YR Sports Lab
The Ezekiel choke (sode guruma jime) may be the most underrated submission in jiu-jitsu. You do not need the back, you do not need to pass the guard, and you can even hit it from underneath mount or side control. Its name comes from a real Brazilian Olympic judoka, and the problem he faced inside a jiu-jitsu academy is exactly the problem most people run into when they start training: he could not get past his opponents' guard. This article starts with that origin story, then breaks down the mechanics step by step, three entries, the pros and cons, the three main escapes, and quotes the official IBJJF rule book directly to explain when you can actually use it in competition.
1. Origins: a man who never medalled at the Olympics, but whose name lives on the mats
First, one thing to be clear about: the name Ezekiel has nothing to do with the Bible. It is a person's name, and it is the spelling that the Portuguese name Ezequiel took on as it travelled into English. This site also uses the original judo name, sode guruma jime.
The technique existed long before jiu-jitsu. In judo it is called sode guruma jime, a strangle (shime-waza) within the grappling techniques (katame-waza) category, and one of the chokes formally catalogued by the Kodokan. In other words, jiu-jitsu did not invent this move. Jiu-jitsu simply gave it a new name.
That name comes from the Brazilian judoka Ezequiel Rodrigues Dutra Paraguassu. According to the Olympedia athlete database, he was born on 4 November 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and represented Brazil at two Olympic judo tournaments in the half-middleweight division: tied for 34th at Seoul 1988 and tied for 18th at Barcelona 1992. It is worth stating honestly that he did not medal at either Games, and his results were far from elite. What he really left behind was not won on a podium.
The story takes place in the late 1980s. To sharpen his ground game, Paraguassu cross-trained at the Carlson Gracie academy in Rio. There he ran into a very concrete problem: he could not pass the jiu-jitsu players' guard. An Olympic-level judoka's standing game is beyond question, but pulled into the jiu-jitsu guard system, that familiar advantage stopped working.
His answer was not to force the pass. It was to solve a different problem. If he was stuck inside the guard and could not get out, then he would attack the neck from inside the guard. He brought the sode guruma jime he had drilled for years in judo into that position and used it relentlessly, tapping training partners all over the academy. It was a brand-new threat to the jiu-jitsu community of the time, and before long the members of the Carlson Gracie academy simply started calling it by his name. The term Ezequiel choke spread from there and travelled the world along with jiu-jitsu itself.
The real technical lesson in this story: a bad position does not mean zero attacks
What most people remember is that "a guy named Ezequiel invented this move," but what is worth remembering is the situation he was in. He was not developing a new weapon from a dominant position. He was stuck, unable to pass, on the wrong end of the positional battle, and he found an attacking route that does not depend on positional advantage.
That is exactly what makes the Ezekiel choke unusual within the wider jiu-jitsu system: it is almost position-agnostic. You can hit it from mount, side control, the back, and on top of turtle, and you can hit it from underneath or even from inside the opponent's guard. For anyone giving up size or strength, a choke that threatens the opponent without first winning the positional battle is worth far more than its reputation suggests.
2. Mechanics, step by step
The core structure of the Ezekiel choke is simple: one arm wraps behind the opponent's head, the other hand grips the gi sleeve of that arm, and the forearm cuts across the opponent's neck and tightens. The closed loop created by the sleeve grip leaves the forearm nowhere to be pushed away to, and that is where its compressive efficiency comes from. Four steps:
| Step | Key points |
|---|---|
| ① Wrap the arm behind the neck | Feed one arm past the side of the opponent's head and behind the neck, palm down, keeping the arm tight against the neck so there is no space for the opponent to insert a hand |
| ② Grip your own sleeve | The other hand grips the gi sleeve of the wrapping arm, forming a figure-four closed loop. The grip must be deep and solid, because a loose grip lets the whole structure be pried open |
| ③ Cut the forearm into the neck | The gripping hand's forearm follows the sleeve into the front of the opponent's neck. Make contact with the bony ulnar edge of the forearm rather than the soft muscle side, and keep the contact point on the neck, not the chin or cheek |
| ④ Tighten | Contract both arms toward each other, squeezing inward like wringing a towel, and add pressure by driving your bodyweight forward instead of pulling with the arms alone |
There are two common reasons it fails. The first is a shallow grip that only catches the edge of the sleeve: it slips as soon as you squeeze, and the opponent can push the arm away. The second is a forearm that sits too high, pressing on the jaw or cheek. The opponent feels pain, but neither the carotids nor the windpipe are being effectively compressed, so he can simply tough it out. The effective contact point is the neck, not the face.
The no-gi version replaces the sleeve grip with a grip on your own elbow or forearm. The structure is the same, but without the friction and anchoring that fabric provides, it slips markedly more often. That variation carries an extra rules consideration, covered in section 6.
3. Entries and setups
The most useful property of the Ezekiel choke is how broadly it adapts to position. Three typical entries:
One: from mount, when the opponent pushes into your chest. This is the entry most academies teach first. When you are mounted and your opponent presses up into your chest or shoulders to create space, his arms are busy pushing and his neck is wide open. Feed the arm behind his head and start building the structure right there; the opponent often does not realise what is happening until the forearm lands on his neck.
Two: stuck inside the opponent's closed guard, which is the original scenario from the origin story. When you are on top but cannot pass and the position stalls, rather than forcing the pass, go straight for the neck. This entry demands posture control, because leaning forward to wrap the head also feeds your own centre of mass into the opponent's attacking range, giving him a chance to sweep or counter with a triangle.
Three: from side control or the back, as a transitional option. When the opponent turns away from you in side control, or is desperately defending his collar while you have his back, his attention is nowhere near the sode guruma jime route. The move is often used as a backup to other chokes: when the opponent successfully defends a cross-collar or bow-and-arrow choke and both hands are tied up guarding the collar, the head-wrap-and-sleeve-grip route opens up instead.
Setup chain: it works better as a second option than as a first option
Going for it cold usually gets read. The Ezekiel choke involves a fairly large movement; the opponent can see and feel the arm coming around his head, and on its own it gives him plenty of reaction time to defend.
A far more effective use is to chain it off a collar attack. Threaten the cross-collar or bow-and-arrow choke first to force both of his hands up to defend the collar. His elbows rise, a gap appears at the side of the neck, and the wrap-and-grip route becomes smooth. The same logic applies if he is fixated on defending your guard pass: let him get busy solving another problem first, then switch to this one.
4. Strengths and limitations
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Almost position-agnostic: mount, side control, the back, on top of turtle, even from the bottom | Only fully effective in the gi; the sleeve grip is what makes the structure stable, and the no-gi version slips far more |
| No need to win the positional battle first, one of the few attacking options that does not penalise the smaller or weaker athlete | Large movement, so wrapping the head is easy to read, and a cold entry gives the defender ample reaction time |
| Simple structure and an obvious mental hook, a technique a white belt can understand and start drilling | Entering from inside the opponent's guard requires leaning forward, and poor posture control hands over sweeps or triangles |
| Works as a backup route to collar chokes, and lands more easily precisely when the opponent is busy defending the collar | In competition it is a division-restricted technique, not legal for every age and belt bracket, see section 6 |
5. Common escapes and counters
The escape window sits almost entirely before the second hand completes the sleeve grip. Once the closed loop is formed, defending gets dramatically harder, so every effective defence is an early defence:
One: tuck the chin, the most immediate first response. Drive your chin hard toward the attacking forearm so the jawbone sits between that forearm and your windpipe, and the bony edge cannot reach an effective position. This is the basic defence most instructional material mentions. Note that it has a counter of its own: the attacker only has to change the angle and press into the side of the neck against the carotid instead of forcing the frontal windpipe route, and the chin tuck is bypassed.
Two: block the path of the second hand. More fundamental than the chin tuck is to stop the structure from forming at all. The moment you feel the opponent's arm wrap behind your head, put a palm or forearm in the path his other hand has to travel; if he cannot reach the sleeve, the choke never comes together. This is the highest-value defensive step, and also the one with the shortest window.
Three: attack the grip itself, including a wrist lock counter. If the choke is already locked and the first two layers came too late, there is a later option: counter-attack the opponent's wrist. To complete the sleeve grip, his wrist sits in a relatively flexed and fixed position, and the defender has a chance to load it directly into a wrist lock, forcing him to abandon the choke. This is a high-risk option and it has to be fast, because the choke's pressure is running at the same time.
After you escape or defend, what comes next
If you defended it from under mount, do not celebrate yet. To finish the choke the opponent has committed both hands to the structure on your neck, which means his upper body is usually leaning forward with both hands off the mat, the ideal moment for the upa (bridge) escape. Bridge straight toward the side where his arm is weaker and roll him over.
If you defended the Ezekiel choke from inside your own guard, his forward-leaning head wrap has fed his arms into your attacking range, and the entry conditions for a triangle or omoplata are usually already there. Converting defence directly into a counter-attack pays far better than simply pushing him away.
6. Competition frequency and rules restrictions
Rules first, because that part has a clear primary source. The Ezekiel choke is one of the few techniques named outright in the IBJJF rule book. In the official rule book published on the IBJJF website, version 6.2 (June 2024), it appears under the name "Forearm choke using the sleeve (Ezequiel choke)" as item 4 of the "Technical Fouls, Illegal Moves" table.
That table is structured with columns by age and belt: ages 4 to 12, ages 13 to 15, ages 16 and 17 (all belts) plus adult white belts (adult through Master 7), blue and purple belts from adult through Master 7, brown and black belts from adult through Master 7 (excluding adult no-gi), and adult brown and black belt no-gi. Each cell marks which divisions may not use each technique.
One further rule directly affects how the move is executed. The same rule book states under severe fouls that an athlete who, without using the gi, chokes with one or both hands wrapped around the opponent's neck, or presses the thumb into the opponent's windpipe, commits a severe foul. That is why the Ezekiel choke's legality in gi competition rests on the premise of "using the sleeve fabric." Doing it without fabric, compressing the neck with bare forearm and hand, crosses that line in gi divisions.
As for frequency, honesty is required here: there is no verifiable official data that answers the question. Both the IBJJF and ADCC publish only placings and match results, never technique-level usage or finishing rates. Numbers circulating online such as "the Ezekiel choke finishes over 60% of the time" trace back, when you follow the sources, to second-hand repetition between third-party blogs, with no original tally, sample scope or methodology given, so this site does not cite those percentages.
What can be said responsibly is qualitative: this move is a required fundamental in teaching curricula and is taught at nearly every academy, but in the conversation around elite-level submission statistics it is clearly less prominent than the armbar, triangle and rear-naked choke, which dominate those discussions year after year. It is more often described as a "fundamental but easily neglected" option, because defenders typically spend far less time drilling defence against it than against collar chokes.
7. Safety notes
The Ezekiel choke is a neck-compression technique, and the safety principles are the same as for any other choke. For a full discussion of what chokes do to cerebral blood flow and when exactly you should tap, see our guide to the cerebral blood flow reality of choke-induced blackouts and when to tap. For the carotid compression mechanics and medical detail of this specific technique, there is a companion article from a medical angle: the carotid compression mechanics of the BJJ Ezekiel choke and when to tap.
On long-term effects, one study looking directly at grappling athletes who are repeatedly choked is worth reading. Stellpflug et al. published a pilot study in 2025 comparing 20 grappling athletes with more than 500 cumulative chokes and over 5 years of training against 19 controls matched for age, sex and body size, measuring carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and four blood biomarkers of brain injury (NFL, hGFAP, t-Tau, UCH-L1). The result: no significant differences between the groups on CIMT or on any of the biomarkers.
Read that result carefully. It is "no difference was found," not "chokes are proven harmless." The authors themselves frame it as a pilot study, with a total sample of only 39 people and recent head-injury cases excluded. Treating it as a safety certificate is over-reading it; the reasonable reading is that this study did not observe an association between repeated chokes and these particular markers, and that larger studies are needed before drawing conclusions. At the same time, a 1991 case report in judo described a judoka who had been repeatedly choked over a long period and showed signs of anoxic brain damage, with the authors calling for caution in the use of chokes. Putting the two side by side means: no need to panic, but no room for carelessness either.
・Chokes are not "safer" than joint locks. Joint locks usually give a clear pain warning; a choke (especially one effectively compressing the carotids) can put someone out with almost no pain at all, and that is where the real risk lies
・If you are being choked and you feel your vision darkening, ringing in your ears, or your field of view narrowing, tap immediately. Do not push to the limit to test yourself
・The person applying the choke must stay alert to taps and verbal signals and watch for the partner going unresponsive. An opponent who stops struggling is not necessarily toughing it out, he may already be unconscious, in which case release immediately
・Never keep applying pressure to a training partner who has already lost consciousness. Follow your academy's protocol and notify the coach
・Keep the forearm on the neck rather than cranking on the face or straight into the front of the windpipe, to reduce unnecessary pain and airway irritation
・Anyone with a history of cervical spine injury, cardiovascular disease or hypertension should talk to their coach and doctor before drilling chokes
One piece of training-volume context is worth adding. Hinz et al. surveyed 1,140 jiu-jitsu practitioners across 62 countries in a 2021 cross-sectional study and found an overall injury incidence of 308 injuries per 1,000 athletes per year (defined as injuries causing at least two weeks off training), of which 77.6% occurred during sparring and 29.7% were caused by submissions. Injuries in that study were concentrated in the lower limb (45.7%) and upper limb (30.2%) rather than the neck, but its core message applies to chokes just as well: the overwhelming majority of injuries happen in everyday rolling, not in competition. The most effective way to lower risk is to treat tapping in time and releasing in time as techniques in their own right, drilled in the gym.
FAQ
Can white belts train the Ezekiel choke?
There is no belt requirement for drilling it in the academy, and it is one of the basic chokes most gyms teach early. Competition is a different matter: the official IBJJF Rules Book v6.2 (June 2024) lists "Forearm choke using the sleeve (Ezequiel choke)" in the Technical Fouls, Illegal Moves table, which is broken out column by column by age and belt to mark exactly which divisions may not use each move. So it is not universally legal across all divisions. Before you enter a tournament, look up your own division in the latest rule book.
Can you use the Ezekiel choke in no-gi?
There is a no-gi variation in which you grip your own elbow or forearm instead of the sleeve. Be aware, though, that the IBJJF Rules Book explicitly lists as a severe foul any choke in which an athlete wraps one or both hands around the opponent's neck without using the gi, or presses the thumb into the opponent's windpipe. The legality of this move in gi competition rests on the use of the sleeve fabric, and doing it without fabric runs into that rule.
How do you escape the Ezekiel choke?
The critical point is to deal with it before the second hand gets in. Immediately tuck your chin toward the attacking forearm so the bony edge of that forearm cannot reach your windpipe or carotids, and at the same time block the path of the opponent's other hand so he never completes the sleeve grip. If it is already locked in, turn your head toward the side with less pressure to create an angle, and work to improve your position quickly rather than lying there and toughing it out.
Why is it called the Ezekiel choke? Is it a biblical reference?
It has nothing to do with the Bible, it is named after a person. In judo the technique is called sode guruma jime, one of the chokes formally catalogued by the Kodokan. In the late 1980s Brazilian judoka Ezequiel Paraguassu used it heavily while cross-training at the Carlson Gracie academy in Rio, and the jiu-jitsu community started calling it by his name. The Portuguese spelling Ezequiel became Ezekiel as the name travelled into English.
Is the Ezekiel choke common at the elite level?
There is no verifiable official data that answers this. The IBJJF and ADCC publish placings and match results only, not technique-level usage or finishing rates. Figures circulating online such as "over a 60% success rate" trace back to second-hand blog posts with no original tally or stated methodology, so this site does not cite them. Qualitatively, it is a required fundamental in most teaching curricula, but it is clearly less prominent in elite submission statistics than the armbar, triangle and rear-naked choke.
References
1. Olympedia. Ezequiel Paraguassu (athlete ID 33685). olympedia.org; Wikipedia. Ezequiel Paraguassu. en.wikipedia.org (both accessed 2026/08, cross-checked against each other; supports Paraguassu's full name, birth on 1963/11/04 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian nationality, the tied-34th half-middleweight result at Seoul 1988 and tied-18th at Barcelona 1992, the absence of a medal at either Games, and the technique being named after him)
2. Wikipedia. Sode guruma jime. en.wikipedia.org (accessed 2026/08; supports the classification of sode guruma jime as a Kodokan strangle within katame-waza, the mechanical structure of wrapping the neck and gripping one's own gi sleeve, the no-gi variation gripping one's own elbow or forearm, and the 1988 Carlson Gracie academy naming context)
3. Sampa Martial Arts and Fitness. Ezequiel Dutra Paraguassu, A Legend Of Brazilian Judo. sampabjj.com (accessed 2026/08; supports the story details of late-1980s cross-training at the Carlson Gracie academy in Rio, his inability to pass the jiu-jitsu players' guard leading him to apply sode guruma jime from inside the guard, and academy members naming the move after him)
4. International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. IBJJF Rules Book, Version 6.2, June 2024 (official rule book PDF). ibjjf.com/books-videos (accessed and downloaded 2026/08; supports the listing of "Forearm choke using the sleeve (Ezequiel choke)" as item 4 of the Technical Fouls, Illegal Moves table, the age-and-belt column structure of that table, and the severe foul clause covering choking with one or both hands around the neck without using the gi, or pressing the thumb into the windpipe)
5. Stellpflug SJ, Dalrymple KA, Stone D, et al. (2025). Impact of repeated sportive chokes on carotid intima media thickness and brain injury biomarkers in grappling athletes. Phys Sportsmed;53(1):18-26. PubMed PMID: 38857060 (supports the design and direction of the pilot study described above: 20 grapplers with over 500 cumulative chokes versus 19 matched controls, with no significant differences in carotid intima-media thickness or the NFL, hGFAP, t-Tau and UCH-L1 markers, and the authors' own framing as a 39-participant pilot study)
6. Hinz M, Kleim BD, Berthold DP, et al. (2021). Injury Patterns, Risk Factors, and Return to Sport in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: A Cross-sectional Survey of 1140 Athletes. Orthop J Sports Med;9(12):23259671211062568. PubMed PMID: 34988235 (supports the figures cited above: 308 injuries per 1,000 athletes per year, 77.6% of injuries occurring during sparring, 29.7% caused by submissions, and the 45.7% lower-limb and 30.2% upper-limb distribution)
7. Owens RG, Ghadiali EJ. (1991). Judo as a possible cause of anoxic brain damage. A case report. J Sports Med Phys Fitness;31(4):627-8. PubMed PMID: 1806745 (supports the 1991 judo case report cited above: a judoka repeatedly choked over a long period showing signs of anoxic brain damage, with the authors calling for caution in the use of chokes)