SAFETY: Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle targets the Carotid arteries and jugular veins. Tap early and often. Your safety is more important than any training round.
Defending the RNC from rear triangle is among the most challenging defensive scenarios in grappling because you are fighting a two-layer attack simultaneously. Your opponent’s triangle legs control your posture, trap one arm, and compress your neck from behind, while their freed hands attack your neck with the RNC. Unlike defending a standard RNC where you can use both hands for grip fighting, you have only one free hand available because the other is immobilized inside the triangle structure. Your survival depends on recognizing the threat early, protecting the neck before the choking arm threads underneath your chin, and systematically working to either prevent the figure-four lock or escape the rear triangle position entirely. Timing is critical—once the RNC grip is fully locked from this position, the compounding pressure from legs and arms makes escape nearly impossible.
Opponent’s Starting Position: Rear Triangle (Top)
How to Recognize This Submission
How do you know when someone is attempting Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle?
- Opponent releases seatbelt or free-arm control and begins swimming one hand toward your chin or neck from behind
- You feel the opponent’s triangle legs tighten simultaneously as their upper body shifts to thread the choking arm
- Opponent’s non-choking hand pins or redirects your free arm away from your neck, clearing the path for the choke
- You feel wrist or forearm pressure along your jawline as the opponent attempts to work past your chin tuck
Key Defensive Principles
What are the key principles for defending Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle?
- Protect the neck immediately by tucking your chin to your chest and bringing your free hand to your collar line before the choking arm threads under
- Address the choking arm first—preventing the forearm from passing under your chin is the highest priority defensive action
- Use your free hand for two-on-one grip defense on the choking wrist whenever possible to stall the arm thread
- Work to extract the trapped arm from the triangle to restore full defensive capacity before the choke is locked
- Create rotation toward the non-choking side to reduce the angle of the RNC and buy time for escape
- Manage breathing deliberately through the nose to conserve energy under restricted airflow
Defensive Options
What can you do to defend against Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle?
1. Two-on-one grip defense on the choking wrist using your free hand and the trapped arm’s hand if accessible
- When to use: As soon as you feel the opponent’s arm beginning to thread toward your chin—this is the earliest and most effective intervention point
- Targets: Rear Triangle
- If successful: Stalls the RNC attack and forces the opponent to spend energy on grip stripping, buying time for escape
- Risk: If the opponent strips your grip, you may be worse off because you spent energy fighting the arm rather than escaping the triangle
2. Chin tuck with shoulder shrug to create a physical barrier against the forearm threading under the chin
- When to use: When you feel the opponent’s hand approaching your neck and you cannot establish a grip on their wrist in time
- Targets: Rear Triangle
- If successful: Prevents the choke from being set and forces the opponent to use swimming or jawline pressure to bypass your defense
- Risk: A determined attacker can eventually work past the chin tuck, especially with the triangle adding compounding pressure
3. Rotate body toward the non-choking arm side while fighting the triangle legs to disrupt the finishing angle
- When to use: When the opponent has begun threading the choking arm but has not yet locked the figure-four grip
- Targets: Closed Guard
- If successful: Disrupts the RNC angle and may create enough space to begin escaping the rear triangle entirely
- Risk: Rotation can expose your back further if not combined with active hand fighting, and the opponent may follow the rotation
4. Extract the trapped arm from inside the triangle to restore full defensive capability
- When to use: Whenever you can create any space in the triangle—ideally before the opponent begins the RNC attack but viable throughout
- Targets: Rear Triangle
- If successful: Restores both hands for grip fighting and significantly reduces the choking pressure from the triangle legs
- Risk: The extraction attempt may temporarily reduce your neck defense as you redirect focus to the arm
Escape Paths
How do you escape Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle?
- Strip the choking grip and extract the trapped arm to transition back to standard back control defense
- Rotate toward the non-choking side and use frames to recover Closed Guard or Turtle position
- Create enough space to pull the head through the triangle opening and recover to Turtle
Best-Case Outcomes for Defender
What is the best outcome when defending Rear Naked Choke from Rear Triangle?
→ Closed Guard
Successfully rotate toward the non-choking arm side while fighting the triangle structure, then use frames and hip movement to slide into the opponent’s closed guard where you can begin a guard passing sequence
→ Rear Triangle
Prevent the RNC from being locked by maintaining chin tuck and grip fighting on the choking wrist, stalling the attack until the opponent abandons the RNC attempt and you remain in the rear triangle position where other escape opportunities exist