Heya, I haven't been doing MMA for a very long time but so far I've been able to catch some good fighters in a really tight Guillotine in about every training session for a week or something. And they've said "wow I thought I was gone when you used that Guillotine". But I haven't been able to tap anyone out yet using it. The main problems being that:
- I cant get my other arm in to finish since they have their shoulder over my gripping arm
If you can't get your arm in, and you need that position to finish the guillotine, then you are really going to have to work at the actual set up for the position more. Realistically, most of the problems with the guillotine come from people who don't think about setting it up soon enough. As you're setting the position up, make sure that you have
both arms in the position where you can execute the technique.
I see a lot of guys go for the guillotine when they have the over-under position and they can't finish it because the hand that was the over hook can't get around to lock the choke in. It's a very, very common problem, and it has a pretty simple solution: make sure that (at least as a beginner) the way that you're setting up the guillotine is going to keep both of your arms in a position where you can sink in that grip.
There are ways to finish the guillotine without the second hand at all, but those require a lot of technical knowledge, especially when it comes to managing your guard, and the way that you position your legs to angle the choke properly (butterfly guard vs. closed guard vs. half guard, etc.) so while I think it might be helpful to look at what guys like Marcelo Garcia and (particularly) Chris Brennan are doing, be aware that those things take a lot of time to learn.
If you are interested in checking some of that stuff out, I'm happy to post it, but I wanted to include the disclaimer, as well as the basics advice, which I think you'll find more relevant.
- Or they move to mount where I still have a strong grip on them but just cant finish
I reckon If I start nailing this Guillotine I'll start winning most of my rolls. Any suggestions?
This is a really common problem for guys who start the guillotine from a position other than closed guard, and then try to transition to the closed guard, because if the closed guard isn't locked up properly (and it's more challenging to lock it up properly when you're angled differently and focussed on the guillotine) it is much easier to pass.
What I would focus on is getting your guard high (so that your thighs are in the ribs or even the armpits, as opposed to around your opponent's hips or thighs) and locking it up. This is very, very important when it comes to finishing from the closed guard. If you get the closed guard and you lock it down with a tight guillotine, it will dramatically increase your ability to finish the choke.
If you're trying to do guillotines from the half-guard, where this also happens some of the time, my best advice to you is simply: stop doing guillotines from the half-guard.
They rarely, rarely work for beginners. I know that it became very popular after people saw Jason MacDonald do it, but it is a position that either requires very long legs or a very good awareness of how you're positioning your upper body relative to your hips to get the appropriate torque on the neck to finish the choke.
EDIT: Relavate, in repping me for this post, asked where I train. I started training at Rocha BJJ in Oakland, California, under Eduardo Rocha (4th Degree Blackbelt, Royler Gracie) and Stephen Goyne (Blackbelt, Eduardo Rocha) but I've recently started training with Pacific Martial Arts in Fresno. Both are amazing camps, and neither should be held accountable for whatever mistakes I might make.