are there any choke holds in jiu jitsu?

Question

Now am I mistaken or is jiu jitsu also considered submission style wrestling? Are their choke holds involved? the reason I ask is I am considering trying jiu jitsu but I have asthma and am traumatized with breath related/choke related things and woudn't want someone doing that to me and I woudl also find it too cruel to do to anyone else.

Answer 1

Ask your instructor exactly what your training will entail as far as choke holds go. Then go over this with your doctor, and see what he says. Worst case scenario, your instructor will simply tell the other students not to use those holds on you.

Answer 2

Hi Belly girl,

I too have asthma and I have been training in brazilian jiu-jitsu for a year now.

It is amazing, very effective, and incredibly addicting!

Do not worry about choking your opponent. When you free train, or spar, if you apply a choke (or someone chokes you) it lasts but 2-3 seconds and you can tap out (or release the choke on the person when they tap out).

It's all safe and fun and there is nothing cruel about it.

If anything is cruel, it would be you missing out on this great art before you ever really tried it. :)

Answer 3

Of course there choke holds in Jiu Jitsu. The Japanese name is "shime waza", and you will find all manner of choke holds in Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Japanese Jiu Jitsu.

You don't have to learn chokes, you could just learn joint locks (of which there are many). But you would be missing out on an important aspect of submission fighting. There's nothing cruel about chokes: I have been choked many times during training, I simply submit to my partner and he/she lets go.

Answer 4

if your worried about hurting some one don't be because in most training situations your training partner can tap or let you know that they have had enough. if you are afraid of being hurt you should always have that option to. eventually you should get passed your fear of being choked. if you explain how you feel about being choked to your instructor he will show you how safe it is is to learn and practice ju jitsu.. read gene simcos book Brazilian jiu jitsu basics, it comes with a DVD. I'm not sure what kind of training you will get but it should be similar to this book. you should also try More then one school and art to see what fits you best.

Answer 5

jiu jitsu, as you may know, is a form of deadly grappling/wrestling...

Most fights decay into some sort of wrestling match, so I highly recommend jiu jitsu...

And the question I ask all my students who have the apprehensions that you have (and there are many, because humans will do almost anything to avoid a fight...even lose on purpose) is this...

Would you rather live or die? Because that's what it comes down to...to have the will to do what your enemy will not...

There are chokes that involve your hands, your forearms, your elbows and elbow strikes, and, when you're on the ground...your legs, knees, and feet...

You're either in or out...there really is no middle ground...

I would recommend taekwondo if you're apprehensive...its a sport that has a lot to offer without the full body contact...

Just my opinion...

Answer 6

If wrestling is tic tac toe... BJJ is 3d chess. I'm not going to say that it CAN'T be learned without a qualified instructor, because I know of people who've worked it based on a wrestling background, videos, and a friend with blue belt or below. I will say that 99% of people who say they're going to try to learn it on their own, can't do it. Maybe you're a worldbeater. If you want lists of the basic techniques, positions, transitions, escapes, etc. look to Roy Harris and Stephan Kesting. They have really excellent articles, free e-books, and videos that are specifically designed to orient beginners, some of which include lists of the techniques they consider foundational. Matt Thornton of Straight Blast Gym also has very good instructional material for beginners and early-intermediates. As for your third question, there is no best technique for setting up rear mount or a rear choke. There are literally hundreds of options depending on the subtleties of your relative positions and his motion/energy. Just hearing you ask that question tells me that you vastly underestimate the complexity of BJJ. Good luck, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet against you.

Answer 7

As a student of BJJ and Judo; you must know that other students in your gym are not out to kill you. Choke holds are a part of training but no one will be trying to kill you full force with a choke hold. It is really done in a controlled manner; and if you get caught in one you should surrender immediately and that's it. Once, a choke hold is done properly it will make anyone (even without asthma) submit. I would let your instructor know about your condition prior to training. It's a great art and the purpose is to subdue your opponent without severly hurting them as oppossed to the striking arts.

Answer 8

oh yeas there ARE chokeholds in Jujitsu, If you know how, you can work chokehols into almost any discipline, but it's more prevalent in Judo and Jujitsu; but it takes some manuvering to get into good position for them to use it properly.

it is a difficult thing to get over when you find yourself in that situation. but it's a reflex that you can overome through training.

While you can say that Jujitsu is submission style wrestling, Jujitsu also allows some striking as well while wrestling does not.

Answer 9

Does the art have it? yes. Will your instructor teach it? That I don't know You can overcome fear or apprehension with time and training... as they say, Time heals.
Check the instructors in your area... explain your concerns and go from there. What matters is the instructors in your area, check out a few classes and ask a lot of questions!

Answer 10

lol I was choked out just last week. Yeah there is every type of choke imaginable. Although where I go they don't want you to choke the throat only the arteries at the sides of the neck