Okay, so today I wanna talk about the rear naked choke, or RNC, in BJJ. It’s like, THE submission, right? I’ve been messing around with it for a while now, and I’ve got some stuff to share.
First off, I gotta say, getting the grip right is HUGE. I remember when I first started, I was all over the place. I’d try to slap it on any old way. Didn’t work. At all. I watched a ton of videos, and everyone was talking about the ‘blade’ of your forearm. So, I started focusing on that. I really concentrated on getting that blade right across their carotid artery. That made a world of difference.
So, the first thing I did was practice the grip itself. I would just sit around and practice locking my hands together, making sure my choking arm was nice and tight, and the other arm was secure, cupping behind their head. Sounds simple, but muscle memory is key, ya know?
Then I moved on to actually trying it on people. My training partner, bless his heart, was super patient with me. I’d get the back, slap on the body triangle (more on that later), and then try to sink the choke. I messed it up a bunch. I’d either be too high on the neck, or too low. Or I wouldn’t have the right angle. It was frustrating.
One thing that really helped was thinking about squeezing with my whole body, not just my arms. I started pulling with my lats, squeezing my knees together, and arching my back slightly. It’s like, you gotta generate power from everywhere. This made the choke way tighter, way faster. I really started to feel the difference when I focused on this!
The body triangle is also important. It’s not just about control; it’s about squeezing the air out of them. I started focusing on really digging that top leg in deep, and locking it tight. It’s uncomfortable, but it helps weaken them, which makes the choke easier to get.
Here’s a little tip I picked up: sometimes, people will defend by tucking their chin. When that happens, try to peel their chin up with your forearm. It’s a small adjustment, but it creates just enough space to get the choke in. It’s all about those little adjustments!
Something else I’ve noticed is that mindset matters. You can’t be hesitant. You gotta commit to the choke. If you’re half-assing it, they’ll feel it, and they’ll escape. I’ve learned to just go for it, even if I’m not 100% sure I have it. Sometimes, that confidence is enough to get the tap.
And lastly, tap early! Don’t be a hero. I’ve seen too many people get choked out trying to be tough. It’s not worth it. A tap is just a reset. You learn from it, and you come back stronger.
So, yeah, that’s my experience with the rear naked choke so far. It’s a work in progress, but I’m definitely getting better. Just gotta keep drilling, keep learning, and keep tapping people (and getting tapped!). It’s all part of the game.
- Practice the grip.
- Squeeze with your whole body.
- Use the body triangle.
- Peel the chin.
- Commit to the choke.
- Tap early!
Hope this helps some of you out there! Happy training!
