Technique Help Needed

[Michael Sioda]

I've been getting my head stuck while in side control (top position). I expect that they guy on bottom has nothing yet it is getting really annoying. I'll spend a long time trying to free my head & occasionally the guy on bottom will eventually connect his hands & apply some real pressure to my neck, leaving me sore for 2 days & even worse it can lead to a sweep/scramble. This only happens because my neck starts to hurt after a while & I do something stupid trying to free it.

It's frustrating because I feel like there should be an easy way out for me & this can really shut down my top position game. I've been trying to shift to North/Sound to make it easier to escape my head but with limited success.

Here is a slow-motion demo of me falling into that position. I'm obviously just giving him my head here & normally try my best to avoid this - but I still find myself here usually at least once/night when I roll.

Nibiru warriors - please help!

Excuse the grainy video - lens must have been dirty.

[Mike Dewitt Jr]

Von flue choke, cross face, knee ride......that's just me.

[David Stager]

Von flue choke, cross face, knee ride......that's just me.

Yeah, I love the Von Flue choke. I get put in guillotines all the time, and if I pass to side control and my opponent still holds onto it, all I can think of is, "Payback time."

If he has you in an arm-in guillotine, however, I would do what you were doing: block his hips with my free arm and move to north-south. If it's still hurting, try to move all the way around to the opposite side control.

[Chris Herzog]

Von flue choke, cross face, knee ride......that's just me.

All the ones Mike said are good options. My favorites are transitioning to N/S and attacking with the N/S choke or going to knee to belly > mount > arm triangle.

[Cody Kietzman]

Yeah, I love the Von Flue choke. I get put in guillotines all the time, and if I pass to side control and my opponent still holds onto it, all I can think of is, "Payback time."

If he has you in an arm-in guillotine, however, I would do what you were doing: block his hips with my free arm and move to north-south. If it's still hurting, try to move all the way around to the opposite side control.

You know what i love? Your avatar. The first time i ever choked a guy unconscious was with a von flue, its a super legit choke!

[David Stager]

Haha, thanks Cody.

[Shawn Arnold]

[VJ Bella]

Von Flue choke usually does the job for me too. Worst case scenario i take my left elbow and put it on the other side of his head (so his head is under my armpit) and i flip my hips (step back with my right leg) and look to the sky. All my pressure is on my left shoulder. Where you can get your self into trouble is if he has an arm in guillotoine (on your left arm). This is more difficult to escape and can get you swept\flipped pretty easily because there is no arm to base with on the left side.

I know the pass was in slow motion and you may of just been showing how you get there but I would try and stay heavy on his right leg instead of tiptoeing around him...it will be very difficult to pass that way against someone with even a decent guard...you need to control the hips and look to control a far side underhook. If you can control an underhook it would be difficult for him to guillotine you.

[Nathan Wallner]

I am a little more violent with my advice but a forearm or an elbow grinding into his face might cause him to release his hands and allow you to transition into something else too

[Gray]

If I can't get my arm deep enough to Von Flue, I go knee on belly and stiff arm the face. Once you get out the arm is exposed so I always get a kimura grip, then threaten the arm.