肩固め（マウントから）(Kata Gatame — From Mount)
TraditionalTranslation: Shoulder Hold / Arm-and-Head Lock — From Mount
A classic arm triangle choke variation applied from the mounted position. The attacker isolates the opponent’s arm against the head, driving shoulder pressure into the neck while lowering chest weight. From mount, the attacker can angle the body and slide off to the side if needed to maximize choke pressure. This position offers strong control with both submission threat and positional dominance.
Derived from classical kata gatame in Judo, this variation is widely adopted in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA as a high-percentage submission from dominant mount.
The mounted arm triangle is one of the most high-percentage submissions in BJJ, using mount control to trap the arm and transition to side control for the finish. [1]
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The arm triangle choke from mount is executed by isolating one of the opponent's arms and positioning the attacker's head and arm across the neck to restrict blood flow. All three instructors—Absolute MMA St Kilda (Lachlan Giles), Roger Gracie TV, and Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu—agree that arm isolation is the critical first step, achieved either through an underhook or by placing the bicep under the opponent's elbow, then driving the arm upward by crawling fingers along the mat. They unanimously emphasize that the bite—the depth and tightness of the bicep against the neck—is paramount; a deep bite with no gap between forearm and bicep ensures pressure on the carotid artery, making muscular squeezing almost unnecessary. Positioning differences emerge in the transition: Lachlan Giles stresses keeping the elbow low and jammed into the neck, avoiding high hip positioning that loses pressure, and emphasizes blocking the shoulder blade from below to prevent rolling escape; Roger Gracie TV recommends a low mount for control, placing the arm on the shoulder rather than muscling it up, then transitioning carefully off the mount with both legs extended before achieving side control; Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu highlights bringing the elbow level with or above the shoulder during setup and recommends the gable grip over rear naked choke grip for pulling the choking arm deeper. All three stress that proper positioning and bite depth matter more than raw strength, and that finishing from mount is preferable when possible.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
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Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
Direct vascular choke; unconsciousness occurs quickly if maintained.
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Kodokan Judo — Official Katame-waza Classification (肩固め Kata-gatame)
Japanese terminology sourced from Kodokan Judo — Official Katame-waza Classification (肩固め Kata-gatame)
Official Kodokan ground technique classification system
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
Japanese terminology sourced from Kodokan Judo — Official Katame-waza Classification (肩固め Kata-gatame)
hip flexibility, long legs relative to torso
longer limbs for easier figure-four lock around head and arm
hip adductors, hamstrings, quadriceps
From mount, this choke forces the defender to choose between giving up the choke or exposing transitions such as back take or side control.
Your bicep should come across the chest with weight applied from bottom to top rather than face downward. Keep your shoulder lower than the chin so you can fall into the neck properly, and use body weight sprawling with your elbow low as the main mechanism of the choke, not arm squeeze. Lachlan Giles emphasizes keeping your hips low to maintain pressure on the neck.
Don't come too high with your hips or lift your elbow, as both cause you to lose pressure on the neck. If your opponent tucks their chin and you drop down from the face, you'll miss the neck entirely—instead position your shoulder lower than the chin to slide into proper position.
Put your hands together underneath the shoulder blade to prevent them from rolling further and turning to face away, which would make the choke impossible to complete.
The bite—where your arm creates pressure across the neck—is the most important aspect; with a good bite, you can even hit the choke with just one arm. You need to isolate one of their arms and bring their elbow as high as possible past their shoulder to set it up properly.
A classic arm triangle choke variation applied from the mounted position. The attacker isolates the opponent’s arm against the head, driving shoulder pressure into the neck while lowering chest weight.
Derived from classical kata gatame in Judo, this variation is widely adopted in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA as a high-percentage submission from dominant mount.
Danger: 9/10 | Direct vascular choke; unconsciousness occurs quickly if maintained.
The standard setup chain: Achieve Controlling Position → Isolate the Neck → Set the Grip → Apply Pressure.
Standard counters include: Tuck Chin — protect the neck by lowering the chin to prevent the choke from sinking / Two-on-One Grip Fight — use both hands to strip the choking grip before it locks / Turn Into — rotate toward the choking arm to relieve carotid pressure / Posture Up — straighten the spine and create distance to break the choking angle.
Common variants: Standard mount arm triangle; Mount to side control arm triangle; S-mount arm triangle; Transition to D’arce from failed arm triangle.
The mounted arm triangle is one of the most commonly finished submissions in both BJJ competition and MMA, used by fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Fabricio Werdum.
Top errors to watch for: Not sealing shoulder deep enough / Trying to finish with arm strength instead of chest pressure / Staying too square on mount without angling, leading to weak choke.
The Arm Triangle Choke — From Mount is also known as Kata Gatame — From Mount, Mounted Arm Triangle, Mount Kata Gatame, Head-and-Arm Choke from Mount.
