BJJ · Submission
Rear Naked Choke
The rear naked choke (RNC)—also called mata leão or hadaka-jime—is a blood choke from back control that compresses the carotid arteries without using a jacket collar. It is no-gi native and fully usable in the gi.
What Is the Rear Naked Choke?
The rear naked choke (often abbreviated RNC) is a submission in Brazilian jiu-jitsu applied when one athlete has back control—chest to the opponent’s back, typically with legs hooked inside the opponent’s thighs or locked in a body triangle. The choking arm threads under the chin and around the neck. The supporting hand grips the choking arm’s bicep; that supporting hand then moves behind the opponent’s head to close the figure. Pressure falls on both carotid arteries, reducing blood flow to the brain until the opponent taps or loses consciousness in competition or training contexts where that outcome is possible.
Aliases are widely used. In Portuguese-influenced BJJ gyms the choke is often called mata leão (“lion killer”). In Japanese martial arts terminology the related rear naked structure is known as hadaka-jime (“naked strangle”). Catch wrestling and early vale tudo / MMA lineages carried the same idea forward. In English-speaking grappling, “rear naked choke” and “RNC” dominate.
The word naked is technical, not theatrical: the choke does not rely on grabbing a jacket lapel. That makes it the default back choke in no-gi grappling and mixed martial arts, while remaining fully available when both athletes wear a gi.
How the Rear Naked Choke Works
The RNC has two problems to solve at once: stay on the back and close a blood choke without turning it into a neck crank.
Back control first. Before the choke is tight, athletes usually establish a seatbelt grip—one arm over the shoulder, one under the armpit, hands joined on the chest—or an equivalent upper-body harness. The legs insert as hooks (feet inside the thighs) or connect as a body triangle around the waist. Without that lower-body connection, the opponent can spin face-to-face or slide out the back door.
Arm placement. The choking arm slides under the chin so the inner forearm (radius side) and the bicep contact the sides of the neck where the carotid arteries run. The hand of that arm typically grabs the opposite bicep of the supporting arm. The supporting hand then cups or palms behind the opponent’s head, which prevents the chin from tucking into a defensive shell and completes the circulatory compression.
Finish mechanics. Prefer lat-driven rotation—elbow of the choking arm back toward your ribs—then squeeze. Keep the opponent’s spine aligned rather than wrenching the head sideways. Correct RNC pressure is bilateral on the carotids. If the forearm is grinding into the windpipe only, or if the head is being twisted without structure, the application has drifted toward a crank—inefficient and unsafe as a training habit.
Entries to the Back
The choke is only available after back control. Common paths: a failed takedown that turns into a go-behind; a guard sweep that continues to the back; turtle attacks (seatbelt + hooks from the top of turtle); and front-headlock or scramble rotations that win the race to the spine. Closed-guard play often creates the sweep that starts that chain—which is why this entry and closed guard sit near each other in the encyclopedia.
Once on the back, prioritize the seatbelt and at least one hook before hunting the chin. Athletes who chase the choke arm first often win a shallow neck find and lose the position. Control, then choke.
Gi vs No-Gi
The RNC is no-gi native. Hadaka-jime / mata leão do not need a jacket. That does not make the choke illegal or weak in the gi—it means the gi offers parallel tools that are not the same entry.
Gi counterparts are not RNC. Bow-and-arrow, collar choke from the back, and clock choke use lapels. They share the strategic goal—finish from the back—but they are different grips, angles, and finishes. Do not imply that an RNC “uses the collar.”
Seatbelt + hooks vs body triangle. Both appear in gi and no-gi. Hooks are the default teaching progression. Body triangles free a hand for choking and reduce some hip escapes; they require care in training.
Figure-four vs palm-to-palm. The classic finish is palm-to-bicep with the supporting hand behind the head (a figure-four of the arms). Palm-to-palm seatbelt grips are common for control before the choke arm threads; once choking, most athletes prefer the bicep grip for structure.
Short choke / one-arm. When the second hand cannot get behind the head, a short choke or one-arm squeeze may still finish—especially with a tight body triangle—but it is a lower-percentage cousin, not a reason to abandon the two-arm structure when it is available.
How a gi helps and hurts. Friction from the jacket and pants can slow escapes and help you stay glued. The same fabric can bunch in the crook of the choking elbow and spoil a clean carotid line—pushing many gi athletes toward a collar choke when a deep lapel is free. In MMA and ADCC/no-gi, there is no lapel plan B: the RNC (or a related arm-triangle / neck find) is the primary back finish.
What Does a Rear Naked Choke Look Like in Practice?
During a no-gi roll, Sam takes the back after a failed single-leg from Riley. Sam inserts both hooks and locks a seatbelt: right arm over Riley’s right shoulder, left arm under Riley’s left armpit, hands clasped on Riley’s chest. Riley hand-fights the top wrist.
Sam releases the clasp only long enough to feed the right arm under Riley’s chin, palm facing in, until the bicep and forearm sit on either side of the neck. Sam’s left hand grabs their own right bicep, then slides behind Riley’s head. Sam rotates the choking elbow toward the ribs, squeezes, and keeps hooks active. Riley taps to the rear naked choke before the squeeze fully peaks.
In a gi match, the same back take might offer Sam a deep collar. Sam could still finish the RNC—or switch to a bow-and-arrow if the lapel is cleaner than the forearm line. Those are two different choices, not one technique with two names.
Types / Variations
Standard RNC with hooks
Two hooks inside the thighs plus the palm-to-bicep / hand-behind-head finish. This is the textbook sport BJJ version taught early and used at every belt level in both gi and no-gi.
RNC with body triangle
Instead of separate hooks, the attacking athlete locks their legs in a figure-four around the opponent’s waist. The triangle can free a hand for choking and reduces some hip escapes, but it must be applied carefully to avoid uncontrolled pressure on the opponent’s lower ribs or abdomen in training.
Figure-four vs palm-to-palm
Palm-to-palm is excellent for the seatbelt control phase. The finishing figure usually upgrades to palm-on-bicep so the supporting forearm can wedge behind the head. Athletes who stay palm-to-palm through the finish often lose structural squeeze.
Short choke / one-arm variants
When the second hand is busy fighting grips, a short choke—forearm under the chin with the other arm trapping a wrist or clasping shorter—can still finish. Treat it as a contingency, not the primary mechanics to drill first.
RNC vs Collar Choke from the Back
A real choice in the gi—not a generic pros/cons list for the RNC itself.
| Factor | Rear Naked Choke | Collar choke from the back (e.g. bow-and-arrow) |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | No collar; forearm and bicep on the carotids | Deep lapel across the neck; free hand pulls arm or pants |
| Best environment | No-gi, MMA, ADCC; also valid in gi | Gi only |
| When to prefer | No usable lapel; fabric bunched; no-gi by default | Deep collar already fed; opponent defending the forearm line |
| Common error | Calling a collar choke an “RNC” | Abandoning the RNC entirely just because a gi is on |
Special Considerations
IBJJF, MMA, and ADCC
The rear naked choke is a standard legal submission in IBJJF Brazilian jiu-jitsu when applied as a choke from the back. In MMA and ADCC/no-gi it is often the highest-percentage finish once back control is locked, because there is no collar alternative. Sport BJJ treats it as a normal finishing option for adult divisions. As with any neck-related technique, follow the referee and the posted rules for your age and belt if a related variation is restricted.
Safety
The RNC is a blood choke. Training partners should apply pressure progressively. The person being choked should tap early—as soon as the choke is clearly locked and escape is unrealistic. Do not hold a fully locked choke to “see if they go out” in casual rolling unless both partners and the gym culture explicitly agree on that risk and supervision. Do not crank the neck to compensate for a shallow chin entry; reset the arm under the chin or switch to a legal alternative.
Common mistakes
- Choking with the forearm on the windpipe while twisting the head—turning a blood choke into a crank.
- Releasing both hooks to “squeeze harder,” which often gifts an escape.
- Leaving space under the chin so the defender can bury their jaw—fix with rotation rather than a jaw slam.
- In the gi: forcing an RNC through a bunched sleeve crook when a clean collar choke is already available—or the reverse error of deleting the RNC from the gi game entirely.
FAQ
Questions we hear on the mats, in r/bjj, and under instructional videos.
Is the rear naked choke legal in IBJJF?
Yes. The RNC is a standard legal submission in IBJJF Brazilian jiu-jitsu when applied as a choke from the back. It does not use the collar; that is the point of “naked.” Follow age- and belt-specific rules for related neck techniques if your division posts restrictions.
Does the RNC use the collar?
No. The rear naked choke is deliberately a no-jacket choke. Gi collar chokes from the back—bow-and-arrow, clock choke, cross-collar from the back—are different entries and finishes. Do not conflate them with the RNC.
I locked the RNC and they just sit there — how do you actually finish?
A shallow biceps death-squeeze often stalls. Finish with lat and rotation: bring the elbow of the choking arm back toward your ribs so the radius and bicep truly bisect the neck, then squeeze. Expand the chest slightly, keep at least one hook or a body triangle, and tap early on the receiving end when the choke is clearly locked.
Does tucking the chin stop the rear naked choke?
A tucked chin is not a reliable defense. Instructionals in the Estima line show finishes even when the jaw is down—by adjusting angle and rotating the choking arm rather than slamming through the jaw. Do not crank the neck to “force” past the chin.
Should I give up on the RNC in the gi and hunt bow-and-arrow instead?
In the gi, collar chokes such as the bow-and-arrow are often higher-percentage once a deep lapel is available—but the RNC remains fully legal and high-percentage, especially when the collar is not there or when fabric is bunched in the crook of your elbow. Keep both tools.
Can a gi help or hurt the RNC?
Both. Fabric can add friction that slows escapes and helps you stay glued on the back. The same fabric can bunch in the crook of the choking arm and make a clean carotid line harder—another reason athletes sometimes switch to a collar choke when the lapel is free.
Is this a blood choke or am I cranking their neck?
Properly applied, the rear naked choke is a blood choke compressing the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck. If you are twisting the cervical spine or grinding only the windpipe without bilateral carotid pressure, you have drifted into a crank—reset the arm placement. Tap early.
Do I need both hooks to finish?
Keep at least one hook or a body triangle. Dumping both hooks to “squeeze harder” is a common way to gift an escape. Two hooks are ideal; one hook plus upper-body control can still finish; zero hooks while muscling the arms is how backs are lost.
Seatbelt and hooks or body triangle?
Both are valid. Hooks are the beginner default and leave more hip mobility for adjustments. A body triangle frees a hand and reduces some escapes, but must be applied carefully in training to avoid uncontrolled pressure on the opponent’s ribs or abdomen.
The Bottom Line
The rear naked choke—RNC, mata leão, hadaka-jime—is the signature no-jacket blood choke from back control in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Seatbelt and hooks (or a body triangle) keep you attached; the choking arm under the chin and the supporting hand behind the head close carotid pressure, finished with lat rotation then squeeze. It is IBJJF-legal, central to no-gi and MMA, and fully usable in the gi alongside—not as—collar chokes. Apply it as a blood choke, tap early, and never substitute a neck crank for correct alignment. For a foundational bottom position, see closed guard.
