Rear Naked Choke

What This Is

The rear naked choke is the primary submission from back control and the most commonly finished submission in no-gi grappling at all levels of competition. It compresses both carotid arteries simultaneously from behind, producing unconsciousness within seconds when applied correctly. The submission is legal in all no-gi rulesets — there are no competition contexts in which this submission is restricted.

The rear naked choke requires bilateral carotid compression. This is not tracheal pressure. Applying pressure only to the trachea is a common error that creates pain and damage without producing the submission — and causes injury without the feedback mechanism of carotid unconsciousness. Correct application compresses both sides of the neck simultaneously.

The name “naked” distinguishes this from the collar choke (which uses a lapel grip). In the rear naked choke, the arm is bare — the forearm and bicep are the only contact points, with no grip on clothing. In no-gi grappling, all strangles are “naked” in this sense, but the name has persisted as the identifier for the specific rear-back application.

The Invariable in Action

The mechanics of bilateral compression in the RNC: the choking arm’s forearm sits across one carotid, the bicep of the second arm compresses the other carotid (via the back of the head). The second arm’s hand grips the bicep of the first arm — not the wrist, not the hand, but the bicep. This creates the mechanical advantage that drives both sides of the compression simultaneously when the arms squeeze.

If only one side is compressed, the submission is not achieved. Unilateral neck pressure is uncomfortable and can be dangerous — it may injure the trachea or create vertebral compression — but it does not produce the bilateral carotid compression needed for the submission. Both carotids must be closed.

The chin is the primary obstacle to the rear naked choke. The chin tuck blocks the choking forearm’s path to the throat. The forearm cannot reach the carotid if it is resting on the chin rather than sitting in the crook of the neck. Solving the chin is the central technical problem of the rear naked choke.

The rear naked choke cannot be applied without maintaining back control simultaneously. The choking arm’s entry is the strangle hand of the seatbelt. If back control is lost during the choke attempt, the choking arm’s mechanical advantage collapses. Back control and the choke are not sequential — they are simultaneous.

The Deficit Problem

The deficit problem is the most important mechanical concept in the rear naked choke. If the choking forearm lacks depth — if the arm has not reached across far enough to sit in the crook of the neck — applying finishing pressure with the arm at that depth loads the trachea rather than the carotid. This causes tracheal injury without producing the submission. The deficit arises when the arm is applied without sufficient depth. The solution is to establish depth before squeezing, not to squeeze and hope depth follows.

How to check for sufficient depth: the elbow of the choking arm should be approximately at the midline of the opponent’s throat — the elbow at the Adam’s apple. If the elbow is past the midline (between Adam’s apple and the far ear), the arm has depth. If the elbow is on the near side of the midline, the arm has a depth deficit and finishing pressure should not be applied until depth is corrected.

Defence

The defender’s toolkit against the rear naked choke is limited once the arm is seated correctly. Prevention is more available than escape.

Chin tuck: The primary and most important defence. With the chin tucked, the choking forearm cannot reach the throat. The chin tuck buys time for the escape system. See: Seatbelt Defence.

Two-on-one grip: When the choking arm enters, the defender grabs the choking arm’s wrist and elbow with both hands and pulls it away from the neck. This requires both hands, which means it cannot be sustained while also running the back escape — the defender must choose between grip fighting and escaping, and typically must use the grip fight to buy time for the escape rather than as a standalone defence.

Chin-to-shoulder turn: If the choking arm enters from one side, turning the chin toward the choking arm shoulder can buy time by preventing the forearm from finding the throat. This is a temporary defence and must be combined with the escape sequence.

Tapping: When the choke is fully locked and both carotids are compressed, tap immediately and clearly. The rear naked choke from a deep seatbelt is very fast — the window between “fully applied” and unconsciousness is measured in seconds. Tap before that window closes.

Setup and Entry

Standard Entry from Seatbelt

The choking arm is the strangle hand — the arm that sits over the shoulder. From seatbelt, the strangle hand is already in position. The entry sequence:

Step 1: The strangle hand reaches across the opponent’s throat. The arm does not come up and over — it slides across. The elbow drives toward the midline. The goal is to place the forearm across both carotids, not just one.

Step 2: The second arm — the control hand — comes up from under the armpit and the hand grips the bicep of the choking arm. Not the wrist. Not the hand. The bicep. Gripping the bicep creates the figure-four geometry that allows the second arm’s squeeze to increase pressure on both sides simultaneously.

Step 3: The second arm’s forearm moves to the back of the opponent’s head, driving the head forward. This compresses the neck further — it removes the opponent’s ability to extend their neck, which would relieve some of the carotid pressure. The head push and the arm squeeze happen simultaneously.

Step 4: Squeeze. The elbows drive toward each other (toward the midline). The bicep compresses the far side of the neck; the forearm compresses the near side. Check the elbow depth before applying the final squeeze.

Solving the Chin Problem

When the opponent has the chin tucked and the forearm cannot reach the throat:

Knuckle pressure on the jaw: The choking hand makes a fist. The knuckles press against the mandible (jaw) from the side. This creates pain without injury and prompts the chin to lift. As the chin lifts, the forearm slides across the throat. Maintain the knuckle pressure while the forearm finds its position.

Head angle: From a different position — angling slightly behind the opponent’s shoulder on the choking arm side — the forearm can enter under the chin from the far side. This requires adjusting the hip position slightly but changes the entry angle enough to bypass a determined chin tuck.

Position Requirements

• Seatbelt Control (POS-BACK-TOP-SEATBELT) — Primary position. The strangle hand is already in position; the choking arm is present. Highest reliability for the RNC.
• Body Triangle (POS-BACK-TOP-BODYTRI) — The body triangle compresses the ribs and removes the bridge, making the RNC more available because the opponent’s escape options are reduced. The RNC mechanics are identical; the body triangle improves the context.
• Harness Control (POS-BACK-TOP-HARNESS) — Available after transitioning the overhook arm to the strangle position. The harness-to-RNC requires the grip adjustment first.

Common Errors

Drilling Notes

Ability Level Guidance

Also Known As

Related Pages

Concepts layer