Baret Yoshida is one of the most creative grapplers on the planet and he’s famed for his high level use of the crucifix, but now he’s taking things even further as he’s started to choke opponents using his own belt from the position! He has been using his signature crucifix in competition for longer than a lot of current elite grapplers have even been training, and he continues to submit opponents from there to this day. When competing in the gi Baret Yoshida is able to use both his opponent’s lapels and his own in order to secure the choke, so now that he’s able to use his belt as well it’ll be virtually impossible to stop him from setting up the finish.
While his diverse repertoire of gi chokes from the crucifix is genuinely incredibly impressive, Yoshida is also a veteran of no gi competition as well. Yoshida is one of the most popular faces to ever appear at the ADCC world championships and it’s no surprise considering the fact that he’s competed at ten different editions. Throughout his career he was able to reach the podium several times, earning a bronze medal and a pair of silver medals in the 66kg division. It was his status as a mainstay of the event that contributed to him being among the inaugural class of the ADCC Hall of Fame, alongside some of the best grapplers in the history of the sport like Roger Gracie and Andre Galvao.
It’s been well over two decades since Yoshida first started competing at the highest levels of BJJ and he continues to do so to this day. He even still has the ability to headline Fight 2 Win events and earn submission of the night honours on a regular basis. Yoshida’s longevity is a huge part of his popularity but perhaps even more important is his ability to continually push the boundaries of the sport. Very few athletes will ever have even considered using their belt to choke an opponent, but to Baret Yoshida this is just another way that he can innovate and create exciting moments.
The footage of Baret Yoshida winning a match in IBJJF competition by choke with the belt from the crucifix was uploaded to the official Instagram account of the organization:
