肩固め（亀から）(Kata Gatame — From Turtle)
TraditionalTranslation: Shoulder Hold / Arm-and-Head Choke — From Turtle
A flexion wrist lock involves forcing the hand downward toward the inner forearm (palmar flexion), applying pressure on the radiocarpal joint. Causes intense pain and injury risk.
An extension of classical kata gatame in Judo, adapted for turtle breakdowns in BJJ and Sambo. Popular in MMA as turtle is a common defensive posture.
Effective when the turtle position is broken down, as the collapsed posture naturally traps the arm and creates finishing angles; requires transitioning to side control or mount to complete. [1]
The arm triangle from turtle was developed to attack opponents in the defensive turtle position, common in BJJ when a pass is nearly completed. [1]
Turtle arm triangles are used in BJJ competition when the bottom player turtles to avoid giving up pass points. [1]
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I hope you really enjoy my techniques, if you have any questions, feel free to comment this video and I will try to answ…
Today my homie Eli Knight will be covering a few chokes from the turtle position. Enjoy :) If you enjoyed these techniq…
A deceptive way of attacking the head and arm choke. The trick is first stopping your opponent form scrambling up after …
The arm triangle choke from turtle position is executed by first establishing control of the opponent's head and hips to prevent escape or the Peterson roll, as emphasized by Steven Strangles People. From this dominant position, the attacker threads an arm under the opponent's armpit and across the neck, creating a channel that captures both the arm and neck together. McDojoLife's Eli Knight details multiple entry variations: entering by the neck and exiting by the armpit (anaconda setup), or entering by the armpit and exiting by the neck (Darce variation). Nicolas Renier stresses the importance of arm placement—the forearm must compress the neck rather than the armpit, and the attacker should delay closing until achieving proper positioning to avoid telegraphing the technique and allowing the opponent to open the trapped arm or transition to a guillotine. All three instructors agree on the fundamental mechanics: the attacking arm's hand clasps the bend of the elbow, the attacker's body drives forward to increase pressure, and the legs may be used to assist the squeeze. Steven Strangles People and Nicolas Renier emphasize the speed required to finish before the opponent escapes laterally, while McDojoLife provides detailed variations including bulldog headlock hybrids and Peruvian neck cranks that combine leg and arm pressure simultaneously.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
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Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
Direct vascular choke; defender’s compact turtle position can make it difficult to relieve pressure once collapsed.
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
A kata gatame variation against turtle where the choke is secured before rolling the defender over to complete the finish. The attacker threads to trap the arm across the neck, locks the head-and-arm, and then rolls the defender over a shoulder or hip, landing in side control or north–south to apply the choke with maximum shoulder pressure.
A kata gatame variation against turtle where the attacker collapses the defender sideways to finish the choke. After threading under the near arm and feeding it across the neck, the attacker drives shoulder and chest pressure, collapsing the turtle base to one side and finishing the choke from top side control.
A kata gatame variation where the attacker breaks down the turtle and transitions directly into mount while keeping the head-and-arm locked. The choke is set from turtle, and as the defender collapses, the attacker slides into mount, finishing with strong shoulder and chest pressure.
One of the most reliable submissions from turtle breakdown; often transitions directly into mount or side control finishes.
Get your chest toward the base of your opponent's shoulder so their head moves into your diaphragm, then cup your second hand and drive forward while getting up on the balls of your toes. According to Eli Knight, you want to cut back in throughout the squeeze to create a tight wedge.
Cup to the back of their bicep, pull back and drag to open the space, then shoot your arm all the way through under their armpit with the back of your hand against the back of their lat and shoulder. This entry allows you to transition into the arm triangle or anaconda choke.
Drive your elbow down to the floor and put your hand in the bend of your elbow, then squeeze and drive your hips forward into them. Nicolas Renier emphasizes closing your elbows and bringing the opponent's head to you while pushing with your body to make the choke tighter.
Find space to break your opponent's balance first, then connect your arm properly so your triceps and hips create the pressure rather than relying on hand strength. As Nicolas Renier explains, your palm should connect with your other palm to maximize the wedge effect.
A flexion wrist lock involves forcing the hand downward toward the inner forearm (palmar flexion), applying pressure on the radiocarpal joint. Causes intense pain and injury risk.
An extension of classical kata gatame in Judo, adapted for turtle breakdowns in BJJ and Sambo. Popular in MMA as turtle is a common defensive posture.
Danger: 9/10 | Direct vascular choke; defender’s compact turtle position can make it difficult to relieve pressure once collapsed.
The standard setup chain: Establish Position → Create the Threat → Secure the Hold → Finish.
Standard counters include: Early Recognition — identify the submission attempt early and begin defence immediately / Posture and Base — maintain strong posture and base to prevent submission setups / Grip Fight — deny the attacker their preferred gripping configuration.
Common variants: Standard turtle collapse; Rolling kata gatame from turtle; Turtle to mount kata gatame transition.
Turtle arm triangles are used in BJJ competition when the bottom player turtles to avoid giving up pass points.
Top errors to watch for: Not collapsing the turtle before squeezing / Letting trapped arm slide back under chest / Leaning too far forward and getting rolled / Trying to finish with arm power instead of chest/shoulder pressure.
The Arm Triangle Choke — From Turtle is also known as Kata Gatame — From Turtle, A head-and-arm choke variation applied against the turtle position. The attacker threads under or around the defender’s arm to force it across the neck, then drops the shoulder and chest beside the head to create carotid compression. The finish is achieved after collapsing the turtle, rolling the defender, or transitioning to mount or side control while maintaining the choke..
![[EN] HOW TO HAVE A STRONG ARM-TRIANGLE FROM THE TURTLE SITUATION](https://img.youtube.com/vi/f2Sm-KgO-jA/hqdefault.jpg)
