BJJ Graph

Rear Naked Choke Pathway

Jun 15, 20256 min read

Rear Naked Choke Pathway

bjjsubmissionchainback_attackchokernc

Submission Chain Properties

  • Chain ID: SC006
  • Primary Submission: Rear Naked Choke
  • Secondary Submissions: Bow and Arrow Choke, Collar Choke, Short Choke
  • Starting Positions: Back Control, Technical Back Mount, Turtle Top
  • Ending State: Submission (Opponent taps out or loses consciousness)
  • Success Probability: Beginner (30%), Intermediate (60%), Advanced (80%)
  • Risk Level: Medium - requires strong positional control but exposes practitioner to defensive counters
  • Energy Cost: Medium - demands sustained control and precise adjustments
  • Submission Type: Choke (Blood Strangulation)
  • Execution Complexity: Medium to High - involves systematic progression through defensive barriers

Chain Description

The Rear Naked Choke (RNC) Pathway represents the most statistically dominant submission chain in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, built around what many consider the most high-percentage submission in the art. This system begins with the fundamental back control position—widely regarded as the most dominant positional control in grappling—and presents a systematic approach to breaking down defensive barriers to achieve various choking mechanics. Unlike many submission chains that require complex positional adjustments, the RNC system focuses primarily on systematic hand fighting and incremental control improvements to neutralize defensive structures, creating a highly reliable finishing system that functions effectively across body types, skill levels, and competitive contexts. The core of this system is the traditional Rear Naked Choke, a blood choke applied from the back by encircling the opponent’s neck with one arm and using the bicep and forearm to compress the carotid arteries, though the complete pathway includes essential variations and alternatives that address specific defensive scenarios.

Visual Execution Sequence

Detailed description for clear visualization of the primary submission in the chain:

From a dominant back control position, your chest is glued to your opponent’s back, legs hooked securely around their hips with both hooks in, one over their shoulder and the other under their armpit in a seatbelt grip, establishing unyielding control. You initiate the Rear Naked Choke by sliding your choking arm—typically the one under their armpit—across their neck, ensuring your forearm aligns with their trachea, while your other hand maintains control over their shoulder to prevent escapes. You secure the choke by bringing your choking arm’s hand to the crook of your other elbow, forming a tight loop around their neck, with your non-choking hand pushing their head down to eliminate space and enhance pressure. You adjust your hips slightly to maintain spinal alignment, keeping your chest-to-back connection tight, preventing them from turning or creating defensive space, as your legs squeeze their torso to limit movement. You apply incremental pressure by pulling your elbows together rather than squeezing with brute force, focusing on compressing the carotid arteries on both sides of their neck, cutting off blood flow to the brain. Throughout the sequence, you anticipate defensive reactions like hand fighting or chin tucking, ready to strip grips or transition to alternative chokes like the Bow and Arrow if needed, maintaining control with subtle weight shifts. Finally, you complete the submission by maintaining controlled pressure until the opponent taps out or loses consciousness, demonstrating the mechanical efficiency and strategic depth of the RNC pathway in achieving a high-percentage finish.

Template: “From back control, chest to back, hooks around hips, seatbelt grip with one arm over shoulder, one under armpit. Slide choking arm across neck, forearm on trachea, other hand controls shoulder. Secure choke, choking hand to other elbow crook, non-choking hand pushes head down. Adjust hips for spinal alignment, maintain chest connection, legs squeeze torso. Apply pressure by pulling elbows together, compress carotid arteries. Anticipate defenses like hand fighting, ready to strip grips or switch chokes. Complete submission with controlled pressure until tap or unconsciousness.”

Execution Steps

  1. Establish a dominant back control position, securing both hooks around the opponent’s hips, chest glued to their back, and a seatbelt grip with one arm over their shoulder and the other under their armpit.
  2. Initiate the Rear Naked Choke by sliding the choking arm (typically the under-armpit arm) across their neck, aligning the forearm with their trachea, while the other hand maintains shoulder control.
  3. Secure the choke by bringing the choking arm’s hand to the crook of the other elbow, forming a tight loop around their neck, and use the non-choking hand to push their head down, eliminating defensive space.
  4. Adjust hip position to maintain spinal alignment and chest-to-back connection, squeezing legs around their torso to limit movement and prevent turning or escapes.
  5. Apply incremental pressure by pulling elbows together, focusing on compressing the carotid arteries rather than using brute force, ensuring effective blood flow restriction.
  6. Anticipate and counter defensive reactions such as hand fighting or chin tucking by systematically stripping grips or transitioning to alternative chokes like Bow and Arrow or Short Choke if blocked.
  7. Complete the submission with controlled pressure, maintaining the choke until the opponent taps out or loses consciousness, leveraging the high-percentage mechanics of the RNC pathway.

Key Details

  • Chest-to-Back Connection: Maintaining persistent spinal alignment to prevent defensive escapes.
  • Control Before Submission: Establishing dominant position and neutralizing defenses before choke application.
  • Hand Fighting Dominance: Systematically winning control over defensive frames and grips.
  • Incremental Pressure: Building submission pressure progressively rather than explosively for safety and effectiveness.
  • Defensive Anticipation: Recognizing and exploiting predictable defensive patterns like chin tucking or rolling.
  • Choking Mechanics: Understanding precise arterial compression for blood chokes over air chokes.
  • Positional Adjustment: Making subtle body positioning changes to enhance leverage and control.
  • Space Elimination: Systematically removing defensive space to increase choking effectiveness.

Success Modifiers

Factors that influence the success rate of the primary submission in the chain:

  • Back Control Quality: Strength of initial positional dominance with hooks and seatbelt grip (+15%)
  • Hand Fighting Effectiveness: Ability to strip defensive grips and maintain control (+10%)
  • Choke Positioning Precision: Accurate alignment of forearm and elbow for carotid compression (+10%)
  • Defensive Counter Management: Anticipating and neutralizing reactions like chin tucking or rolling (+10%)
  • Experience Level: Familiarity with back attack systems and choke variations (+5% per skill level)

Common Counters and Counter-Attacks

Analysis of opponent responses with success rates for counter-attacks within the chain:

Decision Logic for Opponent Behavior

If [opponent hand fights] with two-on-one grip:
- Execute [[Grip Stripping Counter]] to reestablish control (Probability: 60%)

Else if [opponent tucks chin] to block entry:
- Apply [[Face Cover Variation]] or transition to neck crank (Probability: 55%)

Else if [opponent rolls forward] to escape:
- Follow with [[Back Control Reestablishment]] maintaining hooks (Probability: 50%)

Else if [opponent creates frames] to defend:
- Transition to [[Bow and Arrow Ch

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