Messing up on my North South Choke- Help?

[Maxx]

Ok. I can get into position but how do you apply the choke? Do you lean down into the neck or crank it upinto the bicep to get the choke?

[prentice crawford]

Woof Maxx,
 There are two arteries, one on each side of the neck that have got to be closed off. On one side your bicep provides the pinch point and on the otherside it's your opponents own shoulder that clamps off the opposite side artery. For the choke to work you have to pull in with the bicep and put your other hand on the ball of your opponents shoulder and push in, effectively creating a vise like clamp that squeezes inward on both sides of the neck at the same time. If your opponent taps simply release the pressure. If your opponent doesn't tap it's because you don't have both sides clamped or if he goes limp after about 8 seconds you've successfully choked him out and you need to immediately release the pressure. As you apply the choke you must constantly monitor your opponents condition to ensure his safety. One, make sure you are not clamping down on his wind pipe as you squeeze, remember you are cutting off the supply of blood to the brain not air to his lungs and two make sure of his state of consciousness if he passes out and you don't realize it soon enough, well that's very dangerous. Holding a choke on for more than a few seconds can cause irreparable damage or death.
                      P.C.

[Maxx]

So if I have the choke with my left arm..I would take my right hand and place it on the persons shoulder push down with my bicep and push him with my right hand?   Press and push at the same time?

[prentice crawford]

Woof,
 More like pulling his shoulder into your bicep, with his neck in between the two. I'm taking about a North/South shoulder choke. Where you run your left arm completely behind the back of the neck with your bicep against the side of his neck and place your left hand on his opposite side shoulder, then place your right hand on top of your left hand and squeeze inward toward your bicep clamping his neck in between. Your neck will be out side of his arm of the shoulder you are pressing in on. This choke can work in the guard on bottom, mounted top or from a set out or head lock position on the side mount.
                     P.C.

[Maxx]

Kinda like traying to bring you elbows together?

[prentice crawford]

Woof,
 No, more like if you were walking side by side with your girl friend and you swing your arm around her neck and hug her from the side. Pulling her into your upper body Actually you can get a standing choke with this as well as the ground. If you're using the left arm for your choke it would go like this: Your facing your opponent and your in a clinch tie up position, you place your left hand on top of his right shoulder then using your right hand grab underneath his left arm and push his arm straight up and over across the front of his face then step in and get your head on the outside of his left arm, as you do this you go deep behind his neck with your left arm to the point where your bicep is on the side of his neck. Now you squeeze him into you, pulling the bicep into you while pressing your right hand and your neck and shoulder into his left armpit and shoulder. Easier to do than to describe!
                      P.C.

[Maxx]

Ah..Ok now I get it..That last part helped me put it more together. The whole bicep pulling into you part. Thank you for your help on this but I have one more small question..Also, what about making the transition to north south..Using your arm to still go behind the neck to hold them down and then using your free arm and hand to place over their wind pipe and choke them out that way? While still in the North South position. Btw, thats a terrible position to be in if somone pulled a knife while holding you like that and decided to go ape crap on you.

[prentice crawford]

Woof Maxx,
 Dealing with someone on the ground with a knife is a whole different ball of wax and is way beyond the scope of what we could discuss here with any clarity. I will say that if you are lucky enough to be on top with his knife hand pinned to the ground with your left hand, it could be possible to get your right hand under his neck and reach all the way through to the otherside and grab the knife hand as well. Then you could use your left hand to cover his mouth as you extend your upperbody to lay on top of it and his face. But get personal training in this area; there are too many variables when it comes to a knife situation under any circumstances and even with proper training your chances of surviving a knife attack with an emptyhand defense is still close to zero. Hopefully this will be an area that Guro Crafty will address with a Vid Lesson at some point. Oh yeah, If I did manage to get a free hand I would probably use it to gouge out his eyes with instead of trying to suffocate him.
                                   P.C.