01 / AT A GLANCE
Two forearms, one sleeve, a turning action
Sode-guruma-jime is the ninth of the twelve shime-waza (strangling techniques) in the katame-waza group of the Kodokan list of technique names. “Sode” is the sleeve, “guruma” a wheel, and the IJF gives the English name “sleeve-wheel strangle.”
The IJF definition describes it facing the opponent: place your right forearm against his throat and your left forearm against the back of his neck, grasp your own right sleeve with your left hand, thrust the edge of your right hand into the right side of his neck, and strangle “by rotating both arms to apply pressure to his neck.” Three features follow from that sentence. The only judogi grip is on your own sleeve, not on uke’s collar. One forearm works from the front and the other from behind, so the neck is enclosed between them. And the finishing action is described as rotation of both arms, which fits the “wheel” in the name.
The Kodokan demonstration adds a second situation: in the frames we sampled, the strangle is shown from behind a seated partner rather than facing. This guide therefore describes the IJF facing form as its main convention and treats the from-behind form as a separate starting position with the same parts.
Who this guide is for: judoka who already practise supervised ne-waza and have been introduced to shime-waza by a coach. Strangles are not self-taught. In every repetition the partner can tap or say “stop” and tori opens the sleeve grip and takes the throat arm away immediately; practice never continues towards unconsciousness. Strangle rules differ by age group and event, so check what applies to you before using it in a contest.
Names you will meet: sode guruma jime, sode-guruma-jime, “sleeve wheel strangle” and the shorter “sleeve choke” or “sode-jime” in some coaching channels. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu the same shape is widely called the “Ezekiel” (or “Ezequiel”) choke. That is an informal name from another sport, not a Kodokan or IJF name. An Evolve MMA article links the name to the Brazilian judoka Ezequiel Paraguassu and says the choke was known first in judo as sode-guruma-jime; we have not verified that history from a primary source, so treat it as an account rather than an established fact.
02 / WATCH THE TECHNIQUE
The Kodokan clip and a coach’s entry from kesa-gatame
Open this video on YouTube if the player is unavailable.
We inspected this clip on October 14, 2026 by sampling still frames across its length, not by continuous playback, so our notes are limited to those frames. Uke sits on the mat with the legs forward and tori is behind, upright at first. Tori then brings one forearm across the front of uke’s neck while the other arm comes up behind uke’s head, and uke’s hands rise to tori’s arms. A second camera angle from the side repeats the action, showing the throat forearm crossing the front of the neck with the hand reaching the far side. We did not see a facing version in the frames we sampled.
Watch it with four questions: which arm goes on first; where the hand of the throat arm ends; where the anchor arm’s hand finds the sleeve; and whether uke’s head is pushed forward or held upright as the pressure comes on. Mark anything the frames do not show as “not visible.”
Open this video on YouTube. Independent coaching reference, separate from the official demonstration.
We have not reviewed this video by playback and do not attribute particular instructions to it. The publisher describes it as a way to finish an opponent pinned with kesa-gatame (scarf hold), and calls the technique “sode jime (sleeve choke).” That description is the reason section 9 includes a route from kesa-gatame; the details of the route belong to your coach.
Other publishers show further entries. The German Judo Federation’s Technik Tuesday clip on sode-guruma-jime is part of its grading-programme series, and Sampson Judo’s sode guruma jime variation with elbow is described by its publisher as an attack from the side that will not work with very tight sleeves. We cite both from their titles and descriptions only.
03 / WHEN TO APPLY IT
Close to the head, with a sleeve you can reach
Sode-guruma-jime needs three things together: one of your arms can get behind uke’s neck, your other arm can get across the front of it, and the anchor hand can reach your own sleeve without uke stripping it. It does not need uke’s collar to be open, which is why it appears in places where lapel strangles are shut down.
Facing on top, close to uke’s head
This is the IJF form. When you are on top and uke’s head is near your chest, for example when uke pulls you down in a hold-escape or when you are inside uke’s legs, the anchor arm can often slide behind the neck first. KL Judo’s Sode-Guruma-Jime from Top Position is described by its publisher as an exception to the idea that strangles from on top rarely work; that is a publisher opinion, but it matches the logic that the anchor arm can be placed while your weight holds uke down.
From kesa-gatame
In kesa-gatame your right arm is already round uke’s neck. The publisher of the Steve Scott video presents the sleeve strangle as a finish from that hold. The question for your coach is which of your arms becomes the anchor arm in that route and when the hold’s control is released.
Behind a seated uke
The Kodokan clip shows the strangle from behind. Here the anchor arm goes behind uke’s head and the throat arm crosses the front of the neck, so the shape resembles hadaka-jime, but the arms are joined by a sleeve grip rather than by clasping the hands. If uke is already turning to face you, this version is gone.
When it is not available
If uke’s head is far from you, both arms cannot reach round the neck. If uke controls the wrist of your anchor arm, the sleeve grip cannot form. If your own sleeves are very tight, the anchor hand may not get a grip at all, which is a judogi issue to discuss with your coach before blaming technique. If your category does not allow strangles, practise the arm positions only.
04 / HOW IT WORKS
Anchor behind, throat arm across, then turn
The steps below follow the IJF facing form with you on top. The order is an editorial teaching order: the IJF sentence lists the forearm positions first and the sleeve grip after them, and does not say which arm moves first. Ask your coach which order they want.
Weight first, so uke’s head stays close
Before any arm moves, settle your weight so that uke cannot simply pull the head away. Whether that weight comes from your chest, your hips or your knees depends on the position you are in. Check: uke tries once to move the head away at low effort. If uke’s head travels more than a little, your arms will chase it.
Anchor arm behind the neck, hand to your own sleeve
Your left forearm goes behind uke’s neck. The left hand then takes hold of your own right sleeve. This grip is what makes the two arms work as one unit. Where on the sleeve you hold, and whether your fingers go inside the cuff, are coaching details; one coaching publisher notes that very tight sleeves stop the grip. Check: with the anchor set, uke turns the head once. If your left forearm slides off the back of the neck, it was too high on the head or too loose.
Throat arm across the front, hand edge to the right side
Your right forearm lies across the front of uke’s neck and the little-finger edge of the right hand is placed into the right side of uke’s neck, as the IJF text puts it. In the Kodokan side-angle frames the throat forearm crosses the whole front of the neck with the hand reaching the far side. Check: uke reports where the right hand’s edge sits. If uke feels it on the jaw or the windpipe, it is not yet in place.
Rotate both arms, slowly
The IJF definition gives the action as rotating both arms to apply pressure to the neck. We do not add angles or directions to that; your coach shows how the two forearms turn together. What you can check is that pressure builds on the neck between the forearms, not on the back of uke’s head pushing the chin into the chest. Check: uke reports pressure building on the sides of the neck, and uke’s head is not being forced forward or twisted.
Release in reverse order
On a tap or “stop,” open the anchor hand from your sleeve and lift the throat arm off the neck. Relaxing the rotation while the sleeve grip still traps the neck is not a release. Agree before each round that uke taps on you or the mat, or says “stop”; uke’s hands may be on your arms, so a spoken stop matters. If uke stops responding, open both arms, call the coach and end the drill. Check: after release, both of your forearms are clear of uke’s neck and your left hand is off the sleeve.
Control points and the escapes they close: your weight keeps the head from leaving; the anchor arm behind the neck stops the head moving back; the sleeve grip stops the two arms being pulled apart; the throat-arm hand edge places the pressure on the side of the neck. Losing any one opens a specific escape, and section 6 is organised around those failures.
The neck between two arms: because one forearm is behind the neck, the back of uke’s head and neck are under load as well as the front. That is why the release and the “no forward push” check matter more here than in strangles that act only from the front. This is an editorial safety emphasis, not a measured finding.
05 / KEY POINTS
Five checks for a controlled sode-guruma-jime
Section 4 checks each piece on a still partner. Use these cues in rounds where uke moves and defends. Choose one per round and record the result.
The sleeve grip forms before uke can strip it
Check: count how many times uke’s hand reached your anchor wrist before your left hand had the sleeve. More than one or two in a round means the anchor arm is going in too slowly or too visibly.
The throat arm’s hand reaches the far side
Check: on each repetition uke says “side” or “front.” Only “side” counts; “front” means the throat arm stopped short.
Uke’s head is not driven forward
Check: the coach watches the angle of uke’s head from the side. If the chin is forced into the chest, release and reset, whatever else happened.
Your base holds while both arms are round the neck
Check: with both arms set and no pressure, uke makes one agreed movement such as a bridge or a turn. Did you keep your position without letting go to post?
Abandon when the anchor wrist is controlled
Check: when uke holds your anchor wrist, do you keep fighting for the sleeve or change plan? The decision you want is to keep the position and move to the hold or switch in section 7.
06 / PROBLEMS & ADJUSTMENTS
Why does your sode-guruma-jime stall?
Work out which piece failed first: the weight, the anchor, the sleeve grip, or the throat arm. Pressure problems usually start earlier in that list.
“I can’t find my sleeve.”
Possible causes: uke has pushed your right elbow away so the sleeve is out of reach; your left forearm went high on the back of the head rather than the neck, so your hand comes out too far; your sleeve is tight or short; or uke is holding your left wrist. How to tell: pause when the hand misses. Is it short of the sleeve, blocked by uke’s hand, or slipping off cloth with no slack? Adjustment: bring the right arm in a little before the left hand looks for it, so the sleeve comes to the hand, and set the anchor forearm lower, on the back of the neck. If the sleeve itself is the issue, ask your coach about the grip. Assess: count successful sleeve grips on the first reach over the same number of repetitions.
“Uke says it’s on the jaw, not the neck.”
Possible causes: uke’s chin is down and your throat arm is resting on it; your throat arm came in high; or the rotation is lifting uke’s head instead of closing round the neck. How to tell: if uke reports the jaw before any rotation, placement is the cause; if it starts only when you turn, the rotation is. Adjustment: release, then place the throat arm lower before setting the sleeve grip, and wait for uke’s chin to lift rather than prising it up. Never finish through the jaw. Assess: uke reports “jaw” or “neck” at the moment pressure begins; the count of “jaw” should fall.
“The head just moves away.”
Possible causes: your weight is not holding uke, so the head slides out from between your arms; the anchor arm is loose on the back of the neck; or you started the throat arm before the anchor was set. How to tell: watch the space between your chest and uke’s head. If it opens as you rotate, weight is the problem. Adjustment: rebuild the base first, then set the anchor, then the throat arm. Assess: the number of repetitions in which uke’s head stays between your forearms through the rotation, at the same agreed resistance.
“Uke pulls my arms apart.”
Possible causes: the left hand is holding the sleeve only with the fingertips; the sleeve grip is far down the forearm, giving uke leverage; or both your elbows are wide. How to tell: see where uke is pulling. On the throat arm means your hand edge is not set; on the anchor elbow means the sleeve grip is weak. Adjustment: ask your coach to check the sleeve grip and keep your elbows closer to uke’s head so the two forearms stay together. Assess: how often the grip survives one agreed pull from uke.
“I end up underneath when I go for it.”
Possible causes: with both arms round uke’s neck you have no free hand to post, and uke rolls you; or you leaned forward onto uke’s head instead of keeping your hips heavy. How to tell: note when the roll happened. During the anchor arm means your weight moved too early; during the rotation means you lifted your hips to turn. Adjustment: keep your knees or hips heavy and wide, and add the rotation only after one agreed bridge has been absorbed with both arms set. Assess: the number of agreed bridges you survive with the strangle set but no pressure.
07 / SETUPS & STRANGLE SWITCHES
Use uke’s defence to choose the next action
Each branch gives the starting position, tori’s first action, uke’s response, and the next action that response opens. If the condition for the next action is missing, reset.
ANCHOR SET → UKE GUARDS THE THROAT
Uke puts both hands in front of the throat
Start: on top, facing, your left arm behind uke’s neck. First action: your right arm comes across the throat. Response: uke wedges both hands or forearms between your throat arm and the neck. Next action: uke’s arms are now both busy at the neck and away from your hips. Keep the anchor arm as head control and move to a hold your coach teaches from this position, letting go of the sleeve as you change; kesa-gatame and kami-shiho-gatame are possible destinations depending on where you are. Stop: do not force the throat arm through uke’s hands onto the neck; that ends up on the jaw.
STRANGLE DENIED → LAPEL STRANGLE
Uke controls your anchor wrist but leaves the collar open
Start: facing on top; your left arm is behind uke’s neck. First action: your left hand reaches for your right sleeve. Response: uke grabs your left wrist with both hands. Next action: uke’s collar is now unguarded. Release the sleeve plan and, if you have practised it, take a cross grip on uke’s lapels for one of the juji-jime, such as kata-juji-jime. Stop: if your base has gone while you change grips, recover position first.
BACK VERSION → UKE TURNS
Behind a seated uke who turns to face you
Start: behind a seated uke, your arms going round the neck. First action: anchor arm behind the head. Response: uke turns towards you before the throat arm is set. Next action: let go of the neck completely, then follow uke down into a hold or back into a seated scramble. Stop: any attempt to keep both arms round the neck while uke turns twists the neck; release.
BACK VERSION → OKURI-ERI-JIME
Uke closes the gap behind the head
Start: behind uke, your right forearm across the throat. First action: your left arm tries to get behind uke’s head. Response: uke presses the back of the head into your chest so there is no room for the anchor arm. Next action: the anchor arm cannot go behind the head, but the lapels may be open. If your coach teaches it, rebuild as okuri-eri-jime with the left arm under uke’s armpit, or as hadaka-jime with the hands clasped. Stop: if uke’s head is being pushed forward by your arms, release before changing.
Keep a count of which defence you meet most. If partners usually stop the sleeve grip, the switch to a lapel strangle or a hold deserves more practice than the rotation.
08 / DEFENCES & ESCAPES
Stop the anchor, keep space at the throat, move the head
Separate prevention (no anchor arm behind the neck), defence (no sleeve grip, or no pressure once it forms) and escape (out of the position). Your coach decides which of these you learn first.
Prevention: keep the head away from tori’s arms
The strangle needs uke’s head close. Underneath, keep your forearms between you and tori, and do not let tori’s chest settle on your face. Behind you, bring your hands up to your neck early, before tori’s second arm arrives; once both of tori’s forearms are round the neck, defending is much harder. Which hand position to use is something your coach shows.
Defence: control the anchor wrist
The sleeve grip joins the two arms. Holding tori’s anchor wrist, or keeping tori’s right sleeve away from the left hand, stops the arms working together. Once the throat arm is on, a hand or forearm between it and the neck keeps space. Pulling fingers back or twisting tori’s wrist is not part of this defence; it endangers tori’s joints.
Escape: tori has no arm to post with
With both of tori’s arms round your neck, tori has nothing to post with. A bridge and roll is often the obvious idea, but the direction and timing are coaching details, and moving while the arms are already tight can increase pressure. When the rotation has started and pressure is on the neck, tap rather than keep moving.
Counters and exposure for tori
Tori’s arms and head are close to uke’s legs when the strangle is attempted from on top inside uke’s legs. That position can expose tori to leg strangles such as sankaku-jime; if your coach includes them in the round, treat that as a live risk, release the sleeve, and posture up rather than holding a weak strangle.
09 / TRANSITIONS BETWEEN HOLDS & STRANGLES
From holds into the sleeve grip, and back out
Sode-guruma-jime usually appears from a hold, a hold-escape or a scramble. Practise these arrivals and exits as part of the technique.
From kesa-gatame
Your right arm is already round uke’s neck. The Steve Scott video’s publisher describes a sleeve-strangle finish from this hold. Before trying it, decide with your coach which arm becomes the anchor and at what moment the hold’s grip on uke’s arm is given up, because that is when uke can escape.
From astride or from a side hold
From tate-shiho-gatame or yoko-shiho-gatame, uke often pushes your head or shoulders to create space. When uke’s head comes towards your chest, the anchor arm may slide behind the neck. Keep the hold’s weight while it does.
From the strangle back to a hold
If the throat arm cannot get in, release the sleeve grip and use the anchor arm only as head control while you set a hold. Do not keep the sleeve grip as a handle; your forearm behind the neck can push the head forward when you move.
When uke escapes
If uke turns to the front or rolls you, the strangle is over. Let go, recover position, and start a new task: back control, a hold, or a reset.
See the ne-waza drills guide and the ne-waza training plan for session structure.
10 / POSITIONAL ROUNDS
From arm placement to a live choice
Change one variable at a time. Counts and lengths are editorial suggestions to adjust with your coach.
Arm placement on a seated partner
Uke sits; tori places the anchor arm, takes the sleeve, places the throat arm, and releases, without rotation. Uke reports where each forearm sits. Progress when uke reports the throat arm on the side of the neck in most repetitions.
Light rotation and immediate release
Tori rotates slowly; uke taps early; tori opens the sleeve grip and removes the throat arm. The coach calls random taps. Do not progress until every release is immediate.
Facing from on top
Uke on the back; tori on top in the IJF facing form. Add one agreed defence from uke: guarding the throat, controlling the anchor wrist, or a bridge with no pressure on the neck.
A real choice: strangle, hold or lapel switch
Uke picks a defence without telling tori. Tori must answer with the matching branch from section 7. Record uke’s choice and tori’s answer.
Start from kesa-gatame or a hold-escape
Begin in a hold; uke escapes at agreed intensity; tori looks for the anchor arm as uke’s head comes close. This tests the arrival as well as the strangle.
Supervision: rotation is added only when a coach can see both partners and watch the angle of uke’s head. Without that, stay with stage 1 placement and the hold branches.
11 / COMPETITION REPLAYS
Two IJF replay leads and their limits
On October 14, 2026 the IJF sode-guruma-jime page listed sixteen athletes under “most used by judoka,” led by Reka Pupp of Hungary with ten tagged contests and Francisco Garrigos of Spain with seven, and ten competitions with tagged videos. We have not watched the replays, and we have not verified whether the tagged actions scored, when they happened or the tactics involved.
World Championships 2025: Pupp vs Beaton
The IJF selection “Sode-guruma-jime by Pupp Reka” lists Reka Pupp against Evelyn Beaton at the OTP Bank World Senior Championships 2025 Hungary Individuals.
Grand Prix Portugal 2023: Garrigos vs Andrasi
The IJF selection “Sode-guruma-jime by Garrigos Francisco” lists Francisco Garrigos against Marton Andrasi at the Grand Prix Portugal 2023.
Viewing questions for either replay
- Position: facing on top, from a hold, from behind, or in a scramble?
- Anchor first? Which arm goes round the neck first, and where is the defender’s head at that moment?
- The sleeve: can you see the anchor hand on the attacker’s own sleeve? If not, mark it unknown.
- The defence: does the defender attack the anchor wrist, guard the throat, or bridge?
- The ending: a tap, a referee intervention or a break? Record only what you see.
These are senior contests run under the rules of those events; they say nothing about what your own age group or tournament permits.
12 / VARIATIONS & COMPARISONS
Sode-guruma-jime beside related strangles
| Technique | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Sode-guruma-jime | IJF: facing; right forearm across the throat, left forearm behind the neck, left hand on your own right sleeve; rotate both arms. Kodokan clip: also shown from behind. |
| Hadaka-jime | From behind; right forearm across the front of the neck, hands clasped above uke’s left shoulder; no judogi grip of any kind (IJF). No arm behind the neck. |
| Okuri-eri-jime | From behind; both hands grip uke’s lapels, the left arm under uke’s armpit (IJF). The jacket that anchors it is uke’s, not yours. |
| Kata-juji-jime | Facing; crossed hands in uke’s lapels, one palm up and one palm down (IJF). Both forearms are in front of the neck. |
The quick test: ask where your forearms are and what your hands hold. One forearm in front and one behind the neck, with a hand on your own sleeve: sode-guruma-jime. Both forearms in front, hands clasped and nothing gripped: hadaka-jime. Hands in uke’s lapels from behind: okuri-eri-jime.
The from-behind form and hadaka-jime: from behind, the two can look alike. The difference to check is the anchor arm: in sode-guruma-jime it lies behind uke’s neck with its hand on your sleeve; in the IJF hadaka-jime the hands meet above uke’s shoulder and no forearm goes behind the neck. If you cannot tell which you did, film it.
Functional variations: coaching channels show attacks from the side using the elbow, entries from kesa-gatame, and versions from on top. These are entries and grip details within the same technique. The informal BJJ name “Ezekiel choke” refers to the same basic shape; it is not a separate judo technique.
13 / YOUR NEXT PRACTICE
One focus: the anchor arm and the sleeve
If your attempts fall apart before any pressure, the anchor arm and the sleeve grip are the likely places. Use this record for one session.
- Situation
- Uke seated, then on the back with tori on top facing.
- My focus
- Left forearm on the back of the neck, left hand on my right sleeve at the first reach.
- What I noticed
- Did the sleeve grip form first time? Where did uke feel the throat arm? Was uke’s head pushed forward? Were all releases immediate?
- Coach question
- “Where should my anchor hand hold the sleeve, and which arm should go on first for me?”
- Next decision
- Drill the anchor alone, rework the throat-arm placement, or add the hold branch.
Illustrative example, not measured data: “Eight seated repetitions. Sleeve grip first time in five. Uke felt the throat arm on the jaw twice, both when I placed it before the anchor. Next time: anchor first, then throat arm, no rotation until uke reports the side.”
Log it in the practice-log template or in Judo AI.
14 / SOURCES & REVIEW
Sources, authorship and review
Name, numbering and classification: Kodokan list of technique names (list dated April 1, 2017). Arm positions and action: IJF sode-guruma-jime definition, checked October 14, 2026. Comparisons use the IJF hadaka-jime, IJF okuri-eri-jime and IJF kata-juji-jime definitions. Informal name: Evolve MMA, “BJJ 101: Ezekiel Choke” (undated; secondary source). Video credit belongs to KODOKAN and Steve Scott’s Welcome Mat channel; the Kodokan clip was inspected by sampled frames only, and the Welcome Mat video is cited only through its title and publisher description.
By Judo AI · Editorial review: October 14, 2026. Diagnoses and drills are editorial proposals for supervised practice. No named coach has reviewed this page.
Rules: this page does not state current competition rules for strangles. Before using a strangle in any contest, have a coach or referee confirm the rules for that event and age category.
Related katame-waza guides: hadaka-jime and okuri-eri-jime (back strangles), kata-juji-jime (cross strangle), sankaku-jime (leg strangle), kesa-gatame and kami-shiho-gatame (holds).