How to Defend the Forearm Choke

Recently, BJJScout posted a video of a person getting submitted by a forearm choke in an MMA fight (picture in the thumbnail).

They asked if this was a dirty move in training. To be specific, the move is simply where someone who is mounted on you presses down on your neck with their forearm.

What is mind-boggling to me is that anyone in BJJ would think this was a dirty move and wouldn’t allow it in training. There are of course moves I don’t allow during rolling but I still teach how to defend those moves.
Because it would be irresponsible for me not to. But, I’ve met a lot of students who didn’t learn how because their coach just said “don’t do that because it’s dirty.”

I find this instinct amazing for a few reasons:

* First, and foremost, this is absolutely one of the most common attacks an untrained person will do to you. And, if you’re not training how to defend it then you’re basically unprepared to deal with a common real-world attack.
So, if you are not training to defend this, then you really are unprepared for real self defense. This is what I mean when when I say BJJ schools are teaching people how to defend BJJ but not to defend against the real world.
But, this might be why I submit a lot of bjj people (who know how to defend all kinds of esoteric BJJ techniques) with this choke.

* It’s amazing and embarrassing that this guy didn’t know this very basic defense. It’s actually taught in the original Rorion & Royce tapes that many BJJ people say is too basic and outdated. And, yet, I’ve met very few BJJ people who know it.
A lot of much more dangerous techniques are allowed at many academies and are not considered dick moves. A forearm choke is certainly far less dangerous than an inverted heel hook.

* Many BJJ practitioners and schools portray themselves as Spartan/Gorilla/Viking/Sharks but having to deal with someone pressing their arm on your neck is a step too far?

So, here I show how to defend this submission. Again, I’m not teaching an escape (obviously an Upa is an option here). I’m teaching the Defense. First, you have to learn how to defend a move for when you can’t immediately escape.

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