Rear Naked Choke from Back Control

SAFETY: Rear Naked Choke from Back Control targets the Carotid arteries and jugular veins. Risk: Loss of consciousness from blood choke. Release immediately upon tap.

Play as Attacker Play as Defender

The rear naked choke from back control is the highest-percentage submission finish in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, combining the sport’s most dominant control position with its most reliable choking mechanism. With the attacker established behind the opponent maintaining chest-to-back connection, hooks or body triangle for hip control, and harness grip for upper body management, the position provides an ideal platform for bilateral carotid compression. The submission targets both carotid arteries simultaneously using the forearm-and-bicep figure-four configuration, creating a blood choke that can produce unconsciousness in as few as four seconds when fully applied.

What separates successful finishes from failed attempts is the systematic hand fighting that precedes the choking arm insertion. The attacker must methodically break down the opponent’s two-on-one grip defense, pummeling the choking arm toward the neck while maintaining positional stability with hooks and the supporting arm. The transition from seatbelt grip to choking configuration represents the most vulnerable phase, where premature commitment or loss of hook pressure allows escape. Coordinated hip adjustment, angle changes, and sustained chest pressure throughout this transition determine whether the choke reaches completion.

The finishing mechanics rely on chest expansion and shoulder rotation rather than raw bicep strength. Threading the forearm blade against one carotid while the bicep compresses the other, with the hand behind the head sealing any remaining space, produces bilateral pressure that is extremely difficult to withstand. The hooks or body triangle provide the stable base preventing the opponent from bridging, rotating, or sliding down during the squeeze, making back control the most reliable platform for this submission.

Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and jugular veins Starting Position: Back Control From Position: Back Control (Top) Success Rate: 65%

Safety Guide

Injury Risks:

Injury	Severity	Recovery Time
Loss of consciousness from blood choke	High	Immediate to 30 seconds with proper release
Trachea damage from improper forearm placement	CRITICAL	2-6 weeks, potential permanent damage
Neck strain or muscle damage	Medium	3-7 days
Carotid artery injury from excessive force	CRITICAL	Immediate medical attention required

Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum in training. Never snap or jerk the choke. Partner should have full awareness of pressure building.

Tap Signals:

• Verbal tap (say ‘tap’ or make any verbal sound)
• Physical hand tap on opponent’s body or mat
• Physical foot tap on mat
• Going limp or loss of consciousness
• Any distress signal or unusual sound

Release Protocol:

1. Immediately release choking arm upon tap signal
2. Remove hooks and body triangle if present
3. Gently guide partner to side-lying recovery position
4. Monitor consciousness and breathing for 30 seconds
5. If partner was unconscious, keep them lying down until fully alert
6. Never allow unconscious partner to stand immediately

Training Restrictions:

• Never use competition speed or intensity in drilling
• Never apply the choke to the trachea or windpipe
• Always ensure partner has clear tap access with both hands
• Stop immediately if partner makes any distress sound
• Never hold a choke past the tap for any reason
• Beginners must practice with extremely slow progression only

Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	game-over	65%
Failure	Back Control	23%
Counter	Closed Guard	12%

Attacker vs Defender

	Attacker	Defender
Focus	Execute and finish	Escape and survive
Key Principles	Secure complete positional control with hooks and harness be…	Protect the neck immediately and continuously through chin t…
Options	7 execution steps	4 defensive options

Playing as Attacker

→ Full Attacker Guide

Key Principles

• Secure complete positional control with hooks and harness before initiating any choking sequence to prevent escape during the transition

• Win the hand fight systematically using two-on-one breaks, pummeling, and wrist control rather than trying to power through defensive grips

• Thread the choking arm with the soft forearm blade against the carotid artery, never the bony edge against the trachea

• Squeeze with chest expansion and shoulder rotation to generate sustainable bilateral pressure rather than relying on bicep strength alone

• Maintain hook or body triangle stability throughout the entire choking sequence to prevent escape during the finishing phase

• Use angle changes and hip adjustments to create space for arm insertion when the opponent maintains tight chin-to-chest defense

Execution Steps

• Confirm back control stability: Verify both hooks are deep inside the opponent’s thighs with your heels pressing inward, chest is gl…

• Initiate hand fighting sequence: Begin breaking down the opponent’s defensive grips on your choking arm using your free hand. Apply t…

• Thread the choking arm across the neck: When a window opens from successful hand fighting, slide the choking arm across the opponent’s throa…

• Secure the figure-four lock: Place the hand of the choking arm onto the bicep of your supporting arm, then bring the supporting h…

• Seal the space behind the head: Press the supporting hand forward against the back of the opponent’s skull, eliminating any gap betw…

• Adjust hooks for finishing stability: Before committing to the squeeze, ensure your hooks are actively pressing inward or your body triang…

• Finish with chest expansion squeeze: Complete the choke by expanding your chest outward, pulling your elbows toward your ribs, and genera…

Common Mistakes

• Placing the bony edge of the forearm against the trachea instead of the soft blade against the carotid

  • Consequence: Creates an air choke that causes pain and potential trachea damage rather than a blood choke, giving the opponent more time to escape and risking serious injury
  • Correction: Rotate the forearm so the soft inner surface sits flat against the side of the neck, with the radius bone facing away from the throat. The choking pressure should come from the forearm blade and bicep compressing the arteries on both sides.

• Releasing the seatbelt and hooks simultaneously to chase the choke with both arms

  • Consequence: Completely abandons positional control, allowing the opponent to turn, slide out, or escape to guard before the choke can be secured, wasting the dominant position
  • Correction: Maintain the supporting arm in seatbelt position and hooks active throughout the hand fighting phase. Only transition the supporting arm behind the head after the choking arm is already across the neck and positional control is confirmed.

• Squeezing primarily with bicep strength rather than chest expansion and shoulder mechanics

  • Consequence: Arms fatigue rapidly within seconds, pressure becomes inconsistent, and the opponent can outlast the squeeze attempt before tapping, leading to failed finish and wasted energy
  • Correction: Generate finishing pressure by expanding your chest into the opponent’s back, pulling elbows toward your ribs, and using a slight backward arch. The squeeze should feel like inflating your torso rather than flexing your arms.

Playing as Defender

→ Full Defender Guide

Key Principles

• Protect the neck immediately and continuously through chin tuck, two-on-one grip control on the choking arm, and shoulder shrugging to close space

• Fight the hands before fighting the position — preventing the arm from crossing the neck is more important than removing hooks

• Maintain two-on-one control on the attacker’s choking arm wrist, keeping it below chin level at all times

• Stay calm and control breathing to prevent panic-driven energy expenditure that accelerates exhaustion under back control pressure

• Address escape in sequence: defend neck, strip grips, remove hooks, create angle, turn and recover guard

• Recognize the critical windows where defensive action has highest success and commit fully during those moments

Recognition Cues

• Attacker releases one side of seatbelt grip and begins pummeling or sliding the choking arm toward your neck, indicating transition from control to attack phase

• Increased hand fighting activity targeting your defensive grips on the choking arm, with the attacker stripping fingers or applying two-on-one breaks

• Attacker shifts hips to one side or adjusts hook pressure, creating the angle needed to thread the choking arm across the neck

• You feel the attacker’s forearm sliding across the front of your throat or against the side of your neck, indicating the arm is being threaded into choking position

• Attacker’s supporting hand moves to your forehead or jaw, pushing your head back to open space between chin and chest for the choking arm

Escape Paths

• Defend neck with two-on-one wrist control, strip bottom hook with leg movement, hip escape to the hookless side, turn to face attacker and recover closed guard

• Block choke completion at the wrist, slide hips down toward attacker’s feet to weaken hook control, execute back door escape to turtle position, then work to recover guard

• Trap the choking arm against your chest using shoulder pressure, bridge to the choking arm side rolling the attacker, scramble to top position or half guard during the transition

Variations

Standard Mata Leão (Figure-Four Lock): The classical rear naked choke finish using the figure-four configuration. The choking arm threads across the neck with the hand placed on the opposite bicep, while the supporting arm goes behind the opponent’s head. Provides the tightest seal and most even bilateral pressure on both carotid arteries. (When to use: Default finishing method when you can secure the full figure-four lock behind the head without obstruction)

Palm-to-Palm (Gable Grip) RNC: Alternative grip used when the figure-four lock is difficult to secure due to opponent’s hand fighting or sweat. Both hands clasp together in a gable grip behind the opponent’s neck or across the jaw line, using forearm pressure against one carotid and wrist or forearm against the other. Less mechanically efficient but faster to lock. (When to use: When opponent’s active hand defense prevents securing the bicep grip, or when sweat makes the figure-four grip unreliable)

Short Choke (Arm-In Variation): A variation where the choking arm threads underneath the opponent’s defending arm rather than over it. The opponent’s own trapped arm assists in compressing the opposite carotid, creating a hybrid choke that uses their defensive limb against them. Requires threading from the underhook side of the seatbelt. (When to use: When the opponent has one arm deeply committed to defending the neck and you cannot clear it conventionally)

From Which Positions?

• Back Control
• Seat Belt Control Back
• Body Triangle
• Standing Back Control

Related Submissions

• Rear Naked Choke
• Bow and Arrow Choke
• Arm Triangle
• Darce Choke

Additional Related Content

• Back Control - Primary starting position providing hooks, harness, and chest-to-back connection for the choke
• Seat Belt Control Back - Specific grip configuration that serves as the launch point for hand fighting into RNC
• Body Triangle - Enhanced hip control variation providing superior stability during choking sequence
• Gift Wrap - Arm isolation position that clears neck defense and opens direct path to choking arm insertion
• Crucifix - Alternative control position when opponent defends neck with both hands, trapping arms for undefended attacks
• Turtle - Common position for re-taking back control when RNC attempt fails and opponent escapes to turtle

Match Outcome

Successful execution of Rear Naked Choke from Back Control leads to → Game Over

All submissions in BJJ ultimately converge to the same terminal state: the match ends when your opponent taps.