Justin Lesko: Kade Ruotolo's Buggy Choke Breakdown

Justin Lesko (@justinlesko), host of That Jiu Jitsu Podcast, breaks down how Kade Ruotolo hit the buggy choke on PJ Barch from bottom side control at Combat Jiu Jitsu Worlds. From the video: https://youtu.be/tKTZm3tjnHg

Flow outline

  1. Dog Fight Position

    • Both athletes come up side by side in the dog fight position.
    • From Justin Lesko (@justinlesko), host of That Jiu Jitsu Podcast, in the video "Kade Ruotolo's Buggy Choke: How He Did It".
    • PJ has a deep underhook
    • Kade has a strong whizzer

  2. PJ Completes Takedown

    • PJ controls the ankle and rotates to complete the takedown, putting Kade in bottom side control.
    • PJ controls Kade's ankle
    • PJ pulls back at the shoulder
    • PJ rotates as hard as he can

  3. Kade Swims Arm

    • Kade immediately swims his arm to the other side of PJ's head.
    • Arm goes to the other side of PJ's head

  4. Kade Brings Leg Up

    • Kade brings up his right leg, the one closest to PJ's head, and secures it with a strong grip.
    • Leg closest to PJ's head comes up
    • It is his right leg
    • He makes adjustments for a deeper bite
    • He secures the leg with a strong grip

  5. Triangle Left Leg

    • Kade triangles his left leg over his right leg.
    • Left leg goes over the right

  6. Buggy Choke Configuration

    • Kade's right arm is inside PJ's head and under his own right leg, hands connected in what looks like a gable grip, left leg triangled over right.
    • Right arm on the inside of PJ's head
    • Same right arm underneath his own right leg
    • Grip: left hand connected to right hand in what looks like a gable grip
    • Left leg triangled over right leg

  7. Buggy Choke Finish

    • The buggy choke finishes like a triangle, with PJ's own shoulder and Kade's side/lat/armpit cutting off the blood supply on both sides of the neck.
    • PJ's own shoulder cuts off blood supply on one side
    • Kade uses his side, lat, and armpit on the other side
    • The grip and leg combo pulls into PJ's neck
    • Pulling the grip drives Kade's side further into the neck
    • Block: the leg and strong grip stop PJ from swimming the arm back to relieve the pressure
    • Key detail The buggy choke is rare: it takes flexibility and getting the grips fast before the opponent defends.

Branch conditions