Ezekiel Choke (No-Gi)

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The Ezekiel choke (no-gi variant) is applied from mount or side control. One arm — the supporting arm — slides under the opponent’s head, and its hand grips the wrist of the choking arm. The choking hand forms a fist or a knife-hand, and the blade of the wrist — the ulna side — drives across the front of the neck. The two arms scissor: the supporting arm pulls the head into the choke while the fist and wrist blade drive across the throat.

The Ezekiel is substantially an airway choke — the fist and wrist blade load the trachea directly — with vascular components when the arm is seated deep. Either mechanism finishes, and the tap must come early. In the gi version, the fingers grip inside the sleeve of the arm under the head, and the fabric anchors the choking surface. In no-gi, the wrist grip replaces the sleeve, which makes the version more dependent on precise placement — the blade must be seated on the throat line and the elbows kept tight before the finish is effective.

The Ezekiel is particularly valuable from the mount position because the top player’s weight advantage amplifies the choke. From high mount specifically, the opponent’s arms are compromised and the neck is accessible from an angle that makes seating the choke easier. The choke also appears from side control when the near arm position creates the seating window.

Elevated RiskEzekiel Choke (No-Gi) is an elevated risk technique. The no-gi Ezekiel is a mixed airway and vascular choke. The blade of the choking wrist compresses the trachea directly — airway pressure is part of the technique, not a fault in it — and a deep seat adds carotid compression. Direct tracheal loading is uncomfortable fast and can bruise the airway under sustained force; the vascular component arrives with little additional warning once the seat is deep. Serious injury can occur Airway pressure registers immediately; the vascular component completes within seconds of a deep seat. Tap on the pressure, not on the fade..

If you are new to this technique: read this section before anything else. Understanding the danger is part of understanding the technique.

The person applying the technique is responsible for releasing immediately.

Communicate before drilling. Know your partner's experience level with this position.