid Artery Occlusion Caused by the Judo Chokehold Technique, 'Shime-waza'. Intern Med;56(7):881-882. PubMed PMID 28381762 (supports the case-report basis for the theoretical risk of rare complications like abnormal carotid blood flow from a choke held past a safe window without a tap)