Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish

Variety

肩固め（横四方から(Kata Gatame — From Yoko-Shiho / Side Control)

Traditional

Translation: Shoulder Hold / Arm-and-Head Choke — From Side Control

Overview

A side-control kata gatame finished with a full or partial sprawl. The attacker drives shoulder and chest pressure beside the defender’s head while sprawling the legs back to load weight through the ribcage and neck. The sprawl removes the defender’s bridge power and tightens carotid compression with minimal arm effort.

Also known as

Side Control Arm Triangle — SprawlWrestling^[1]Side Kata Gatame — SprawlJP^[2]Head-and-Arm — Side, SprawlWrestling^[3]

Used in

BJJ Judo Sambo Submission Grappling MMA

History & Origin

Classical kata gatame finishing angle taught in Judo; widely adopted in BJJ/MMA for its high control-to-finish ratio. Common Mistakes Arriving too high over the head
Allowing elbow to slip back across chest
Squeezing with arms only
Not turning the head/shoulders to close space

Effectiveness

The sprawl finish is the highest-percentage completion method for the arm triangle, as extending the hips away from the opponent tightens the choking arc and eliminates bridging escapes. ^[1],[2]

Lineage

The sprawl finish drives the hips forward to compress the arm triangle, a variation popularised in MMA where the sprawl position is natural. ^[1]

Competition Record

The sprawl finish arm triangle is commonly used in UFC competition by fighters with wrestling backgrounds. ^[1]

Images

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Biomechanical Mechanism

Action — Shoulder/chest compression with defender’s arm as wedge

Joints Affected — Neck (carotid arteries); shoulder (secondary)

Forces — Downward shoulder pressure, lateral chest squeeze, hip sprawl to anchor weight

Position & Entry

From side control, thread under the far arm and push it across the face; drop head low next to the trapped arm, lock gable or palm-to-bicep, then sprawl hips and “look away” while walking hips slightly toward the head to seal the choke.

Variants

Variants Full sprawl finish (direct neck / over-the-arm thread)

Half-sprawl with hip walk

Walk-around to north-south for tighter angle

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Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Extreme9/10

Direct vascular choke; fast once shoulder depth is set.

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Advanced

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

IBJJFIJFFIAS Sport SamboUnified MMAADCC

Training Notes

✓Head deep first, then sprawl—don’t loosen your lock during movement. Keep ear-to-mat by the trapped arm, block far hip with your knee/hand, and finish with chest/shoulder pressure, not arms alone.

Common Mistakes

!Not dropping head low enough

!Allowing opponent’s elbow to slip free

!Trying to finish flat instead of angling chest

!Squeezing with arms only instead of chest/shoulder

Related Techniques

Arm Triangle from MountMount-to-Side Arm Triangle TransitionNorth-South Arm TriangleD’Arce Choke (if arm slips)

Counter Techniques

Straighten the Arm — extend the arm to break the figure-four grip angle Roll Toward — roll in the direction of the lock to relieve rotational pressure Grip the Belt/Shorts — anchor the hand to prevent the arm from being isolated

Setup Chain

1Control Position — maintain dominant position with weight on the opponent

2Isolate the Arm — secure the wrist and thread the arm through for the figure-four

3Lock the Figure-Four — grip own wrist behind the opponent's arm for leverage

4Apply Rotation — rotate the arm to attack the shoulder joint

Sources & References

Primary Source

Kodokan Judo — Official Katame-waza Classification (肩固め Kata-gatame)

1BookKodokan 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)

2SyllabusKodokan Judo — Official Katame-waza Classification

Official Kodokan ground technique classification system

3OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)

Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)

4CitationKodokan 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)

Community

Athletics

Requires

hip flexibility, long legs relative to torso

Favours

longer limbs for easier figure-four lock around head and arm

Key muscles

hip adductors, hamstrings, quadriceps

Notes

Side control angle often provides the tightest finish for Kata Gatame; many athletes set choke from mount then dismount to side for completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish work?

Where does the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish come from?

Classical kata gatame finishing angle taught in Judo; widely adopted in BJJ/MMA for its high control-to-finish ratio.

How dangerous is the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

Danger: 9/10 | Direct vascular choke; fast once shoulder depth is set.

How do I set up the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

The standard setup chain: Control Position → Isolate the Arm → Lock the Figure-Four → Apply Rotation.

How do I defend against the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

Standard counters include: Straighten the Arm — extend the arm to break the figure-four grip angle / Roll Toward — roll in the direction of the lock to relieve rotational pressure / Grip the Belt/Shorts — anchor the hand to prevent the arm from being isolated.

What are the variants of the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

Common variants: Variants Full sprawl finish (direct neck / over-the-arm thread); Half-sprawl with hip walk; Walk-around to north-south for tighter angle.

How effective is the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish in competition?

The sprawl finish arm triangle is commonly used in UFC competition by fighters with wrestling backgrounds.

What are common mistakes when doing the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

Top errors to watch for: Not dropping head low enough / Allowing opponent’s elbow to slip free / Trying to finish flat instead of angling chest / Squeezing with arms only instead of chest/shoulder.

What are other names for the Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish?

The Arm Triangle Choke — From Side Control — Sprawl Finish is also known as Kata Gatame — From Yoko-Shiho / Side Control, Side Control Arm Triangle — Sprawl, Side Kata Gatame — Sprawl, Head-and-Arm — Side, Sprawl.

side control kata gatame sprawl arm triangle side sprawl head-and-arm choke side control BJJ Judo Sambo MMA