Rear Naked Choke

What it is

The rear naked choke is a strangle from back control: one arm goes around the neck with the elbow under the chin, the hand grabs your other bicep, and that second hand slides behind their head. Squeezing with the chest closes both sides of the neck. It is the highest percentage submission in the sport and the reason back control is worth taking.

When to use it

• From back control with the seatbelt and hooks in, once their chin and hands are being fought away.
• When they turtle and you get a chest to back connection, even before the hooks.
• Whenever an opponent turns away from you to escape a pin.

How to do it

1. From the seatbelt, keep your choking arm, the one over their shoulder, and hide your bottom arm under theirs.
2. Win the hand fight: strip their hands off your choking arm with your bottom hand.
3. Slide your choking arm under the chin until the crook of your elbow is at the front of the throat.
4. Grab your other bicep with the choking hand, palm down.
5. Put the second hand behind their head, fingers pointing down, with your elbow tucked tight.
6. Pull your shoulders back, expand your chest and squeeze your elbows together until they tap.

Key details

• Elbow under the chin. If your forearm is across the jaw, it is a crank, not a choke.
• Second hand behind the head, hidden, so they cannot peel it.
• Squeeze with the chest and shoulders, not by pulling with the arm.
• Stay chest to back. If you lose the connection, the choke goes with it.
• Tap early when you are the one caught. A choke works in seconds, and holding on only puts you to sleep.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: reaching for the choke before the hand fight is won. They grab your wrist and turn into you.
• Mistake: putting the second hand on the top of the head, not behind it. They peel it off and escape.
• Mistake: squeezing on the jaw. Your partner tolerates it and you tire out.

What they will try

• Chin down, two hands on the choking arm, then they fall toward the under arm side, away from the choking arm, to escape.
• They turn into you to recover guard once the hooks are loose.