This video lesson is about how to guillotine, or as some people say, how to guillotine choke, better. The method I show takes away many of the issues with the standard way of doing it. It does not replace the normal guillotine. It enhances it.

It is for grapplers, martial artists and anyone who already knows the basic guillotine and has found it does not always work the way it should. Try it and see for yourself.

What Goes Wrong With the Standard Guillotine

The guillotine is a popular technique because the opportunity comes up so often. When someone ducks their head or shoots in low, the neck is right there. But the standard version has problems that most people have felt:

  • It relies a lot on arm strength, so it tires you quickly
  • A strong neck or a tucked chin can stop it
  • People squeeze hard but in the wrong direction, so nothing happens
  • It can leave you in a poor position if it fails

When a technique depends on strength and perfect position, it becomes unreliable against a bigger or more resistant person.

Why Small Details Make a Big Difference

Most techniques fail not because the idea is wrong but because of the details. The angle of the arm, the direction of pressure, and the use of your body rather than just your arms all change how effective a choke is. Improve those details and the same technique suddenly needs far less effort.

This is the same thinking I use across all of my teaching. Find the problem in the standard way, understand why it happens, and fix it with a principle rather than more muscle.

Safety First

Chokes and strangles are serious techniques. Train them with control, with a cooperative partner, and always release the moment your partner taps. Apply pressure slowly in training and never crank a choke. Neck work done carelessly can cause real injury.

In a self-defence context, remember that any force you use must be reasonable for the situation. A choke is not something to use lightly.

How to Practise It

Start with the standard guillotine so you know what it feels like. Then make the changes slowly, one at a time, so you feel the difference each one makes. Ask your partner for honest feedback. Once the shape is right, add some gentle resistance so you learn to find the position when your partner is not helping you.

Take It Further

A guillotine is one of the five lessons in my FREE Pressure Point Fighting Mini-Course, so that is a good place to go next. For a complete self-defence syllabus, see the Pressure Point Self Defense Course.