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What makes the rear naked choke so effective
The rear naked is probably the most iconic and effective submission in all of grappling.
Statistically it is the most common and most successful submission in MMA. In this article I want to dive Into the many details that make the rear naked choke so effective, from its simplicity to positioning and even some setups to probably the most simple yet effective choke in martial arts.
Simplicity and low risk
One of the main factors that makes the rear naked choke so effective is its simplicity. It is almost guaranteed that if you're reading this you've already seen a rear naked choke before or have had some other involvement with it. The rear naked choke is such a simple and almost natural technique to execute. The rear naked choke is so simple that most can learn it just by watching it alone.
The next factor is how low risk the rear naked choke is. Most submission techniques will put you in a bad position if the technique is not done properly or if the technique fails to finish your opponent.
For example if you go for a triangle or armbar when In full guard you put yourself at the risk of your guard being passed if the submission technique fails to finish your opponent or if it is done Improperly. Even worse, some submission techniques when countered put you at risk of being countered by another submission, such as using the von flue choke to counter the guillotine, or using an armbar to counter a kimura.
However the rear naked choke virtually eliminates the possibility of being countered by either an immediate escape or a submission if it is done incorrectly, or if it doesn't finish your opponent. And this is simply because of the positioning when the choke is applied. Speaking of positioning.
Positioning
Another factor that makes the rear naked so effective is the position that it is executed in. In order to secure a rear naked choke you must obtain a position called back control or a variation of it. In the world of grappling, back control is known for being one of the best positions to obtain, this is because it puts the dominant grappler behind they're opponent putting them in a position that is simultaneously the most offensively dominant and the safest position for the dominant grappler.
This is because the human body is simply not very accustomed to defending threats from behind. You'll notice this by the lack of any offensive techniques available to the nondominant grappler when stuck in back control. In other words the grappler stuck in back control has only one option, escape.
The non dominant grappler simply can not execute any submissions or maneuvers that immediately lead to a submission when they are trapped in back control. Their only option is to escape back control.
This makes back control a very dominant and safe position for a grappler to use and it can even be a guiding light when a grappler is lost in the heat of the moment.
Consistency
The next element of the rear naked choke is its consistency. The rear naked choke works effectively in every round of the fight and in every weight class.
For example certain submission techniques are considered to be more effective at the start of the fight when both combatants are less likely to be really sweaty. Sweat can add an extra element of slipperiness making it more likely for a combatant to slip out of a hold. However the rear naked choke has been successfully finished in many situations in many MMA fights. Another factor with the rear naked choke's consistency is how you can catch your opponent with it by surprise or slowly break them down to secure the choke hold.
One consistent example of fighters being caught by a rear naked choke by surprise is when one fighter is knocked down or stunned by a punch or a kick. And in an attempt to quickly recover one way or another their back is exposed and their opponent secures the choke. Here are some videos featuring examples of fighters being caught by rear naked chokes following a stun or a knockdown.
Now some examples of using the rear naked when your opponent is worn down are when khabib nurmagomedov choked out Conor McGregor and when Juliana Pena choked out Amanda nunes. In both fights the the choke hold wasn't even under the chin causing it to become more of a neck crank. However because the fighter being put in the choke was so worn down the choke was still able to secure a tap.
Variations
Now let's get into positional variations of back control that allow you to set up an effective rear naked choke. When it comes to the rear naked there aren’t very many variations of the choke itself or setups to other techniques off of the choke. For example the triangle choke is considered to be the swiss army knife of submissions, there are multiple variations of it like the mounted triangle inverted triangle or reverse triangle. It can be done from multiple positions like full guard or mount. Now another thing to factor in is that the triangle from full guard allows you to set up a multitude of other follow up techniques such as an armbar, an omoplata or even some other alternative arm locks. But the rear naked choke only really has two variations, a choke and a neck crank, and it can only be set up when you are behind your opponent.
However despite these limitations there are different positional variations of back control that help greatly complement the rear naked choke and make it much likely to finish.
The first variation is using your leg to capture an opponent's arm. When you have your opponent in back control they're primary defense to the rear naked choke is their arms. When stuck in back control it is very vital that you immediately start fighting your opponents hands to prevent them choking you. However with that being said the arms are virtually the only defense available when defending chokes in back control. So why not just remove one from the equation.
In the video featured below made by youtube channel conceptual grappling the video goes over a back attack sequence done by paddy Pimblett which ends with paddy choking out his opponent with a rear naked choke while one of his opponents arms is captured by his leg.
Paddy Pimblett's Back Attack Sequence
Now another positional variation of back control is a position called the back pack. This is simply when one fighter obtains the position of back control while the other fighter stuck in back control is still standing causing the dominant fighter to become sort of a human backpack.
Now what makes the backpack position tricky is the crossroads it forces the fighter stuck in the position to meet. When someone is stuck in the backpack position they are suddenly forced to carry all of the opponent's weight. This forces the trapped fighter to either stay standing and try to escape while simultaneously carrying all of their opponents weight. Or they can simply drop to the floor with their opponent still on their back, where things aren't much better. A third option is that they can do what is called a quad pod in wrestling meaning only their hands and feet are touching the mat all at the sametime, putting them on all fours. From there they can try to shake off their opponent.
However the quad pod occupies the users hands by touching the ground meaning they cant be used to defend against chokes. This is why the backpack position can be a very effective variation of back control because it forces your opponent to carry all of your weight draining their energy, and the other options your opponent has don't lead to much better positions.
Now the third positional variation is the standing rear naked choke. This is when the fighter executing the choke is in a standing position with both feet on the ground. While the positioning is much less secure than back control this variation really goes to show the effectiveness of the rear naked choke and how the human body is so poorly accustomed at defending threats from behind. The standing rear naked choke isn't much of a technical move however the standing rear naked choke puts you in a position where your opponent has little options to offensively counter you. Just like traditional back control, the standing rear naked makes it so your opponent's only option is to escape. And while it is much easier for them to escape because of the lack of control, you are still in position to attack even if your opponent escapes your standing rear naked. Such as attacking them as they turn around
Now with all that being said here is a video featuring rear naked chokes, both from the backpack position and from standing.
So what do you think of this article? Was there anything that I missed, should I make a part 2 on the rear naked choke. Or what other kinds of breakdowns and articles do you want to see from me? Be sure to let me know!
The rear naked is probably the most iconic and effective submission in all of grappling.
Statistically it is the most common and most successful submission in MMA. In this article I want to dive Into the many details that make the rear naked choke so effective, from its simplicity to positioning and even some setups to probably the most simple yet effective choke in martial arts.
Simplicity and low risk
One of the main factors that makes the rear naked choke so effective is its simplicity. It is almost guaranteed that if you're reading this you've already seen a rear naked choke before or have had some other involvement with it. The rear naked choke is such a simple and almost natural technique to execute. The rear naked choke is so simple that most can learn it just by watching it alone.
The next factor is how low risk the rear naked choke is. Most submission techniques will put you in a bad position if the technique is not done properly or if the technique fails to finish your opponent.
For example if you go for a triangle or armbar when In full guard you put yourself at the risk of your guard being passed if the submission technique fails to finish your opponent or if it is done Improperly. Even worse, some submission techniques when countered put you at risk of being countered by another submission, such as using the von flue choke to counter the guillotine, or using an armbar to counter a kimura.
However the rear naked choke virtually eliminates the possibility of being countered by either an immediate escape or a submission if it is done incorrectly, or if it doesn't finish your opponent. And this is simply because of the positioning when the choke is applied. Speaking of positioning.
Positioning
Another factor that makes the rear naked so effective is the position that it is executed in. In order to secure a rear naked choke you must obtain a position called back control or a variation of it. In the world of grappling, back control is known for being one of the best positions to obtain, this is because it puts the dominant grappler behind they're opponent putting them in a position that is simultaneously the most offensively dominant and the safest position for the dominant grappler.
This is because the human body is simply not very accustomed to defending threats from behind. You'll notice this by the lack of any offensive techniques available to the nondominant grappler when stuck in back control. In other words the grappler stuck in back control has only one option, escape.
The non dominant grappler simply can not execute any submissions or maneuvers that immediately lead to a submission when they are trapped in back control. Their only option is to escape back control.
This makes back control a very dominant and safe position for a grappler to use and it can even be a guiding light when a grappler is lost in the heat of the moment.
Consistency
The next element of the rear naked choke is its consistency. The rear naked choke works effectively in every round of the fight and in every weight class.
For example certain submission techniques are considered to be more effective at the start of the fight when both combatants are less likely to be really sweaty. Sweat can add an extra element of slipperiness making it more likely for a combatant to slip out of a hold. However the rear naked choke has been successfully finished in many situations in many MMA fights. Another factor with the rear naked choke's consistency is how you can catch your opponent with it by surprise or slowly break them down to secure the choke hold.
One consistent example of fighters being caught by a rear naked choke by surprise is when one fighter is knocked down or stunned by a punch or a kick. And in an attempt to quickly recover one way or another their back is exposed and their opponent secures the choke. Here are some videos featuring examples of fighters being caught by rear naked chokes following a stun or a knockdown.
Now some examples of using the rear naked when your opponent is worn down are when khabib nurmagomedov choked out Conor McGregor and when Juliana Pena choked out Amanda nunes. In both fights the the choke hold wasn't even under the chin causing it to become more of a neck crank. However because the fighter being put in the choke was so worn down the choke was still able to secure a tap.
Variations
Now let's get into positional variations of back control that allow you to set up an effective rear naked choke. When it comes to the rear naked there aren’t very many variations of the choke itself or setups to other techniques off of the choke. For example the triangle choke is considered to be the swiss army knife of submissions, there are multiple variations of it like the mounted triangle inverted triangle or reverse triangle. It can be done from multiple positions like full guard or mount. Now another thing to factor in is that the triangle from full guard allows you to set up a multitude of other follow up techniques such as an armbar, an omoplata or even some other alternative arm locks. But the rear naked choke only really has two variations, a choke and a neck crank, and it can only be set up when you are behind your opponent.
However despite these limitations there are different positional variations of back control that help greatly complement the rear naked choke and make it much likely to finish.
The first variation is using your leg to capture an opponent's arm. When you have your opponent in back control they're primary defense to the rear naked choke is their arms. When stuck in back control it is very vital that you immediately start fighting your opponents hands to prevent them choking you. However with that being said the arms are virtually the only defense available when defending chokes in back control. So why not just remove one from the equation.
In the video featured below made by youtube channel conceptual grappling the video goes over a back attack sequence done by paddy Pimblett which ends with paddy choking out his opponent with a rear naked choke while one of his opponents arms is captured by his leg.
Paddy Pimblett's Back Attack Sequence
Now another positional variation of back control is a position called the back pack. This is simply when one fighter obtains the position of back control while the other fighter stuck in back control is still standing causing the dominant fighter to become sort of a human backpack.
Now what makes the backpack position tricky is the crossroads it forces the fighter stuck in the position to meet. When someone is stuck in the backpack position they are suddenly forced to carry all of the opponent's weight. This forces the trapped fighter to either stay standing and try to escape while simultaneously carrying all of their opponents weight. Or they can simply drop to the floor with their opponent still on their back, where things aren't much better. A third option is that they can do what is called a quad pod in wrestling meaning only their hands and feet are touching the mat all at the sametime, putting them on all fours. From there they can try to shake off their opponent.
However the quad pod occupies the users hands by touching the ground meaning they cant be used to defend against chokes. This is why the backpack position can be a very effective variation of back control because it forces your opponent to carry all of your weight draining their energy, and the other options your opponent has don't lead to much better positions.
Now the third positional variation is the standing rear naked choke. This is when the fighter executing the choke is in a standing position with both feet on the ground. While the positioning is much less secure than back control this variation really goes to show the effectiveness of the rear naked choke and how the human body is so poorly accustomed at defending threats from behind. The standing rear naked choke isn't much of a technical move however the standing rear naked choke puts you in a position where your opponent has little options to offensively counter you. Just like traditional back control, the standing rear naked makes it so your opponent's only option is to escape. And while it is much easier for them to escape because of the lack of control, you are still in position to attack even if your opponent escapes your standing rear naked. Such as attacking them as they turn around
Now with all that being said here is a video featuring rear naked chokes, both from the backpack position and from standing.
So what do you think of this article? Was there anything that I missed, should I make a part 2 on the rear naked choke. Or what other kinds of breakdowns and articles do you want to see from me? Be sure to let me know!
