Glossary /// Alias
Crucifix head-and-arm strangle
Also known as Crucifix North-South Choke — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: descriptive
Descriptive — head-and-arm compression from a crucifix
Crucifix head-and-arm strangle is a descriptive name for the north-south choke taken from the crucifix, naming the compression surfaces rather than the position it is usually attacked from.
Etymology. “Head-and-arm” is the family label these strangles share; the crucifix qualifier says which arms are doing the trapping. Here they are the attacker’s legs, which is the whole reason the version exists.
Mechanics. ⚠ The crucifix trades away the bodyweight delivery a pin provides and buys total arm isolation in exchange. It is worth making that trade against a defender whose hands have been winning the framing battle, and not otherwise. Both of the defender’s arms are trapped, so an agreed verbal or foot tap is required before drilling it.
Cross-reference. Full mechanical coverage on Crucifix head-and-arm strangle.