Baseball Bat Choke – BJJ Submission

One of the most powerful chokes within all of BJJ has to be the baseball bat choke. It’s a choke that comes on incredibly quick and before you know it, you’re waking up from a nap.

Here is everything that you need to know about the baseball bat choke. Going over various ways to hit the baseball bat choke and important tips to remember when going for the submission.

Who Invented The Baseball Bat Choke?

The baseball bat choke in Jiu Jitsu was adopted from Judo like most techniques within the martial art. In Judo, the submission is known as “Ura Juji Jime.”

Within BJJ, the baseball bat choke has been innovated into numerous setups from various positions. American grapplers began calling it the baseball bat choke, because the grips are similar to holding a baseball bat.

Today, the choke is widely popular for its simplicity and its power. Many top grapplers like Magid Hage are known for their powerful baseball bat chokes and hit them from every position.

How Does The Baseball Bat Choke Work?

How the baseball bat choke works is quite simple. Your collar grips on each side of your opponent’s neck press against their carotid arteries.

As soon as you turn, the choke immediately locks in with immense pressure put on your opponent’s neck. When done correctly, they will only have a moment to defend or submit. 

Many grapplers have gone to sleep attempting to defend the baseball bat choke for too long. It’s one of the quickest and most powerful chokes in Jiu Jitsu and one you need to learn defenses for.

Baseball Bat Choke From Knee On Belly 

The first position that many begin learning the baseball bat choke from is knee on belly. This position is probably the best option for learning the submission as it gives you optimal control over your opponent.

Once you’ve established control, you can start setting up your grips. Your first grip will be a thumb in the grip right behind your opponent’s head.

The second grip will be a four-finger palm up grip on the other side of your opponent’s neck. Try to get your grips as close as possible to the other to mimic holding a baseball bat.

After getting your grips, you’re going to connect your elbows by bringing your top elbow to your bottom elbow. Flex your grips down like you’re swinging a baseball bat.

Now, you’ll go into the finishing sequence. Drop your head to your opponent’s inner hip, turn towards their head, pull your elbows in, and get the tap.

Please be careful when drilling this choke, because it comes on quickly and can put your partner to sleep.

Baseball Bat Choke From Side Control 

Doing a baseball bat choke from top side control is a great option and offers optimal control over your opponent. Start by establishing control over your opponent and keeping your weight down on their chest.

Once they’re controlled, take your outside hand and get a thumb in grip behind your opponent’s head. Your other hand is going to slide up their chest and take a palm up four-finger grip on their collar.(Outside collar.)

Keep a small amount of space between your grips as this space closes as you lock in the choke.

After getting your grips, you’re going to pop up to your feet in a crouched position. Bring your elbows together as you drop your head to your opponent’s hip and turn towards their head.

Baseball Bat Choke From Bottom 

Let’s reverse positions for a second and explain how to do the baseball bat choke from bottom position. What’s great about this setup is it’s done when your opponent is attempting a pressure pass. Stubborn passers will fall for this trap every single time.

To address your opponent trying to pass, you have to get your palm up grip. Use a four-finger grip and aim to grab the soft part of the Gi below the collar.

Next, reach around your opponent’s head and take your palm down grip. You can create a nice gripping position for your top hand by opening your bottom grip.

Once your grips are set, you’re going to set your trap by letting your opponent pass. As they’re passing, you’re going to do a small bridge up to make space to bring your elbow across their chest.

Roll to your side away from your opponent to lock in the choke and get the choke. If they try to defend, just keep turning away from them. They’ll either submit or go to sleep.

Baseball Bat From Mount

It’s not a common position to set up a baseball bat choke in, but setting it up from the mount is possible. You’re going to take the same grips as you would from knee on belly or side control.

Four-finger palm up grip and a palm down thumb in grip. After setting your grips, you’re going to dismount by leaning forward doing a windshield wiper motion with your outside foot. Going into the knee on belly position.

From here, the finish is exactly the same as the other two chokes from on top. Drop your head to your opponent’s inner hip, turn towards their head, and finish the choke.

No-Gi Baseball Bat Choke(Top Position)

The baseball bat choke is even possible in No-Gi. Here is the setup for the No-Gi baseball bat choke from the top positions.

Since you don’t have a Gi to grab, you’re going to use palm grips. You can either use a palm on palm grip or an S-grip for No-Gi baseball bat chokes.

Start by sliding your bottom hand behind your opponent’s neck. Slide it just past their neck to give you the space to connect your hands.

Next, your top hand is going to slide up your opponent’s chest towards your bottom hand. You can either use a palm on palm grip or S-grip like previously mentioned.

Once your grip is set, you’re going to knee cut across your opponent’s arm. You bring your elbows in and put your head on the opponent’s far shoulder to block them from coming up.

The choke locks on just like a baseball bat choke in the Gi.

No-Gi Baseball Bat Choke(Bottom Position)

The No-Gi baseball bat choke from bottom position is similar to the set up from on top. Collar tie your opponent to break your opponent’s posture and bring your other hand in to connect your grips.

In the video below, Eric Schaefer points out one interesting thing with the grips. You can do palm on palm grips, but when facing a larger opponent, it’s better to use a reverse S-grip.

The reverse S-grip allows you to connect your hands and bring your elbows together easier. No matter if your opponent has a large neck.

When you connect your hands, the choke is just like the Gi variation from the bottom position. Lock your grips and roll away from your opponent to lock in the pressure.

You’ll definitely surprise the person you’re rolling with the first time you use this choke.

Important Tips To Remember For Doing The Baseball Bat Choke

• One Palm Up/One Palm Down
• Turn Towards The Head(Bottom Chokes): For baseball bat chokes from top positions, you always lock in the choke by turning towards your opponent’s head. Clockwise from the left side and counterclockwise from the right side.
• Turn Away From Head(Topside Choke): All baseball bat choke from the bottom position are locked in by turning away from your opponent’s head. Whichever side is your palm down, grip is the direction you turn.
• Flex Your Elbows Together: To lock in the choke, you flex your elbows and bring them together in a scissoring motion. Your top elbow flexes down and your bottom elbow flexes up.
• Head Positioning: When going into the choke from on top, you always drop your head towards your opponent’s inner hip or knee. 
• Finish In North South: For baseball bat chokes from on top, you always turn and try to finish it from the north south position. You also finish baseball bat choke variations from on bottom in the north south position, but your opponent is on top.