YR Sports Lab
Your opponent drops his head and pressures forward, you grab his collar, wrap your arm behind his neck, and all he does is frown. That motion is the Loop Choke, called estrangulamento rodado in Portuguese, literally "rolled choke". It is a gi-only collar blood choke that closes the carotids with a shallow collar grip, an arm looped behind the neck and a roll to the side to finish. This guide breaks down the five steps, the positions it can be started from, why it fails to tighten and the early counters, and it is upfront that sources disagree on who invented it.
1. Origins and Story: A Plain Name With No Settled Inventor
"Loop" describes the arm threading behind the opponent's neck and pulling the collar into a circle, and the Portuguese name estrangulamento rodado, literally "rolled choke" (DIGITSU, queried 2026/10). The name is easy to explain, but who created the technique is not, because the two sources found for this article disagree.
Two origin accounts, presented side by side without picking a winner
DIGITSU's technique page says the Loop Choke originated at the Carlson Gracie academy in Rio de Janeiro and was refined and popularized by figures such as Otávio "Peixotinho" de Oliveira, Isaías de Souza, Marcelo Saporito and Vinícius "Vinicinho" Cruz, with Cruz perfecting it in the 1990s and using it often in competition.
LowKick MMA gives a different version: "there is no one person credited with coming up with the loop choke", and gi chokes developed early in jiu-jitsu and gained prominence as competitive BJJ grew. The two sources contradict each other, so this article treats the first as a single-source claim and does not quote any of these athletes' medals or results, because their biographies could not be cross-checked against two independent sources.
BJJ World's tutorial highlights the standing variation. BJJ World's tutorial says Alexandre Vieira, a black belt under Murilo Bustamante, popularized and refined the standing loop choke back in his brown belt days: a collar grip snap down lowers the opponent's head, the arm then loops behind the neck, and if needed he grabs a leg and rolls the opponent over his shoulders, like a fireman's carry, to take him to the ground while keeping the choke on. LowKick MMA also singles out Vieira for a flashy variation that hoists the opponent onto his back. These are technical descriptions and do not mean he invented the choke.
2. Mechanics: Shallow Grip, Lower the Head, Loop, Second Grip, Roll
The core of the loop choke is a shallow collar grip that leaves room for the arm to loop, then a second grip and body position that lock the loop. Drawing on DIGITSU and BJJ Fanatics, the motion breaks into five stages:
| Stage | Key points |
|---|---|
| ① Shallow grip | Take a cross-collar grip at collarbone height. BJJ Fanatics stresses "shallow": grab the lapel just above or on the collarbone rather than deep like a cross choke, so the arm has room to move |
| ② Lower the posture | Pull downward to break the opponent's posture and bring his head to where your arm can loop around it |
| ③ Elbow up, loop the neck | Lift the elbow so the forearm loops around the back of his neck |
| ④ Second grip | Take a second grip on the wrist, collar, shoulder or arm to close the route he would use to slip out |
| ⑤ Roll to finish | Roll toward the side of the second grip to complete the choke; BJJ Fanatics adds the detail of turning head and chest toward the roll side, grabbing the pants and walking the feet over so your own head sits in the gap between his elbow and knee, then dropping to that side |
Two details decide the outcome. First, the target is the carotids, not the windpipe: Meta Mat Warriors says wrist flexion is what cinches the choke, and that choking the windpipe is less effective and more dangerous for your partner. Second, the grip needs some slack: Meta Mat Warriors notes the cross-collar grip needs enough slack for the hand to move around the neck. The site's Cross Collar Choke is the deeper-grip collar choke, and the two are worth drilling side by side.
3. Entries and Setups
The strength of the loop choke is that it has an entrance from almost anywhere. BJJ Fanatics says it can be attacked from various guards, top positions, top turtle and even standing, and that in the gi it is easier to grip than a guillotine because a lapel is easier and stronger to hold than a neck. The typical entries from the sources are:
| Position | Typical situation |
|---|---|
| Open guard on the knees | Meta Mat Warriors' approach: from an open guard on your knees, establish a cross-collar grip with slack, push the opponent slightly so he pushes back, pull him in as he does, cup his head and loop the grip around his neck |
| Closed guard, half guard, side control | LowKick MMA notes variations from closed guard, half guard, side control and defensive situations; the principle it describes is to sit up and pull the head down to break posture |
| Top turtle | BJJ Fanatics' demonstration has black belt Michael Guzzo hit the loop choke from top turtle after sprawling against a takedown attempt |
| Standing | BJJ World's standing loop choke: a collar grip snap down lowers the head, then the arm loops; the choke gets tighter with every step |
To bring the opponent's head down, a common setup is to create a motion he has to react to. Meta Mat Warriors says to push him slightly so he pushes back, then pull him in as he does. The technique is essentially a trap that lets the opponent walk into range. Like the Guillotine Choke, it often appears when the opponent drops his head to advance, and the difference is the grip: BJJ Fanatics argues that in the gi the loop choke grip is easier to get than the guillotine.
4. Strengths and Limits
| Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|
| Available from guards, top positions, top turtle and standing, so there are many entrances | Gi only: without a collar it cannot form |
| Easier grip than a guillotine; a lapel is easier and stronger to hold than a neck | Needs the opponent's head lowered; an upright opponent is hard to loop (this article's inference) |
| BJJ Fanatics calls it powerful yet underused, an option worth adding to your repertoire | Once the grip is stripped the choke has no foundation, so a backup plan is needed (this article's inference; DIGITSU's first defensive step is exactly to break the grip early) |
| The standing version tightens with every step (BJJ World) | The standing version relies on a snap down to lower the head first; without it there is nothing to loop (this article's inference from the setup order BJJ World describes) |
BJJ Fanatics calls it "arguably one of the most powerful chokes in the sport" yet underused. That is an instructor's view, but it matches a plain fact: the grip is low-barrier and the entrances are many, yet many people never add it to their repertoire.
5. Common Counters
When a loop choke is coming, the core principle is the earlier the better. The defensive order DIGITSU lists is to break or control the cross-collar grip immediately, keep an upright posture, frame against the choking arm's elbow, and only as a last resort roll in the direction of the choke. BJJ World adds that against the standing version posture comes before grip fighting, because once the snap down lands the rest is hard to deal with.
If you are already caught, the late defense BJJ World describes is to untie the gi from the belt so the collar can slide across the neck and the attacker's own pulling loosens the choke a little. It is not a universal fix, but it is worth knowing when nothing else is left. LowKick MMA adds that when the opponent tries to roll away, the attacker can place his legs across the opponent's back to stop the escape.
After the grip is stripped: your follow-ups
When the grip is stripped at once, do not yank. DIGITSU's first defensive step is to break the cross-collar grip early, so the attacker needs a backup plan (this article's inference): rebuild the grip, or switch to another collar choke on the site such as the Bow and Arrow Choke.
When the opponent tries to roll away, put your legs across his back to stop the escape and keep the choke on.
6. How Often It Appears in Competition
No official event data was found that answers how often the loop choke is attempted or finishes matches; IBJJF results publish only placings and brackets. DIGITSU's technique page has a chart (its title reads 2017 to 2026, showing loop choke wins as a share of all submission victories) and lists Nicholas Meregali with 6 recorded loop choke submissions and Horlando Monteiro with 3; the page text gives no specific percentage (queried 2026/10). This is a third-party site's tally that this article could not cross-check, so it is a qualitative reference and not a precise figure to cite. On rules, it depends on the collar and only appears in gi competition; none of the sources found mention belt restrictions, and IBJJF rules change every year, so check the current rulebook.
7. Safety Notes
The loop choke is a blood choke whose goal is to restrict brain blood flow. A 2020 review by Stellpflug and colleagues says the mechanism of unconsciousness from vascular neck restraint (called a choke in combat sports) is not simply direct carotid compression: jugular compression raising intracranial pressure, and pressure on the carotid body triggering a vagal response that lowers cardiac output, may also contribute, although the medical literature on this is thin. The takeaway is that the physiology is more complicated than "blocking a vessel", so do not try to judge how long you can hold out. The site has a dedicated piece on choke safety and recovery, see BJJ Choke Safety; for a medical view of the cross choke see the Cross Collar Choke feature.
・Release immediately on a tap; do not delay to add a little more pressure
・The target is the carotids; if you feel pressure on the windpipe, adjust the grip at once
・Go slowly with new partners and do not drag the opponent down hard when hoisting him in the standing version
・If you are the one being choked, do not hold out until you pass out; an early tap is safer than a late one
FAQ
Who invented the loop choke?
Sources disagree. DIGITSU ties it to the Carlson Gracie academy, while LowKick MMA says no one person is credited; the two accounts conflict, so this article presents both without ruling.
Can I use a loop choke without a gi?
No, it is a gi-only choke. The loop choke needs the opponent's collar or lapel to loop and tighten, so the original version does not appear in no-gi training or competition.
Why won't my loop choke tighten?
Two common causes are a deep collar grip and an opponent who stays upright. BJJ Fanatics and DIGITSU stress a shallow grip and a lowered head; Meta Mat Warriors notes that choking the windpipe instead of the carotids is less effective.
What should I do when someone has a loop choke grip on me?
Deal with it early: strip or control the collar grip at once and keep your posture upright. DIGITSU also suggests framing against the choking arm's elbow; if it is already late, untying the belt so the collar can slide is a commonly taught last resort.
How is a loop choke different from a cross collar choke?
The grip is shallower and the finish relies on looping and rolling. BJJ Fanatics says the loop choke grip sits near the collarbone rather than deep like a cross choke, and it is easier to grip than a guillotine.
References
1. DIGITSU. Loop Choke: BJJ Submission Breakdown & Stats. digitsu.com (queried 2026/10; third-party compilation; supports the Portuguese name, the Carlson Gracie origin account, the motion steps, the defensive order, and the chart (title covering 2017 to 2026) with the Meregali and Monteiro records)
2. LowKick MMA. Loop Choke - BJJ Submission. lowkickmma.com (queried 2026/10; supports the "no single credited inventor" account, closed guard and other position variations, the Alexandre Vieira variation, and the legs-across-the-back answer to a roll)
3. BJJ World. The Standing Loop Choke, Alexandre Vieira Style. bjj-world.com (queried 2026/10; supports Vieira as a black belt under Murilo Bustamante, popularizing the standing version as a brown belt, the snap down setup, rolling the opponent over the shoulders, and the untie-the-belt late defense)
4. BJJ Fanatics. Stop Avoiding the Loop Choke! bjjfanatics.com (queried 2026/10; instructional article; supports gi-only use, the shallow grip near the collarbone, the roll-to-finish details, attacks from many positions, and an easier grip than the guillotine)
5. Meta Mat Warriors. BJJ Loop Choke. metamatwarriors.com (queried 2026/10; instructional article; supports the kneeling open guard entry, the slack in the cross-collar grip, wrist flexion cinching the choke, and targeting the carotids rather than the windpipe)
6. Stellpflug SJ, Menton TR, Corry JJ, Schneir AB. (2020). There is more to the mechanism of unconsciousness from vascular neck restraint than simply carotid compression. Int J Neurosci;130(1):103-106. PubMed 31487214 (supports that unconsciousness from vascular neck restraint involves more than carotid compression, including jugular and vagal effects)