Rear Naked Choke from Turtle Position

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Rear Naked Choke from Turtle Position is a finishing attack built around a handful of repeatable controls. Top player has a caveman necktie on a turtled opponent and the bottom player initiates a sit-out, threatening to spin out and stand up. Another common starting shape: the attacker has just locked a crucifix on a turtled opponent with both arms trapped. The ideas that hold it together are convert failing front-headlock attacks into back exposure, the seatbelt is the fallback when hooks are slow to arrive, and legs hold the arm.

The rear naked choke chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Release the outside arm from the necktie as the opponent commits to the sit-out. Pivot off the inside knee to follow the spinning hips and secure a tight-waist grip. Swing the free arm over the top to lock a seatbelt as the opponent rotates underneath. Drive a strong cross-face on the arm switch so the elbow lines up for the rear-naked choke. Adjust hips back, fight both hooks in, and finish the strangle. Maintain the leg trap on the far arm throughout the choke setup. Slide the upper-body arm under the chin from the trapped-arm side. Lock the second hand and finish the strangle with the leg trap as the immobilizing anchor. Top player ends up chest-to-back with a seatbelt and is fighting hooks in for a rear-naked choke finish from back control.

Later in the rear naked choke, arms set the choke tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Holding the necktie too long and getting rolled past the back. Switching the arm without a cross-face so the choking arm is loose. Releasing the leg trap to set the choke, losing the arm advantage. The high-percentage version of rear naked choke from turtle position is the one you can still chain when the first squeeze is defended.

Key concepts

  • Convert failing front-headlock attacks into back exposure
  • The seatbelt is the fallback when hooks are slow to arrive
  • Legs hold the arm
  • Arms set the choke

Common mistakes

  • Holding the necktie too long and getting rolled past the back
  • Switching the arm without a cross-face so the choking arm is loose
  • Releasing the leg trap to set the choke, losing the arm advantage.