Rear Naked Choke: The Ultimate Guide to Back Control
What is a rear naked choke? A rear naked choke (RNC or Mata Leão) is a blood choke applied from the back mount position. It is performed by encircling an opponent's neck with your arm, placing the crook of your elbow under their trachea, and locking your hands together. By compressing your biceps and forearm against their carotid arteries, you cut off blood flow to the brain, resulting in a rapid submission.
It is universally considered the most dominant and highest-percentage submission in all of grappling and MMA. Because you are behind your opponent, you are safe from their strikes and attacks while having full access to their neck.
If you are building your arsenal of BJJ techniques, the RNC is the ultimate finish.
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The Setup: It Starts With Position, Not the Choke
Getting to someone's back happens everywhere in Jiu Jitsu. You can hit it off a takedown, a mat return, when they expose their back in the turtle position, or when they try to spin out of an Armbar From Mount.
But the RNC does not start with the choke. It starts with securing the position. Next time you take the back, run through this checklist to become an absolute "backpack" (like Aljamain Sterling or Gordon Ryan):
1. Seatbelt Grip: Lock one arm over their shoulder and one arm under their opposite armpit. This gives you diagonal control across their torso. 2. Chest-to-Back: Your chest needs to be glued to their back. Any space is an opportunity for them to escape. 3. Control the Hips: Use your legs to lock them down. A body triangle (wrapping one leg entirely around their stomach and locking it with your other leg) is incredibly effective. Standard hooks also work, as long as you are actively securing their body. 4. Win the Hands: Hand fighting is the final frontier. Once the body is locked, the battle for the neck begins.
The Straight Jacket System & Pummeling
When you shoot your arm across their neck to choke, they are immediately going to fight it with both of their hands. You have to remove their defenses.
This is where the "Straight Jacket" system comes in. Keep tight positional control, and try to push one of their defensive hands down toward their hip. Throw your leg over that arm and trap it inside your body triangle. Now, they only have one arm to defend with. Use your non-choking hand to grab their remaining hand, leaving your choking arm completely free to attack the neck.
If they are stubbornly defending their neck, start pummeling. Shoot your right arm for a cross face. When they block it, immediately switch and shoot your left arm. Alternate back and forth. Eventually, the opponent will fatigue and make a mistake. Once your arm finally slides under the chin, hide your choking hand behind their back or shoulder so they cannot peel it off.
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The Finish: The Anaconda Squeeze
A huge mistake beginners make is locking the choke and trying to stretch or pull backward with all their strength. This will just burn your arms out.
When you squeeze, think of an anaconda. Your forearm and bicep are creating a circle around their neck. The smaller you make that circle, the tighter the choke. Slide your arm deep, cinch it up, and then squeeze and twist your body inward. You are literally wrapping, closing the space, and rotating into the choke rather than pulling away from it.
The Face Crank (The Khabib Option)
Sometimes, an opponent is just too tough for their own good, or they have a very short, tucked neck that is impossible to slide a forearm under.
In this scenario, you can change the angle and apply a fulcrum choke (or face crank). Instead of going under the chin, lock your forearm right across their jaw or face. Apply the exact same squeezing and twisting anaconda pressure. As demonstrated in the infamous Khabib vs. McGregor fight, the crushing pressure on the jaw and face will force the tap even without a clean blood choke.
Start looking at the RNC as a system of traps rather than a single muscle move. Build your positional control, trap the arm, and the neck will eventually expose itself. Pair your back takes with our guide on the Triangle Choke to become a nightmare from every angle.
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