Rene Sousa, 10th Planet black belt and one of the inventors of the buggy choke, recently shared his experience of losing to Jay Rodriguez with a double buggy choke and how it led to Jay’s subsequent success with the technique.
Sousa first developed the buggy choke after seeing it used in a match between Kade Ruotolo and PJ Barch. He realized it could work well for his body type and began experimenting with it, focusing on proper setups rather than just the finishing mechanics.
In a fateful match at an EBI qualifier, Sousa found himself caught in Jay Rodriguez‘s double buggy choke.
“I was stuck and this guy knows how to finish and I don’t,”
Sousa recalled in appearance on Fightadvice. This loss motivated him to further refine the technique.
Sousa went on to successfully use the buggy choke against Rodriguez in a later “Who’s Next” match. This victory was a turning point for Sousa, leading him to quit his job as a high school teacher and pursue jiu-jitsu full-time.
Inspired by his loss to Sousa, Rodriguez dedicated himself to mastering the buggy choke. He went on to win ADCC Trials using the technique and even released an instructional on it.
When asked if he feels responsible for Jay’s success or deserves royalties, Sousa laughed it off.
“It’s a cool story,”
he said.
“Every time we see each other we’re always cool.”
Sousa emphasized the importance of having a growth mindset in jiu-jitsu.
“Unless you’re Gordon Ryan and you know everything, you have to just collect data, not emotions,”
he advised.
While the buggy choke has become a signature move for Sousa, he continues to evolve his game and pursue his goals in the sport, including competing at ADCC and eventually opening his own school.
