Breakdown of how Cobrinha escaped Rafa Mendes’ anaconda chokes

[mataleaos]

 

[mataleaos]

@Mikey Triangles thought you might like this so bumping it

 

[leaf22]

Very nice. Lols was he throwing shade at Sri bolden there

 

[Rjay]

Solid stuff.

When the Bolden clip started

 

[mataleaos]

Solid stuff.

When the Bolden clip started

Same here. Here's the original for the lulz

 

[asian-glow]

I finish this choke a lot and I'm still not really sure how it works. I also encounter a lot of problems.

1. Anytime I do the walk in, expand my chest, maintain half guard and hip in, etc., I end up usually cranking the guys neck. Yes it increases the power, but it also increases the crank.

2. Furthermore, there seems to be an optimal arm length to neck+shoulder width ratio. On guys who are abnormally skinny, I have a hard time finishing the choke. My walk in gives a tap, but once again only because of the added crank.

3. On guys who are larger, I have a difficult time connecting hand to bicep. My understanding is that Rafa has unusually long arms and large hands for his weight class. There are certain body types that make even just getting to the proper hold very difficult.

This is exacerbated by my inability to slide the passive arm (non choking arm) towards the bicep RNC style. I have to straighten out the arm first to have a chance at even locking the choke up ; savvy players will try to straight armlock me. This can be mitigated with your legs but still - scary and annoying.

4. To circle back to #1, while hipping in or finishing from half guard is ideal, it is very easy for the opponent to circle away from you to avoid leg collection. I've had some success with sitting them up into turtle and bulldozing them to collect their leg or mount, but still annoying.

5. This choke just seems to require a lot of arm power. My arms have gassed many times trying this on good people.


I want so badly to figure out how to amplify the power of this choke, particularly with the rest of my body in a way that adds no crank. Rafa has done a lot to pioneer innovations with the choke, particularly using the top leg to kill the elbow peak out.

Could someone share some details regarding the finishing mechanics?

 

[mataleaos]

I finish this choke a lot and I'm still not really sure how it works. I also encounter a lot of problems.

Really good post here. My thoughts to your comments are in bold.

1. Anytime I do the walk in, expand my chest, maintain half guard and hip in, etc., I end up usually cranking the guys neck. Yes it increases the power, but it also increases the crank.

- I've found this is the case when their chest is facing the ceiling. When they are on their side it tends to be a cleaner choke and when they are facing the ceiling it's more of a crank. The only time this doesn't seem to be the case for me is if my grip is shallow and my forearm is against the side of their neck instead of my biceps, like you see here from Rafa Mendes on Claudio Calasans:


2. Furthermore, there seems to be an optimal arm length to neck+shoulder width ratio. On guys who are abnormally skinny, I have a hard time finishing the choke. My walk in gives a tap, but once again only because of the added crank.

- I find this also. Two of my best training partners have pencil necks but wide shoulders and I have a very difficult time finishing them with anaconda chokes.

3. On guys who are larger, I have a difficult time connecting hand to bicep. My understanding is that Rafa has unusually long arms and large hands for his weight class. There are certain body types that make even just getting to the proper hold very difficult.

- This is true. More so than any other style of arm triangle. Rafa has come right out and said that he thinks having long arms and large hands is a big aid in his strength with this choke. I only know a couple of good anaconda chokers outside of MMA, and Rafa is the main one.

This is exacerbated by my inability to slide the passive arm (non choking arm) towards the bicep RNC style. I have to straighten out the arm first to have a chance at even locking the choke up ; savvy players will try to straight armlock me. This can be mitigated with your legs but still - scary and annoying.

- Are you able to do the "bird motion" that Rafa likes? https://artofjiujitsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/019A3387.jpg If you don't like or can't do that then you can try using your top thigh to smash their arm down and hold it there. So don't take it off. Keep your legs triangles on their trapped arm as you deepen the lock. Make sense? Have you tried the shallow grip where you grip your forearm instead of your biceps? It can make it harder for them to open their trapped arm and create safe space between their shoulder and neck.

4. To circle back to #1, while hipping in or finishing from half guard is ideal, it is very easy for the opponent to circle away from you to avoid leg collection. I've had some success with sitting them up into turtle and bulldozing them to collect their leg or mount, but still annoying.

- Agreed. So their head is usually back-stopped by your chest, right? So when you walk in yes it presses their head down into the choke but that motion is uncomfortable and can prompt them to circle away. With a brabo for example, if you're on your side finishing like an anaconda then their head is under your armpit and so when you walk in it's not forcing their head down quite as hard. They're less likely to circle away quite as fast from the pressure.

5. This choke just seems to require a lot of arm power. My arms have gassed many times trying this on good people.

- Agreed.