D'Arce Choke from Front Headlock

D'Arce Choke from Front Headlock is a finishing attack built around a handful of repeatable controls. Top player attempts a caveman necktie and the opponent shrugs the shoulder so tightly that the arm is pinned next to his own head. Another common starting shape: defender is bent over with an opponent attacking from a front headlock who is trying to feed the far arm under the armpit for a darce. The ideas that hold it together are shoulder under armpit is the unlock for any darce-family strangle, the defensive arm position dictates which strangle is available, and underhook before posture.

The d'arce choke chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Use the shrugged arm beside the head as the natural threading line for the choking arm. Lock a figure-four with the strangle arm wrist blade across the far carotid. Drop the strangle-side shoulder under the opponent's armpit to deepen the bite. If the opponent resists, drop the tricep on the head and roll over to finish flat. Pummel the choke-side arm inside as soon as the opponent reaches under. Drive the underhooked shoulder up into the opponent's armpit. Step the same-side foot forward to load weight off the head. Use the underhook to walk into the opponent and stand up. Top player has dropped the shoulder under the opponent's armpit, locked a figure-four with the wrist blade across the neck, and finished a darce-style strangle either from turtle or after rolling the opponent flat.

Later in the d'arce choke, inside position wins the choke battle tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Trying to squeeze the darce without first sinking the shoulder under the armpit. Leaving the wrist high so the bicep instead of the wrist blade is on the neck. Letting the choke-side arm stay outside the opponent's reaching arm. Trying to stand up before the underhook is secured. The high-percentage version of d'arce choke from front headlock is the one you can still chain when the first squeeze is defended.