Collar Chokes using regular shirts?

Question

To the grapplers: do you think it is possible to use a gi collar choke on regular t-shirts/dress shirts? The ligament around a regular t-shirt is thin and durable and I think it could be done as a great carotid artery choke.

I train nogi, but I also want to learn the traditional gi chokes.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Its not impossible but it is highly improbable.  To successfully choke someone out with a collar choke you have to apply a tremendous amount of force to the t shirt which 9 out of 10 times cant handle the force.  Its more likely to work with a sweat shirt or a jacket

Answer 2

It might, especially if it's a new t-shirt or made from the really heavy cotton.

Any t-shirt that's been washed a few times, is going to lose some of the tautness in the collar.

Answer 3

Yes it is possible, but like someone said above, grab a fist-full of shirt and bunch it up. Cross collar chokes would be best in this case as the tension zones are spread over a shorter surface area and the material can hold up more.

Answer 4

No, it doesn't work at all on t-shirts.  With a flannel, military BDU shirt, jean jacket, or heavy starched Oxford dress shirt  it can create enough of a distraction (like smothering) to make an inexperienced grappler panic.  In fact, in a real fight, that's an adversely good way to get your hands tied up and leave your opponent's hands free to work with.

Answer 5

If they don't have a gi I wouldn't attempt a choke that requires one. I think you can do leg control if they are wearing Jeans .. but for the most part I would rely on no gi submissions (rear naked choke, heel hooks, arm/leg bars, etc)

Answer 6

My old judo teacher said it was, and was actually more painful, since the material cuts into the neck while it's choking you; though it does requie that the material can hold out

A jacket is better, or, if possible, grab a handful of the shirt and twist it up and around the neck (I suggest learning some basic Gi chokes from a judo or bjj class to work on the basic mechanics of the chokes, then practice with shirts)

Answer 7

Just messing around on my own neck I think its deffinately possible with a regular shirt if you know what you are doing.  I dont think a person that learned how to apply a choke watching T.V. could do it, but someone that has legit training could.

Answer 8

I wouldn't trust the stitching or material on a t shirt to stand up to it.