Cross Collar Choke

Last updated: June 16, 2026

What is a cross collar choke?

The choke takes its name from the crossed position of the attacker’s arms. One hand grips deep inside the opponent’s collar, the second hand crosses over or under the first to grip the other collar, and the forearms form an X against the neck. Squeezing the elbows together drives the bony edges of the forearms into the carotid arteries on each side of the neck.

You will hear it called several things. Cross choke and X-choke both point to the same technique, and so does lapel choke. In judo, where it originated, it goes by juji-jime, which translates roughly as cross strangle. The Portuguese term used in Brazilian academies is estrangulamento cruzado.

It belongs to a family of blood chokes, meaning it works by restricting blood flow to the brain rather than cutting off air. That distinction matters. A well-applied blood choke can end a match in seconds, often before the person on the receiving end has any chance to react. The technique is usually thrown from the mount or the closed guard, which is part of why it becomes one of the first submissions a white belt learns, and yet still finishes world champions decades into their careers.

How the cross collar choke works

The power comes from the forearms, not the hands. The collar grips are anchor points that hold the arms in place so the forearms can close like the two sides of a clamp. As the elbows draw in and the wrists rotate inward, the radius and ulna press into the carotid arteries.

Because those arteries feed the brain, compressing them drops blood pressure to the head quickly. The choke can also stimulate the vagus nerve, which slows the heart, though the main effect is arterial. Skilled grapplers add body weight and core rotation to the squeeze instead of relying on grip strength, and that is why a smaller person can finish someone much bigger.

Cross collar choke vs other gi chokes

Most of the confusion around this technique comes from its many names, so here is the simple version: cross choke, X-choke, and cross collar choke are all the same move. The names just describe the crossed arms or the X shape they make across the throat. Where people genuinely mix it up is with other collar chokes that use the gi in a different way.

The table below sorts the cross collar choke from the gi chokes it gets confused with.

Choke	Applied from	How the grip works
Cross collar choke	Mount or closed guard, facing the opponent	Both collars gripped, arms crossed into an X across the throat
Bow and arrow choke	Back control	One collar gripped while the opponent’s own leg is pulled like a bowstring
Loop choke	Top, often off a ducked head or a failed pass	One collar gripped while the arm loops around the back of the neck
Sliding collar choke	Back control	Both collars gripped from behind, with no crossing of the arms

The thread running through all of them is the gi. Each choke turns the opponent’s collar into a handle. The cross collar choke is the one where the attacker sits chest to chest, looks at the face, and crosses both arms.

Types of cross collar choke

Judo recognises three classical forms of the cross strangle, and they differ only in how the hands grip the collar.

Variation	Japanese name	Grip
Normal cross	Nami-juji-jime	Both thumbs inside the collar, palms facing down
Reverse cross	Gyaku-juji-jime	Both thumbs outside and fingers inside, palms facing up
Half cross	Kata-juji-jime	One hand thumb-in and the other thumb-out

Beyond the grip itself, the choke is usually described by position. From the mount, gravity and body weight do much of the work. From the closed guard, it doubles as a threat that opens up sweeps and other attacks the moment the opponent reacts to defend the neck.

Common misconceptions about the cross collar choke

A few persistent myths surround this technique.

The first is that it is only a beginner’s move. White belts do learn it early, but the finish rate at the top of the sport says otherwise. Rômulo Barral has recorded more cross collar choke finishes than any other competitor in Digitsu’s database, with 21, and the choke makes up 37.5 percent of all his submission wins. Leandro Lo landed 18 of them, and Roger Gracie built much of his mount game around the same finish.

The second myth is that it is an air choke. It is not. It compresses arteries, not the windpipe, which is what makes it so quick and so hard to fight once the grips lock in.

The third is that it needs a gi. The gi makes it far more reliable, but the same mechanic works on any collared jacket or shirt, which is why it shows up in self-defense instruction. Take away a collar to grab, and the choke mostly falls apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the cross collar choke a blood choke or an air choke?

It is a blood choke. The forearms compress the carotid arteries on the sides of the neck, cutting blood flow to the brain rather than blocking the airway.

Is the cross choke the same as the cross collar choke?

Yes. Cross choke, cross collar choke, and X-choke are all names for the same gi technique. In judo, it is known as juji-jime.

What positions is the cross collar choke used from?

Most often, the mount and the closed guard. It can also appear during guard passes such as the knee-slice, when an attacker catches a collar grip mid-transition.

Is the cross collar choke a beginner technique?

It is one of the first submissions most people learn, but it stays effective at the highest levels. Black belts such as Rômulo Barral and Roger Gracie have finished elite opponents with it.

Does the cross collar choke work without a gi?

The grip depends on a collar, so it is much less reliable in no-gi grappling. It can still work on a jacket or collared shirt in a self-defense situation.

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Sources

1. Digitsu. “Cross Collar Choke Breakdown (BJJ).” Accessed June 2026.
   https://digitsu.com/t/cross-collar-choke
2. BJJ Heroes. “Cross Choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://www.bjjheroes.com/techniques/cross-choke
3. Evolve MMA. “BJJ 101: Cross Choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/bjj-101-cross-choke/
4. Elite Sports. “How to Make the BJJ Cross Collar Choke Work.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://www.elitesports.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-the-bjj-cross-collar-choke-work
5. Grapplearts. “How To Do the Cross Collar Choke from Mount.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://www.grapplearts.com/cross-collar-choke-mount/
6. Wikipedia. “Nami juji jime.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nami_juji_jime

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