The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), the rear naked choke ranks as one of the most effective and essential submissions. It’s powerful, easy to learn, and doesn’t require a great deal of strength to use. Not to mention, you can end a match quickly if you’re able to pull it off.
The rear mount in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) incorporates one of the most feared and useful submissions known to practitioners, the rear naked choke. It is a destructive choke that is simple to execute after taking the position of the back mount.
The rear naked choke is a BJJ cornerstone because it is simple and powerful. The rear naked choke is one of the oldest submissions used in all forms of grappling. Unlike many other submissions and positions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the rear naked choke seems to be stagnant in its evolution overtime. This is because it is so effective.
The rear naked choke (RNC) is a versatile move that is the cornerstone of MMA and BJJ. The name rear naked choked signifies that the practitioner or an athlete does not need a BJJ Gi for the application of the choke. It is a high-percentage choking technique that is applied from the back.
It seems that we went from an age where if someone got to the back, they will get the choke and eventually escape. One recent innovation, if you want to call it that, of the rear naked choke is something John Danaher’s students like Gordon Ryan, Nicky Ryan, and Garry Tonon. Another important avenue to innovate in isn’t necessarily the squeeze, but how we get to the point where we can apply the squeeze.
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Lachlan Giles is an elite BJJ black belt out of Australia. He teaches at Absolute MMA and trains some of the best grapplers on the scene like Craig Jones. In Lachlan’s latest innovation, he describes a better way of ensuring the defender can’t escape while you are setting up your rear naked choke. His approach is simple, and makes sense.
Because of the anatomical implications of this technique, it is absolutely essential you understand how it works, or else you risk seriously injuring an opponent or sparring partner.
The rear naked choke is a versatile move that creates multiple opportunities for grapplers and fighters. It is a choking method that does not require the use of the BJJ Gi, which is why the word “naked” is used.
The key feature that sets Hadaka-Jime apart from other Judo chokes is that it doesn't rely on the opponent's clothing, namely their gi lapel, to create the choking tourniquet. It digs the blade of the wrist into the carotid sinus , similar to the hand clasp method and uses a lever motion, helped by the underhand. It is faster to apply, requiring less strength than the figure four/mixed-martial arts version, but it is more difficult to learn.
Hadaka Jime is also recognized as Hadaka-Jime-San in Danzan Ryu jujitsu's twenty-five techniques in the Shimete list. Danzan Ryu also recognizes the Guillotine choke as Hadaka-Jime-Ichi.
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The Sleeper Hold was originated in professional wrestling by Evan Lewis in the 1880s when pro wrestling was still a legitimate contest. Lewis earned the nickname "Strangler" for his use of the hold and was an accomplished catch wrestler using the hold, defeating Ernst Roeber for the world championship before eventually losing the title to Martin Burns.
Modern pro wrestling's first "sleeper hold", technically different from a choke, which is a compression of the throat and/or Adam's apple, is thought to have been performed by Jim Londos on 29 June 1931. Though Londos' original move may or may not have been inspired by judo's "hadaka jime", pro-wrestling's sleeper and a rear naked choke both share a similar style of execution.
It is more realistically used by All Elite Wrestling wrestler Samoa Joe (whose wrestling move-set is closer to mixed martial arts). In modern catch wrestling circles, the term sleeper hold refers to a variation of the rear naked choke in which the individual performing the hold snakes the leverage arm across the opponent's throat (in the same manner as the traditional rear naked choke) and grasps their opposite shoulder, rather than the biceps. The opposite hand is also placed against the base of the opponent's skull in the form of a closed Hammer Fist, or on top of the head.
How to do the Rear Naked Choke in Jiu Jitsu | Jiu Jitsu Tutorial | BJJ Lessons
Understanding the Technique
The goal of the rear naked choke is actually to cut off the blood supply to the brain, not obstruct the air passage. Cutting off blood supply results in unconsciousness within five to ten seconds, while cutting off air supply might take minutes. Specifically, the rear naked choke is usually applied from the back mount, which is widely considered the strongest position in BJJ. Its advantages are many, but most importantly, the person trapped in this position can’t see their opponent. That means if you get into back mount, you’re in a position to launch attacks with little fear of retribution.
The strangling of the arms creates pressure on the neck, restricting blood flow upward to the brain. The rear naked choke requires special attention to render the opponent in place.
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It is the technique that involves the incorporation of the arms and hands that target the head. This is the submission method that is applied from the opponent's back. It is a submission technique that can be applied even in the standing position.
If the technique is used to be applied on the ground the fighter creates the hook with the foot. It requires taking control over the opponent by holding them with the chest and keeping them close to their back. The fighter chokes the arm, after sliding it at the front of the neck. The fighter uses the hook locks to control the movement of the legs. To keep the hand in place, the fighter uses the other hand to restrict the movement of the hand. It also helps to stop the movement of the head. It takes less than ten seconds to render the opponent in place, and it is the blood choke that stops the blood flow from going towards the brain.
When applied correctly, it can cause temporary unconsciousness in a few seconds (however, it can also be used to damage the trachea, larynx and hyoid bone as well as other parts of the neck and produce a neck crank by compressing the front of the neck and pulling upwards into the chin).
This choke, in either the figure-four or clasped-hand variation, is an extremely dangerous technique if used thoughtlessly or improperly. When applied as a blood choke in particular, it immediately reduces the supply of oxygen to the brain, leading to unconsciousness and ultimately (if not released) to brain damage or death.
According to a scientific study, the rear-naked choke is the 6th fastest choke to render an opponent unconscious.
The placement of the legs usually falls into two categories. The first is a body lock. The attacker places one of their legs across the stomach or lower chest of the victim. They then place their other leg over their shin, creating a figure-four with their legs. This allows them to limit movement and stay close to the back of their victim, also possibly immobilising the victim's arms via the attacker's legs if flexible/long enough. This technique was used by Anderson Silva against Dan Henderson and by Jim Miller against Melvin Guillard.
The other common technique is known as using "hooks". In this version, the attacker places their legs inside the victim's legs. They then move their legs out, placing their shin behind the victim's knees, essentially using their shins and feet as hooks to control the victim's legs. This variation leaves the attacker open to the possibility of leglocks from their opponent, as they are attacking the choke.
When standing, the legs can either pull the opponent down or trip them, transitioning to kneeling/sitting or lying down, or strike the opponent.
This variation (also known as Palm to Palm) has the supporting hand clasp the hand of the choking arm, allowing more pressure to be applied to the neck, but losing some of the control of the head. This alters the choke somewhat so that it is more likely to be applied as an airway-restricting choke or mixed blood and air choke, which results in more pain but a slower choke-out. As such, this technique is less frequently used at advanced levels in Judo.
Nonetheless, it has seen some successful applications in mixed martial arts competition: for instance, it was used by Fedor Emelianenko, a heavyweight champion in PRIDE, to defeat Kazuyuki Fujita at the PRIDE 26 event in 2003. Fujita tapped out about five seconds after the choke was applied. He used it again to defeat former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds. Sylvia tapped out immediately once the choke was sunk in, and after the fight described it as being very painful. Anderson Silva also used the clasping hands variation when he defeated Dan Henderson in the UFC.
The left hand is placed behind (or occasionally on top of) the opponent's head. A more effective form of the choke can be applied by placing the palm of the left hand against the attacker's shoulder rather than behind the opponent's head.
When applied properly, unconsciousness occurs in less than 10 seconds, and recovery from the choke is just as quick.
The mata leão choke is one of the oldest techniques in grappling combat, not just developed during the MMA stage. It has been established in the martial arts of judo, where it is known as the hadaka jime. It is a type of choke that does not utilize the gi, hence known as ‘naked choke’. The art of BJJ has incorporated many techniques from various martial arts. Later, Gracie introduced the rear naked choke in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which was considered the most effective submission method. The use of the rear naked choke has been instrumental in the progression of grappling sports, be it Grappling tournaments, judo , BJJ, catch wrestling, etc.
Execution Steps:
- The first step is to take the position of the back mount or rear mount; it is the most difficult position to take as the flighter does not give the space to get to the back position.
- The important step is to get at the back of the opponent and try to maintain the position. Keep your chest in contact with the back of the opponent.
- After that, the fighter places one hand over the shoulder and the other hand under the armpit. This step will ensure that you have taken control over the upper body of the opponent. Create the hook with the placement of the hands over the other.
- The fighter needs to grip unlock the hand and keep the underarm hand over the torso while moving the other hand over the neck.
- As you hook the hand, move it downward in a direction that should move at the side of the shoulder bone.
- The next step is to unhook the hand; instead of taking it at the front, move the hand to the back of the head.
- To finish the choke, apply pressure on both of the arms.
Common Mistakes
- The next most common mistake is not to tuck the hooking hand. Keeping the forearm or the hand in front of the neck creates direct contact with the throat.
- Rear naked choke is the submission method that is applied even from the standing position.
- One common mistake fighters often make is grabbing the bicep when the come around, leaving the arm dangling. This exposes the arm, allowing the opponent to grab it and potentially hyperextend your elbow if you’re not careful.
- Another common mistake is placing your forearm across the front of your opponent’s throat, which causes pain but doesn’t properly strangle and, therefore, put them to sleep quickly.
Defending Against the Rear Naked Choke
Defending against a rear naked choke is a crucial skill in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The best defense is prevention, but that’s easier said than done. Try to avoid letting your opponent get on your back and secure the rear mount, but if they do, you have to immediately prevent them from connecting their hands. Keep your shoulders up and chin down to make it hard for them to finish the choke. If you can do this long enough, they may get bored or lose focus, creating an opening.
The rear-naked choke, with the proper setup, is considered very difficult to escape. Some common defenses include tucking the chin to prevent the choking arm from applying pressure to the neck. However, the person applying the choke can either use their other hand to pull the defender's head backwards, revealing the neck and lock in the choke, or they can apply the choke directly to the chin, which is considered a crank and is painful and will likely force the defender to tap.
As with all choke defenses, the first step is to always fight the choking arm, which will maximize the defender's chance of escaping.
Before the choke is locked in, your opponent’s hands will come across your throat, giving you a chance to intercept their wrist. Always drive to the underhook side, then get your head and shoulders on the ground, and work on getting your hips down.
Your last chance if the rear naked choke is fully locke is to grabs their wrist with one hand while the other goes behind your head. Pull the choking hand off your neck, jam it under your armpit, and hold it. If they are holding your neck with their fingers, pry them free and switch to a two-hand grip on their wrist.
The rear naked choke is arguably the most effective submission in all of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to execute.
