The Rear Naked Choke (RNC)
The rear naked choke is the single most common way elite grapplers end a fight — and, done correctly, one of the most reliable submissions in all of jiu-jitsu. It is also one of the most commonly butchered. Here is how the RNC actually works, the details that turn a “rear naked joke” into a finish, the mistakes that cost you the tap, and how to escape it — through the Rickson-Gracie-lineage lens of connection and leverage.
By the numbers: In our study of 3,209 finishes by 97 elite grapplers, the rear naked choke and choke-from-the-back complex were the No. 1 family of submissions — roughly a third of every recorded tap. See the full breakdown in the most common submissions in jiu-jitsu.
What is the rear naked choke?
The rear naked choke (RNC) is a blood choke applied from behind your opponent, with no grips on the clothing — hence “naked.” Your choking arm wraps around the neck so the crook of your elbow sits directly under the chin. But a proper RNC does not crush the windpipe; the finish comes from compressing the carotid arteries on either side of the neck, cutting blood flow to the brain and forcing a tap in seconds. The choking hand grips the biceps of your support arm, and that support hand slides behind the opponent's head. The choke finishes when you draw your elbows together and expand your chest — not by yanking with your arms.
▶ “Learn A Hidden Detail From The Rear Naked Choke” — Henry Akins (3rd-degree Rickson Gracie black belt) on Bernardo Faria's BJJ Fanatics channel.
The details that make it finish
Most failed RNCs fail for the same reasons. The tap lives in a handful of details:
- Own the back first. Secure the seatbelt grip and control the hips with hooks or a body triangle before you ever hunt the neck. No back control, no choke.
- Win the hand fight. Get your choking arm under the chin, not across the face. Peel or bait the hands defending the neck.
- Close every gap. The blade of your forearm sits centered on the throat; there should be no space for the chin to tuck into.
- Finish with the squeeze. Elbows together, chest expanding, head driving forward. As Henry Akins puts it, the power is in the connection of your whole torso — not the strength of your arms.
▶ “Rear Naked Choke: It's in the Squeeze” — Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu.
Common mistakes
- Choking the windpipe instead of the arteries. An air choke is slower, more painful, and easier to survive — the classic “rear naked joke.”
- Leaving space under the chin so your opponent can tuck and defend.
- Muscling with the arms instead of squeezing with the chest and back.
- Losing position — letting the shoulders or hips escape before the choke is locked.
How to defend and escape the rear naked choke
Because a locked RNC finishes fast, the escape is really about early defense: fight the choking arm before it closes, tuck your chin, protect the neck with two-on-one hand-fighting, and work to improve position before the squeeze arrives. Once it is fully locked, options shrink dramatically — which is exactly why elite grapplers hunt it.
▶ “Super Simple Standing Rear Naked Choke Escape” — Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu.
Frequently asked questions
Is the rear naked choke a blood choke or an air choke?
A blood choke. A correct RNC compresses the carotid arteries on the sides of the neck, not the windpipe. Choking the windpipe (an air choke) is slower and far easier to survive — and it is the most common mistake.
How do you finish a tight rear naked choke?
With the squeeze, not the arms: draw the elbows together, expand the chest, and drive the head forward. The power comes from the connection of the whole torso.
How do you escape a rear naked choke?
Defend early. Hand-fight the choking arm before it locks, tuck your chin, and improve your position. Once the choke is fully applied it finishes in seconds, so prevention is the real escape.
Why is the rear naked choke so common?
Because back control is the most dominant position in grappling, and the RNC is its natural finish. In our data study it is the No. 1 submission family in the sport.
See it on The BJJ Project
Our primary video source for the encyclopedia is The BJJ Project — the channel of Rickson-lineage black belt Chris “Bones” Burns, a friend of the show. Here is the rear naked choke, start to finish — and how to get out:
▶ “Rear Naked Choke (RNC) That Works Every Time” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Fix Your Rear Naked Choke” — The BJJ Project.
▶ “Escape a Rear Naked Choke” — The BJJ Project.
Learn from the source: the Rickson lineage
The details above come from the Rickson-Gracie school of “invisible jiu-jitsu” — connection, weight, and timing over force. Go even deeper with Chris “Bones” Burns' The BJJ Project and Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu, and hear the philosophy first-hand on our podcast with Rickson-lineage black belts Scott Burr and James Driskill.
Part of the BJJ Encyclopedia, a growing Rickson-lineage-led reference from The Jiu Jitsu Mindset. Videos are the property of their respective creators and are embedded from YouTube with credit — please subscribe to and support these instructors. Catch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.