{"slug":"guillotine-choke","name":"Guillotine Choke","aliases":["guillotine","front headlock choke","arm-in guillotine"],"category":"submission","format":"both","level":"fundamental","summary":"A front-headlock submission family that wraps the opponent's neck and controls posture from standing, guard, or top position.","overview":["The guillotine is a family rather than one grip. High-elbow, arm-in, ten-finger, power, and Marcelotine-style variations change the arm position and the way the attack controls the shoulders.","The attack is common during takedowns and scrambles because the opponent's head is exposed in front. Strong guillotine systems also use the grip to sweep, transition to front headlock control, or take the back instead of forcing a fading choke."],"keyPrinciples":["Control the head and shoulder line, not only the neck.","Keep the opponent from passing to the safe side.","Close space with the torso before squeezing with the arms.","Use the attack to improve position when the finish is not aligned."],"entries":[{"label":"Takedown defense","description":"Capture the head as the opponent's posture collapses during a leg attack."},{"label":"Front headlock","description":"Connect the choking grip after a snap-down or sprawl."},{"label":"Guard","description":"Wrap the neck as the opponent drives forward with the head inside."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Sweep","description":"Use the head-and-arm connection to redirect the opponent and come on top."},{"label":"Back control","description":"Move behind the shoulders when the opponent turns to relieve neck pressure."},{"label":"D'Arce","description":"Thread deeper around the arm and neck when the elbow separates."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Safe-side movement","description":"Move the body toward the side that reduces the choking angle."},{"label":"Posture and hand fight","description":"Control the choking wrist and rebuild head position before driving."},{"label":"Shoulder alignment","description":"Prevent the attacker from folding the head toward the chest."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["darce-choke","single-leg-takedown","rear-naked-choke","wrestle-up"],"athleteSlugs":["marcelo-garcia","pedro-marinho","kaynan-duarte","charles-oliveira"],"rulesetNote":"The submission is widely recognized, but age, belt, finishing direction, and ruleset can change what is legal. Train the finish under qualified supervision and check the current event rules.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"},{"label":"ADCC official rules and legal-technique guides","url":"https://adcc-official.com/pages/adcc-rules","type":"rules"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/guillotine-choke","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/guillotine-choke.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/guillotine-choke","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"darce-choke","name":"D'Arce Choke","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/darce-choke"},{"slug":"single-leg-takedown","name":"Single-Leg Takedown","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/single-leg-takedown"},{"slug":"rear-naked-choke","name":"Rear Naked Choke","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/rear-naked-choke"},{"slug":"wrestle-up","name":"Wrestle-Up","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/wrestle-up"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"marcelo-garcia","name":"Marcelo Garcia","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/marcelo-garcia"},{"slug":"pedro-marinho","name":"Pedro Marinho","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/pedro-marinho"},{"slug":"kaynan-duarte","name":"Kaynan Duarte","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/kaynan-duarte"},{"slug":"charles-oliveira","name":"Charles Oliveira","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/charles-oliveira"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}