Ezekiel Choke (No-Gi)

What This Is

The Ezekiel choke (no-gi variant) is applied from mount or side control. One arm — the supporting arm — slides under the opponent’s head, and its hand grips the wrist of the choking arm. The choking hand forms a fist or a knife-hand, and the blade of the wrist — the ulna side — drives across the front of the neck. The two arms scissor: the supporting arm pulls the head into the choke while the fist and wrist blade drive across the throat.

The Ezekiel is substantially an airway choke — the fist and wrist blade load the trachea directly — with vascular components when the arm is seated deep. Either mechanism finishes, and the tap must come early. In the gi version, the fingers grip inside the sleeve of the arm under the head, and the fabric anchors the choking surface. In no-gi, the wrist grip replaces the sleeve, which makes the version more dependent on precise placement — the blade must be seated on the throat line and the elbows kept tight before the finish is effective.

The Ezekiel is particularly valuable from the mount position because the top player’s weight advantage amplifies the choke. From high mount specifically, the opponent’s arms are compromised and the neck is accessible from an angle that makes seating the choke easier. The choke also appears from side control when the near arm position creates the seating window.

Safety First

Training note: Because the Ezekiel loads the airway by design, drilling pressure must stay light — the discomfort threshold sits well before the finishing threshold, and partners should tap on throat pressure rather than waiting for the strangle to develop. The attacker releases immediately on any tap signal.

The Invariant in Action

The Ezekiel loads the neck from both sides — the fist and wrist blade across the front of the throat, and the supporting arm under the head closing the far side. The airway component is intrinsic to the technique: the blade sits on the throat. A deep seat adds carotid compression, and either mechanism finishes. The tap must come early.

This repeats the bilateral principle with the no-gi specific challenge. Without the gi sleeve to anchor the choke surface, the fist and wrist blade are secured only by the elbow’s position. A high elbow creates space and lets the blade slide off the throat line onto the jaw. The elbow must drive downward (toward the mat) and inward (toward the opponent’s neck) to keep the blade seated throughout the finish.

The placement determines whether the choke lands on the jaw or the neck. A shallow placement catches the chin or jawbone — bone under the blade, which stalls the choke. A placement past the jaw puts the wrist blade on the throat line, where the airway pressure is immediate and a deep seat adds carotid involvement. In no-gi, without the sleeve’s assistance, seating the blade requires deliberate pressure.

No-Gi Mechanics

The no-gi Ezekiel has different mechanics from the gi version in three specific ways:

The compression surface: In the gi, the fingers grip inside the sleeve and the fabric-backed forearm becomes the choke surface. In no-gi, the compression surface is the fist and the blade of the wrist — the ulna side — driven across the front of the throat. The hand makes a fist or a knife-hand so the bony edge, and only the bony edge, contacts the neck.

The grip security: The gi sleeve provides grip security — the fabric is held easily. In no-gi, the supporting hand under the head grips the choking arm’s wrist. This hold can be broken by the opponent if the elbows are not tight. The elbow-in position is the no-gi equivalent of the sleeve grip — it replaces the fabric’s grip security with a positional lock.

The finish force: In the gi, squeezing the sleeve grip creates the finish. In no-gi, the finish is a scissors: the choking fist drives down and across the throat while the supporting arm pulls the head and the choking wrist toward the attacker, pressing both surfaces against the neck simultaneously.

The Grip

The no-gi Ezekiel grip:

The supporting arm: Slides under the opponent’s head, with the hand emerging beside the far side of the neck. This arm cradles the head and is one of the two compression surfaces — it closes the far side of the neck and holds the head in place for the scissors.

The choking arm: The hand forms a fist or a knife-hand. The blade of the wrist — the ulna side — drives across the front of the neck, sliding past the jaw until it seats on the throat line. The fist and wrist blade are the choking surface; the fleshy forearm is not.

The connection: The supporting hand grips the choking arm’s wrist firmly. The two arms are connected at the wrist beside the far side of the neck, with the wrist blade across the throat and the supporting arm closing the far side from under the head.

Elbow position: The choking arm’s elbow must stay low and inward. This is the critical position requirement for no-gi — the elbow keeps the wrist blade seated on the throat line and prevents it from riding up onto the jaw. Practice deliberately checking elbow position during drilling.

The Finish

The no-gi Ezekiel finish:

The scissors motion: The choking arm’s elbow drives inward and downward, pressing the fist and wrist blade across the front of the throat, while the supporting arm pulls the choking wrist and the head toward the attacker’s body, closing the far side. These are opposite directional forces — scissors, not squeeze.

The elbow role: The choking elbow is the primary force generator. Driving the elbow toward the opponent’s neck (not upward) is what keeps the blade seated on the throat line under the finish pressure. If the elbow rises, the blade slides up onto the jaw and presses bone instead of the neck.

Body weight contribution: From mount, the body weight can be driven forward over the arms, amplifying the scissors compression. This is particularly effective from high mount where the opponent’s arms are compromised and the weight can be applied without obstruction.

The completion: The Ezekiel finishes quickly. The airway load from the blade is immediate, and a deep seat adds carotid compression on both sides. Either mechanism ends the exchange — the tap must come early, and training partners should release the moment it arrives.

Setup and Entry

From High Mount

The primary entry. From high mount (knees near the armpits), the opponent’s arms are compromised and the neck is accessible. Slide the supporting arm under the head, then seat the wrist blade of the choking hand across the throat and connect the wrist grip. The high mount weight advantage amplifies the seat — the opponent cannot create the defensive space needed to keep the blade off the throat line.

From Mount (Standard Height)

From standard mount, the Ezekiel is available but the opponent’s arms may be in a position to block or disrupt the seating of the arms. The attacking player must create the opportunity by moving to high mount first, or by catching the chin when the opponent attempts an escape (bridge-and-roll creates a momentary chin exposure).

From Side Control

When the near arm in side control is positioned so the supporting arm can slide under the opponent’s head from the side control angle, the Ezekiel setup is available. This requires a specific near arm position — the near arm must be above the opponent’s chest level, not controlling the hip. From standard side control, the arm transition to Ezekiel grip requires releasing hip control briefly, which creates a small positional risk.

From the Opponent’s Escape Attempt

Bridge-and-roll and shrimp escapes from mount both create chin exposure moments. The Ezekiel can be seated during the opponent’s escape motion — the chin lifts or turns, and the wrist blade slides onto the throat line. This requires anticipating the escape and having the arms ready to close immediately.

Position Requirements

• High Mount — Optimal. Opponent’s arms compromised, neck accessible, weight advantage available.
• Mount (Standard) — Available with correct near arm positioning. Seating may be contested.
• Side Control — Available with specific arm configuration. Requires temporary hip control release for arm transition.

Defence and Escape

Priority 1 — Tuck the chin immediately: The chin tuck denies the wrist blade the throat line. This is the most effective defence and must happen the moment the choking hand approaches the neck. A tucked chin means the blade catches the jaw rather than seating on the neck.

Priority 2 — Grip the choking arm with both hands: Before the wrist grip connects, the defender can use both hands to control the choking arm and keep the blade off the throat. This requires quick recognition — once both of the attacker’s arms are in position, the two-handed defence is less effective.

Priority 3 — Bridge toward the choking arm side: Bridging toward the side of the choking arm creates space and can disrupt the seat of the blade. This must be committed — a half-bridge gives the attacker time to re-seat the choke.

Priority 4 — Protect both sides of the neck: Once the wrist blade is seated and the supporting arm has closed, both sides of the neck are being compressed. The defender cannot address one side without opening the other. At this point, tap — do not wait for the choke to complete.

Common Errors

Drilling Notes

Ability Level Guidance

Ruleset Context

The Ezekiel choke is unrestricted across all standard no-gi rulesets.

Also Known As

Related Pages