The Buggy Choke: The Sub That Took Jiu-Jitsu By Storm!!!

Every few years, there is a technique that becomes widely popular in Jiu-Jitsu that everyone wants to do. The buggy choke has been one of the most trending techniques in grappling that everyone wants to learn.

Here’s a basic guide for the buggy choke: the sub that took Jiu-Jitsu by storm!!!

What is the Buggy Choke?

The buggy choke is an inverted triangle choke variation that can be executed from several positions. Originally, the submission was created from the bottom position in side-control.

Normally, this is arguably one of the worst positions to get stuck in, where you’re at the mercy of your opponent. However, the trickiness of the buggy choke gives the person on bottom an effective attack. 

The term was originally coined by Daisy-Fresh BJJ black belt Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch and the name stuck.

Later on, various methods of doing this submission were created, along with entries from different positions. Over the last few years, the buggy choke has taken the Jiu-Jitsu and MMA world by storm.

Numerous top grappling athletes, such as the Ruotolo brothers and Jacob Rodriguez are known experts at doing the move.

Controversy Around the Buggy Choke ‘s Creation 

There’s a bit of controversy around who created the buggy choke. The two strongest cases for coming up with are Austin Hart and Jacob Sebastian Magee.

Austin Hart is a Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu student, who claims that he invented the move when he was a white belt. Hart even uploaded the alleged first instructional videos for how to do the submission.

Then there’s English BJJ black belt Sebastian Magee, who claims he invented the move years before Hart.

In all honesty, this technique was probably created years prior to both of these BJJ practitioners, but it really doesn’t matter. The buggy choke took off and is now one of the most popular techniques in all of grappling.

The Buggy Choke Setup & 3 Important Concepts to Remember 

The buggy choke is fairly simple to pull off, but there are three important concepts that you must remember.

Never Stay Flat on Your Back

Before going into your choke entry, you must get on your side. Remember that you’re in side-control and staying on your back is death.

You’ll need to get on your side in order to hook your arm under your leg.

Relieve Shoulder Pressure

As you get on your side and hip escape you’re going to have to relieve your opponent’s shoulder pressure. Cup their shoulder with both hands as you hip out to open up space. This will also give you a pathway to lock in your grip. 

Uppercut Grip

When you hook your leg, you will need to have a deep grip up to your elbow. Try punching your arm in like an uppercut to get a deep grip on your leg.

Grips & Finishing Sequence

After hooking your leg, you’re going to connect a Gable grip, while triangling your legs. If you squeeze from here, you can finish a lot of people, but there’s an important detail to guarantee the tap.

You’re going to do a side crunch on your outside similar to how you would finish a reverse triangle. Doing this will close up space and make the tap almost certain.

The OG Buggy Choke

The OG buggy choke set up is one of the first variations of the submission. This choke’s mechanics are the opposite of the most popular set up.

Hip Escape Into Your Partner

In the most popular setup, you hip escape away from your opponent. With this one, you’re actually turning into them.

Naturally, doing this move will trigger your opponent to sink back into you and re-apply the pressure. This is exactly what you want them to do.

Underhook Your Outside Leg

Right before your opponent goes to re-apply their pressure, you will have a window to sit up and underhook your leg. Another big difference with this set up from the most popular one is that you’re under hooking your outside leg.

Remember this important detail, because you’re not going to be able to grab under your inside leg doing this entry.

The Grips & Finish

The grips and finish are the same as the previously mentioned entry. Get your Gable grip, triangle your legs, and side crunch on your side to get the tap.

Types of Grapplers Who Will Have Trouble Doing This Submission

Long and lanky grapplers will have the easiest time pulling off a buggy choke. The technique meshes perfectly with this body type and it’ll help even more if you’re flexible.

Shorter grapplers are going to have a harder time trying to get this submission from a body position. Especially if they’re going against a strong grappler with broad shoulders, who lays down heavy pressure 

Tips For Locking in the Buggy Choke?

• Get on your side: For any variation of the buggy choke to work, you must get on your side. If you stay flat on your back, your opponent will get pressure on you and prevent the choke.
• Clear the head: Your arm needs to clear your opponent’s head and your tricep needs to press into their neck. 
• Side crunch: Do a side crunch as you bring your opponent’s head down before grabbing your leg. This will make it easier to underhook your leg and help make the choke tight.
• Arm under knee: To make the buggy choke tighter, make sure to underhook at the crook of your knee. Picture doing an uppercut to shoot your arm under your knee.
• The Locks: To finish the original buggy choke, you just grab your foot, but the locks make it tighter and harder to escape. After under-hooking your leg, triangle your legs, and Gable grip your hands together to make your choke even tighter.(Also harder to escape)
• The Finish: You finish a buggy choke just like you would a traditional reverse triangle choke. Try to turn onto your outside hip as you squeeze in to get the most pressure possible.

 Is the Submission Effective?

As we’ve seen from the numerous examples from live competition, the buggy choke is an effective submission. Now, any time you get a lanky grappler in side-control, you gotta watch out for the choke.