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What is a Bulldog choke?
The Bulldog choke gained significant popularity when Ben Askren successfully tapped out Robbie Lawler with the move in Askren’s UFC debut fight. However, it has been around in MMA and grappling for years and has its roots in catch wrestling. The move is also sometimes referred to as the ‘bully choke’ as it mimics a headlock position that a playground bully may attempt on a victim.
The submission is applied by getting the opponent in a headlock from the side and by arching your hips upwards to apply the choke. It is often used in MMA due to the cage that offers more control for the attacker. Generally, it can be entered from the top turtle position or when the opponent starts to escape from the back mount. Below we will go into more detail about its entries and how to finish the choke.
Entries into the Bulldog choke
From the top turtle position, you should start from the back of the opponent. Often, if you hover on the opponent for too long, they will eventually escape. Similarly, you need to apply constant pressure to stop them from gaining space to escape. When this has been established, you then want to come to the side of the opponent, facing the same direction that they are.
At this point, you ideally want them to open their head up so you can put your arm around their neck. However, a good opponent will not do this so you may need to be more aggressive. Instead, you can wrap your forearm around the face of the opponent.
This isn’t nice for the opponent but it is from catch wrestling where such moves are welcomed. With this done, you can lift the face of the opponent upwards by controlling it with your arm until there is an opening to slip the forearm under the throat. At this point, you then want to finish the entry by making sure the opponent’s throat is nestled under the part where your forearm meets your bicep as you would with a rear naked choke.
The alternative entry is the one which Askren used on Lawler and is probably more common and high percentage. Imagine you have the back of your opponent and they start to escape. This requires the opponent removing your hooks so their lower body is free to move. From here you still have a seatbelt grip and control over their head but they scramble to their knees.
Instead of trying to re-insert hooks, you follow their movement and switch your seatbelt grip into one where the arm goes under their neck. At this point, you just need to adjust the grip so it is firmly under the chin and ready to choke. It should be noted that this move is not ideal from full back control and should only be done if the opponent manages to bypass your legs. This does happen so it’s a good plan B to have against people who manage to remove hooks.
Finishing the Bulldog choke
As has been established, you need the correct grip to finish the choke so rushing into it is not ideal. Whilst you can legitimately finish it as a crank, it isn’t as high percentage against decent opponents. To finish the choke, you ideally need to sprawl your two legs out forwards and plant your toes on the floor. With this done, you should then link both hands with a guillotine grip and bridge your hips forwards. This tightens the choke and adds leverage.
Basically, it means you’re putting your hips into the choke instead of only using your arms. Mechanically, the choke is similar to the guillotine if that helps.
If cranking, then you can also twist your arms to the side. This will in turn twist the neck of the opponent as if breaking the neck of the opponent. Again, if you think about a guillotine crank then it is the same as it relies on twisting the neck towards the side, as opposed to only cranking upwards. However, the idea is to primarily use the move as a choke.
Final Thoughts On The Bulldog Choke
As stated, the Bulldog choke should ideally be a counter move to a back escape as you should try to finish with a rear naked choke to begin with. However, it is worth learning as an alternative as nothing is ever perfectly executed whilst training BJJ.
Perhaps the main downfall of the Bulldog choke isn’t that it’s particularly gimmicky or low percentage, instead it’s that it’s very situational. That is, you will need the ideal entry and setup to get the move started. Unlike a triangle choke for example, which has various entries in many different positions. Regardless, it is a good move to have in your locker and is a stylish way to finish an opponent.
