Strangles and self doubt: A very common phenomenon that I see both in sparring and competition is for an athlete to get into a good strangulation position, apply the strangle and then as it is starting to take effect, lapse into self doubt and unnecessarily release the strangle to adjust position, only to give the opponent a second chance at defense and have him escape. Remember, strangles take a little time and require constant application of force to be effective. Squeezing and releasing won't get the desired effect – only squeezing and holding will get the job done once the strangle is properly set. Now, if you have set the strangle poorly, no amount of squeezing will be effective, indeed, a common problem is that of beginners setting a strangle badly and then squeezing for all they are worth And exhausting themselves. However, don't let fear of this make you fall victim to the opposite error – THROWING AWAY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A STRANGLE BECAUSE YOU DID NOT HOLD RESOLUTELY FOR THE TIME REQUIRED. You must train the sensitivity required to know when the strangle will interfere with blood flow sufficiently and the confidence to hold pressure long enough to get the win. Here Nicky Ryan works a variation of the rear naked strangle where he compressed the jaw back into the carotid arteries (mandible strangle). This requires even more sensitivity and confidence as it usually takes longer to get the strangle effect due to interference of the jaw bone. So practice the feeling of a well set strangle to the point where EVEN WITH EYES CLOSED YOU KNOW WHEN ITS ON AND WHEN ITS NOT, and once it's on, go forward with confidence to your victory
