The Von Flue Choke

Neither Jason Von Flue nor the choke he used to render Alex Karalexis unconscious have made an incredible impact in the MMA world. His fighting career spanned 10 years and peaked following his appearance as a replacement on season two of The Ultimate Fighter. He fought three bouts in the UFC, securing his lone win by a unique choke set up as a counter to a guillotine. His victory over Alex Karalexis marked the first time many, including UFC announcers Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, had seen the submission, though Von Flue had actually won two previous bouts with the same technique while competing in the WEC. Some might argue that the the choke isn’t really relevant because it has rarely been seen in competition, but the same could be said for the gogoplata, and since there is no “Joseph Gogoplata” this is what we’re going to talk about.

Von Flue picked up the choke shortly before he put it to use in the WEC. While passing through Salt Lake City in 2003, Von Flue swung by Pedro Sauer’s academy, where the Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt demonstrated the choke. From there Von Flue worked for months practicing the counter-choke from half-guard and side-mount. If the above video has left you wanting more, and you’d like to add this weapon to your arsenal, don’t fret: you’re only $39 away from mastering it.

- Chris Colemon (@ChrisColemon)

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