Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese martial arts that dates back to the 1530s. Today it is practiced by millions of people around the world, and that’s mainly due to the popularization of it by the Brazilian fighters.
Continue readingIn today’s post I will cover How To Do The Von Flue Choke. This choke is basically initiated from side control and submits your opponent using their own arm and the pressure of your shoulder.
Other submissions such as the arm tringle choke and the Ezekiel choke are just as devastating and can put your opponent to sleep in a matter of seconds.
So, let me give you a quick rundown of what the von flue choke is and where and when it started from.
The person who created the Von Flue choke was a former mma fighter by the name of Jason Von Flue. Jason fought for a few combat organizations such as the UFC, Strikeforce, and WEC.
The von flue choke gained much popularity after Jason used it to win his UFC debut match, which was the Fight Night 3 event back in 2006.
Since then it has gained traction and has been used by many mixed martial arts fighters in competition, to submit their opponents.
One of the best things about the Von Flue choke is that it is used as an effective way to counter the guillotine.
This move starts from you being in side control. How you got to side controlo doesn’t matter. You could have already been on the ground scrambling from another position
Or you end up in that position after taking your opponent down. Whatever you do from this point is dictates whether you can secure the von flue choke or not.
Your in side control, so the next step is to make sure that your left arm has been placed under your opponent’s head.
There’s two things that will happen, one is that your opponent will try to defend himself with a series of other moves.
The other thing that might happen is that your opponent will reach his arm around your head to attempt to apply a guillotine choke from bottom position.
When this happens it’s the perfect moment to apply the Von Flue choke. What you will do is take your right arm and reach over your opponent grip on your head, and clasping onto your left hand. You need to do a palm to palm grip.
When you do this move it traps your opponent’s arm that still has a hold on your head. This move is very sneaky because the majority of times your opponent has no clue what’s coming next.
You opponent is simply focusing on getting a guillotine on you from bottom position, he’s not thinking of you securing the Von Flue.
While your hands are clasped together you want to drive your should under your opponents chin, and tripod up and push towards your shoulder. This will complete the choke
In a matter of seconds your opponent will either humbly tap out or more severely pass out do to asphyxiation.
*There are a variety of ways you can force down your shoulder underneath your opponent’s chin to complete the submission choke.
You can tripod up or you can extend your legs back (sprawl out) and use the top of your feet to push forward and drive your shoulder underneath your opponent’s neck.
You can even stretch out your leg and push all of your weight onto your shoulder and that pressure alone with make your opponent tap. it’s entirely up to you and your position at the time.
Crucifix Choke From Turtle Position
Doing The Von Flue Choke While In Closed Guard
Just incase you are wondering, you can actually do the Von Flue choke from another position, and that’s when you’re in you opponent’s closed guard.
If your opponent has you in their closed guard and props up a bit to capture the guillotine, you want to immediately want to come up to your toes in the tripod position. Grab under his opposite shoulder blade
And with your free hand grab onto his wrist. Then you want to turn your head like you are looking outwards. This will give you extra leverage when driving your shoulder under his neck.
To make this submission tight you have to make sure your positioning is right. Doing the Von Flue choke from top is more complicated than from side control, and it may take a few seconds longer for your opponent to tap.
Just as I’ve always said before, every move has a counter move. Every kick, punch, submission move has a defense to prevent you from executing that move. The Von Flue choke is no different.
When your opponent is executing the Von Flue choke from side control, and he’s trying to apply pressure by driving his shoulder under your neck, and sprawling out for more leverage. You simple have to start moving.
You want to start circling the same direction when your opponent is pushing his shoulder down towards. In other words, you want to circle the opposite direction of where your opponent is in side control.
This circular movement puts ease on your neck and allows you to breather. It also makes it harder for your opponent to apply full pressure onto the choke.
Now this will work up until a certain extent if you are facing someone who is very skilled in grappling.
At some point when your circling he’s going to notice you are doing and come to the realization that the submission is attempting to do on you is not working.
Another defense against the Von Flue choke is to load your feet and punch your pelvis upward, and while your opponent I pushing, put all your weight on his locked hands.
This will ultimately break the grip that he has on you and immediately loosen up the choke. Once you break the locked hands you want to immediately release your arm from the guillotine position.
That is to remove your arm from around his neck. Now you have both arms available to transition into another move.
Ovince St. Preux is a mixed martial artist that currently fights in the UFC in the Lightweight division. He formally competed in Strikeforce, XFC and Shark Fights.
OSP as the call him for short has taken a liken to the Von Flue choke so much that he has used it to win several of his fights.
Ovince St. Preux used the choke to secure his very first win in the UFC, and because of it received numerous praises in articles and on sports channels covering combat fighting.
Ovince St. Preux has managed to submit several fighters with the Von Flue choke that people are calling him the new face of the move. So much so that the have renamed it the “Von Preux” choke.
4 Impressive Von Flue Chokes By Ovince St. Preux
In conclusion the Von Flue choke is a powerful and effective choke to use against your opponent. Here are some things to remember.