Also known as: Baseball Choke · Canto Choke · Knee-on-Belly Choke
Two stacked collar grips — like hands on a baseball bat — set from knee on belly, finished by spinning toward north-south as your forearms scissor the carotids shut.
Submission · Strangle (blood choke) · Gi only · Difficulty 3/5 · Usually learned at Blue belt
Starts from Knee on Belly as the top player → ends the match (submission).
The details that make it work
First grip behind the collar palm-up; second grip below it palm-down; hands nearly touching.
The choke is OFF until you spin: drive your head toward their far hip, chest dropping over their face.
The famous trap: bait them to push your knee off, then spin as they "escape" into the finish.
Where it goes wrong
Setting both grips deep and obvious from flat side control with no spin threat — telegraphed and stripped.
How opponents counter it
Strip the second grip before the spin
Follow the spin with your whole body to keep the elbows connected
Is the Baseball Bat Choke legal in competition?
Legal in all major rulesets at all levels (IBJJF, ADCC, sub-only). Rules change — always confirm against the current official rulebook for your event.
History & naming
Long-standing gi technique; Renato Canto’s name attaches to a common variation.