Ninja Choke (No-Gi)
Ninja choke — no-gi guillotine-D'Arce hybrid. No arms inside; figure-four RNC-style grip. Counter to single leg and defended guillotine.
Adapted from InGrappling, Ninja Choke (No-Gi). System Games did not invent this curriculum.
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The ninja choke is a no-gi carotid choke that occupies the mechanical space between the guillotine and the D’Arce. It is applied with no arms inside the choke — the opponent’s near arm is outside the choking structure — and uses a figure-four grip configuration that resembles the rear naked choke: one arm hooks under the opponent’s neck and its hand grips the free arm’s bicep, while the free arm folds behind the opponent’s head. The compression is bilateral carotid.
The technique is most available as a counter to a single leg takedown attempt, where the opponent’s head is driven down and into range, and as a recovery from a defended guillotine, where the transition into the ninja choke uses the same arm position without requiring a full grip reset.
It is sometimes categorised as a standing guillotine variant, though the grip geometry is distinct: the guillotine uses a cupped-fist support grip and finishes by driving the elbow up; the ninja choke uses the bicep figure-four and finishes with a squeeze-and-pull mechanics closer to the RNC. The positional requirement — head down, opponent pressing in — is shared with the guillotine.
The term “Ninja Choke” refers to two distinct techniques. The gi version is a lapel choke applied from side control using the opponent’s own collar — it is gi-dependent and is not covered on this site. The no-gi version described here operates from the front headlock range and is the only application covered on this page.
Elevated RiskNinja Choke is an elevated risk technique. The ninja choke compresses both carotid arteries via a figure-four arm configuration at the neck. It is primarily a vascular choke — it restricts blood flow to the brain rather than compressing the airway. When the grip is fully locked and the figure-four is closed, unconsciousness follows within seconds. Serious injury can occur Carotid compression to unconsciousness: 4–8 seconds once the choke is fully locked. The grip configuration can be established quickly in a scramble — both players should recognise when the choke is fully set and tap before reaching that threshold..
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.