The rear naked choke is among the most famous and effective BJJ submissions. That’s why you see many MMA fighters used in the UFC. Truly, it’s a signature move in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
You will win the fight if you trap your opponent with that choke. It doesn’t matter how powerful the opponent is; if you correctly perform the rear naked choke (RNC), you’ll come out on top.
That’s why I have decided to write this article.
I keep seeing novice and even advanced grapplers making the same mistakes. While fixing these mistakes is quite easy, they prevent you from winning more rolls or even fights.
This article will focus on the small and large details to ensure you know how to perform the RNC correctly. You’ll see how this skyrockets your grappling skills.
Here’s what you’ll get from reading this article:
- Become a better grappler
- Being capable of performing the rear naked choke
- Performing the RNC from all its variations
- Have a better understanding of the world of grappling
- Gain tips on how to learn BJJ techniques faster
Before diving in, if you want to learn to perform the Armbar, a highly effective and influential submission in BJJ, follow the link to learn about it.
What is the rear naked choke (RNC)?
BJJ teaches us many submissions and grappling techniques. Many of these techniques are chokes. What chokes do is interrupt our breathing in some way. Naturally, then, we’ll want to breathe again. Therefore, we’ll tap out.
The rear naked choke, or the blood choke as some people call it, is a grappling technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. To perform it, you must be behind the opponent and wrap both your hands around his head. This will cut the blood flow to his brain, making him tap quickly.
If you see the RNC being performed live, you’ll notice something unique about it: the fighters typically tap out much faster if someone does the rear naked choke on them.
That’s because it is so effective, painful, and uncomfortable; you must tap out if the opponent has an RNC lock on you. You don’t want to be on that side; you’ll tap out quickly.
Now, executing the rear naked choke is simple. I don’t think there’s any simpler choke to understand in BJJ.
We’ll also discuss how you can perform it in the following section.
If you want to learn about another fantastic submission, follow the link to learn about the wrist lock and what makes it so effective.
How to perform the rear naked choke
Performing the rear naked choke really isn’t that hard. For the purpose of this section, I’ll skip the preparation of the RNC, as we’ll dive more deeply into that in the following section.
To perform the rear naked choke (RNC), you need to first be behind your opponent. You slide your hand below his neck and grab your other biceps. Then, you insert the other hand around the opponent’s neck and touch your shoulder. The last step is to squeeze your biceps and lean backward.
There are a few small details you want to ensure you perform correctly if you want to increase your odds of winning the fight.
The first one is to make an X shape with your hands. You do that when you insert the other hand and touch your shoulder. You know you perform the RNC correctly if you have an X shape between your arms.
Another mistake many novice grapplers make is grabbing the opponent’s head, not the shoulder. The opponent will easily move your hand aside if it’s on his head. Make sure to grab your shoulder, and then you should squeeze as tightly as possible.
Lastly, it’ll be best to hold as tight as possible. You can do that by following the tips I included in this section. Also, you can insert your first hand as close as possible to the opponent’s neck. You’ll be capable of applying more pressure this way.
Or, in short:
- Insert your first hand as tightly as possible
- Grab the opponent’s shoulder with your second hand
- Don’t grab the head with your second hand
- Have an X shape between your hands
Now, let’s review the step-by-step guide to the perfect rear naked choke.
Before we do that, however, if you want to learn how to perform the Straight Arm Lock, one of the most effective BJJ submissions, follow the link.
A step-by-step guide to the perfect rear naked choke
Before we get into the guide, I want to emphasize an earlier point. The rear naked choke is extremely effective. Thus, you must pay attention to your training partner when practicing it.
You don’t want to end up hurting your partner, and you can do so really, really fast. Once you have the RNC lock against your partner, make sure to pay attention to his situation. Release the choke when he taps out.
- Position yourself behind your opponent: Get behind your opponent and straddle their lower back while sitting on your heels. Your legs should be positioned on either side of your opponent’s hips.
- Secure the grip: Slide your arms underneath your opponent’s armpits, and wrap your right arm around their neck. Place your right bicep against their neck, and grasp your right bicep with your left hand. Your left hand should be on top of your right bicep.
- Adjust your position: Slide your left leg over your opponent’s back and position it so that the inside of your left knee is against their spine. Your right leg should be positioned outside your opponent’s right hip.
- Tighten the choke: Squeeze your elbows together while pulling your opponent’s head towards your chest. This action tightens the choke around your opponent’s neck. You can also add pressure by arching your back and pushing your hips forward.
- Hold the choke until your opponent submits: Once you have secured it, hold it until your opponent submits or passes out. If your opponent does not tap or verbally submit, release the choke as soon as they lose consciousness.
Variations of the rear naked choke
The rear naked choke has many variations. Some are harder to execute than others. But they all lead to the same position: you are behind your opponent (either standing, lying down, or sitting) and executing the same choke.
So, your chances of understanding all the variations as one are likely.
Nevertheless, the hard part will be to get behind your opponent. I’ll explain how you can go about doing so shortly after this section.
Stay tuned for that.
Before we dive in, if you want to learn another extremely effective BJJ submission, I wrote a complete guide to master the Kimura. Follow the link to learn more about it.
Rear naked choke from closed guard
This part will discuss the steps you need to take to perform the rear naked choke from the closed guard position. The primary issue with this variation is passing the opponent’s guard and getting behind him. There are a couple of ways you can go about it.
You first begin the execution by passing the opponent’s guard; my favorite way is using the Toreando pass. Next, you can wrap one hand around the opponent’s neck and then the other. Your one hand should grab your biceps. The other hand should grab your other shoulder to create an X shape.
This is hard to execute, and you would probably best execute another technique, such as the Kimura.
If you can’t pass people’s guard, here’s how to pass anyone’s guard using the Toreando pass. Follow the link to learn more about it.
Mounted rear naked choke
The mounted rear naked choke doesn’t really exist. So, why did I decide to include it? Because you can use it and surprise your opponent in a really unexpected way. I would say that 90% of all advanced grapplers won’t expect you to go for the mounted RNC.
First. you must be in a solid mount position. Next, you perform the back take. This will put you in the right position to start executing the first step of the RNC. So, you wrap your hands around the opponent’s neck in an X shape. Then, you squeeze hard and pull his head to your chest. Finally, wait for the tap.
Rear naked choke from side control
The rear naked choke from side control has to be the most difficult to understand and to execute. You’ll likely be able to perform it if you’re a white belt. But you can always prove me wrong.
To perform the rear naked choke from the side control, start by applying pressure on the opponent while twisting your body toward the opponent’s head. Once you’re almost parallel to your opponent, lift him up and wrap your hands around him in an X shape. Squeeze as hard as you can and wait for the tap.
It’s critical that you don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position when going for this move. You have to do it fast, or else the opponent will spin with you, staying in his guard.
You want to lift him up from his back, taking back control. This is the hardest variation to execute, as it’s also the most unintuitive.
But trust me. Your opponent will not see it coming from a mile away.
Standing rear naked choke
The standing rear naked choke is my personal favorite. This variation is one of the most enjoyable ones to execute, at least in my eyes. Here’s how you can perform it:
You must first take back control to perform the standing rear naked choke. You can do that in many ways, such as ducking when the opponent goes for a punch and taking control. Now, wrap your hands in an X shape and squeeze as hard as possible while pulling his head toward your chest. Wait for the tap out.
You’ll see the standing rear naked choke many times in the UFC and in many martial arts. I’m confident that this is the most effective variation of the RNC, so you should definitely consider learning it first.
Here’s a video I loved watching about the standing rear naked choke.
Is the rear naked choke an effective submission?
The rear naked choke is among the most effective BJJ grappling techniques because it cuts the blood flow to the brain and forces you to tap out quickly. Some submissions take time to execute. However, you’ll see how fast your opponent taps out if you can get the choke locked tightly.
The primary point is to squeeze as tightly as possible, especially if you want to force the opponent to surrender quickly.
I’ve already discussed ways you can do so earlier in the article. You can re-read it to ensure you get the rear naked choke perfectly each time.
But, it might not be the most effective one; follow the link to read about the Triangle choke, potentially the best one in BJJ.
When should I use the rear naked choke?
The most difficult part in executing the rear naked choke isn’t the choke itself; it’s getting behind your opponent. You’ll see how difficult it is to face someone who doesn’t want you to get behind him. Let’s see when you should use the RNC:
You should use the rear naked choke when you’re behind your opponent. Getting to this position is the most difficult part, as your opponent won’t let you get there so quickly. However, you can do so in a couple of ways, such as waiting for him to attack and then ducking. Then, you can perform the RNC.
How effective is the rear naked choke?
The RNC is an extremely practical submission, as it cuts the blood flow to the brain. Most people today know how to use it, as it’s widely practiced all throughout the world.
The rear naked choke is extremely effective. If you find yourself behind your opponent and can lock the RNC onto him, you’re 99% going to win. However, that will only happen if you focus on the small details, such as grabbing your biceps with your first hand. It’s widely considered the most effective submission in BJJ.
Final words
The best way to learn a specific technique is by practicing it repeatedly. You can’t read an article, watch a video, or master a submission.
What you need now is practice. You’re now a much better grappler after reading this article. You know how to perform the rear naked choke, which is a massive improvement.
However, don’t skip your practice. No one has ever learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any other martial art without tons of practice. I want you to take action; that’s the entire purpose of this website.
While the rear naked choke is an effective technique, it’s not the most effective one. I wrote an article on the most effective grappling techniques in BJJ you must learn to call yourself a solid grappler. Good luck!