### Cross Choke: A Detailed Guide #### Overview The Cross Choke, known as **Juji-jime** in Japanese, is a fundamental Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) submission that involves choking your opponent using their gi lapels. It's highly effective, versatile, and can be applied from multiple positions, predominantly from the **Closed Guard**, but also from the **Mount** and **Side Control**. #### **Step-by-Step Instructions from Closed Guard:** 1. **Establish the Guard:** - Begin with your opponent in your guard, and ensure your legs are wrapped securely around their waist. 2. **Secure the Collar Grip:** - With your **right hand**, reach up and grab your opponent's **left collar**. Your thumb goes inside, palm facing up, so your knuckles are against their collarbone. - Pull your opponent down slightly to break their posture and tighten the grip of your guard by engaging your core and closing your elbows. 3. **Second Collar Grip:** - With your left hand, reach across and grab the **right collar**. The palm should also be facing up, and your thumb should be outside the gi. - Adjust your grip to ensure you have a firm hold on both collars with the back of your hands facing each other near the neck area. 4. **Lock Elbows to Close Choke:** - Once the grips are secured, create a scissor-like motion by locking your elbows close to your body and bringing them down to your ribcage. - The choke is executed as the cloth from both sides of the gi collar cuts into the carotid arteries on either side of the opponent's neck. 5. **Apply Pressure and Finish the Choke:** - Ensure that your wrists are bent slightly inwards, and your fists are tight, pushing the opponent’s gi material deep into the neck. - As you draw your elbows closer together, use your legs to pull your opponent even closer, increasing the pressure efficiently. - Hold and wait for the opponent to tap or verbally submit. #### **Details to Consider:** - Ensure both your grips are deep and tight; the efficacy of the choke largely depends on this. - The force combines pulling with the arms and using core and leg strength to draw your opponent down. - Be mindful of your opponent trying to break grips or adjusting their posture to alleviate the pressure. #### **Respective Positions:** - **Primary Position:** Closed Guard. - **Other Positions:** - **Mount** – Apply a similar grip but from a top dominant position, using gravity to assist in applying downward pressure. - **Side Control** – Requires adaptation, typically transitioning into it by controlling the opponent's head/upper body initially. The Cross Choke (Juji-jime) is a classic example of leveraging the leverage and mechanics of BJJ to control and submit efficiently, using both intellectual and physical tact.