BJJ Chokes - How To Do The Anaconda Choke & The Darce Choke
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Anaconda Choke·Knight Jiu-Jitsu
This video will show how to apply two of the most valuable and popular chokes from BJJ: The Anaconda Choke and The Darce…
Anaconda Choke
Genusアナコンダチョーク(Anakonda Chōku)
TransliterationTranslation: Anaconda Choke (katakana loanword)
Overview
The anaconda choke is a front headlock arm triangle where the attacker threads one arm around the opponent's neck, under the far armpit, and locks a figure-four grip to create bilateral carotid compression. [1],[2] The finishing mechanic involves a gator roll — the attacker rolls to the trapping-arm side, which tightens the squeeze as body rotation cinches the figure-four configuration. [1],[3] The anaconda is the mirror of the D'Arce: here the arm goes around the neck first and under the armpit second. [1],[4] It is commonly entered from front headlock when the opponent is turtled or shoots for a takedown. [1],[5]
History & Origin
The anaconda choke was popularized by Milton Vieira and other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the early 2000s. [1],[2] The gator roll finishing mechanic was adapted from wrestling's barrel roll and similar rotational techniques. [1],[3] The technique gained widespread visibility through MMA, where fighters used it to finish opponents from the front headlock sprawl position. [1],[4],[5]
Effectiveness
The anaconda is one of the most reliable arm-triangle strangles — the over-neck-under-arm threading creates consistent bilateral compression using the opponent's shoulder. High finishing rate with gator roll or hip walk. [1]
Lineage
Named for the constricting snake. Popularised by Milton Vieira in BJJ competition. The threading principle exists in catch wrestling arm-in headlocks and was systematised by Danaher's front headlock system. [1]
Competition Record
A top-tier front headlock submission at ADCC, no-gi worlds, and professional MMA. Milton Vieira, Rafael Mendes, and others have finished world-class opponents with the anaconda. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Bilateral compression of the carotid arteries — restricts blood flow to the brain, causing unconsciousness within seconds
Joints Involved — Cervical spine (lateral flexion), glenohumeral joint of the trapped arm (if arm-in), nuchal region
Force Vector — Lateral squeeze creates inward pressure on both sides of the neck simultaneously
Choking Mechanism — Vascular strangle — occludes carotid arteries and jugular veins, distinct from airway (tracheal) chokes
Position & Entry
From top half guard — Thread the arm under opponent's far arm and around the neck, lock the figure-four behind their shoulder, sprawl and squeeze
From side control — Opponent turns in, thread the arm under their armpit and around the neck, connect hands and apply pressure
From front headlock — Snap-down creates access, thread arm under the far armpit, circle to the choking side and lock
Videos
How To Do An Anaconda Choke Without Neck Cranking
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Anaconda Choke·Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu
Welcome to my channel! Short, clear, and concise BJJ techniques that include footage of the technique every time. Like…
Marcelo Garcia - Anaconda Choke With 3 Variations
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Anaconda Choke·MGInActionVideos
Like Our Videos or Subscribe to Our Channel to See New Demonstrations and Techniques. 3 Part Technique — Marcelo Garcia…
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The anaconda choke is a front-headlock submission that enters via the neck and exits the armpit, executed from turtle or front-headlock positions. All three instructors emphasize precise elbow positioning as fundamental: the attacking arm's forearm must contact the soft tissue of the neck (where blood flow to the brain occurs) rather than hard muscle, requiring the elbow to remain completely in-line with the opponent's neck to avoid ineffective shoulder pressure. Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu stresses using a gable grip before rolling, tucking the head, and planting the foot to generate squeeze pressure while protecting against elbow-flaring defenses by transitioning to leg elevation. MGInActionVideos (Marcelo Garcia) demonstrates extensive hand-depth management, advising the top hand go as deep as possible on the shoulder while the bottom hand reaches for the opponent's arm before rotating; he details hip control during the roll to prevent escape and offers variations including alternative arm positioning when opponent arms resist closure. Knight Jiu-Jitsu provides turtle-position setup details and emphasizes using a gable grip squeeze to close arm-to-neck spacing before locking the bicep grip, plus the critical cue of looking underneath the opponent before rolling to avoid pulling them atop the attacker's face. All instructors agree on gable-grip setup, elbow alignment, and rotational mechanics, though Garcia provides the most technical variation detail regarding hand positioning and defensive counters.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu — How To Do An Anaconda Choke Without Neck Cranking: Core technical fundamentals: elbow-in-line positioning for soft-tissue contact, gable-grip setup before rolling, head-tucking mechanics, foot-planting for squeeze pressure, and leg-elevation defense against elbow-flaring.
- MGInActionVideos — Marcelo Garcia - Anaconda Choke With 3 Variations: Advanced hand-depth management (top hand deepest on shoulder, bottom hand reaching for arm contact), hip-control during rotation, defensive adaptation strategies when opponent resists arm closure, and multiple grip variations.
- Knight Jiu-Jitsu — BJJ Chokes - How To Do The Anaconda Choke & The Darce Choke: Turtle-position context and setup, gable-grip squeeze to reduce arm-to-neck spacing before bicep-lock transition, underneath-look cue before rolling to prevent positional reversal, and comparative structure with darce choke variation.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
9
Extreme9/10
Anaconda/gator-roll chokes use a rolling motion to tighten the arm-in head-and-arm strangle
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Advanced
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
— FIAS Sport Sambo — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes a...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — choke submissions are among the mos...
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The anaconda choke is a genus of arm-triangle strangles that thread the arm over the opponent's neck and under the far arm — the opponent's shoulder is trapped inside the loop and driven into the carotid artery (Danaher, Front Headlock System: Go Further Faster, 2019)
✓The anaconda threading direction: over the neck, under the arm — this is the opposite of the D'Arce (which threads under the neck, over the arm) — both create arm triangles but from different angles
✓Named for the constricting snake: like the anaconda that tightens with each coil, the gator roll finish progressively cinches the arm loop with each rotation
✓The genus includes species from multiple entry positions: front headlock, sprawl, and turtle — each sharing the over-neck-under-arm threading principle
✓The anaconda's choking mechanism: the attacker's arm compresses one carotid while the opponent's own shoulder (trapped inside the loop) compresses the other — bilateral occlusion using the opponent's body
✓The anaconda was popularised by Milton Vieira in BJJ competition and has become a staple of the front headlock submission system
✓The anaconda is mechanically related to the arm triangle from mount/side control: both use the opponent's shoulder as a compression surface — the anaconda applies this from a front-headlock angle
Common Mistakes
!Confusing the anaconda threading with the D'Arce threading — anaconda goes over-neck-under-arm; D'Arce goes under-neck-over-arm; wrong threading creates the wrong technique
!Not threading deep enough — the arm must pass far enough to connect the hands; shallow threading cannot be finished
!Trapping the near arm instead of the far arm — the far arm's shoulder creates the correct compression angle
!Not choosing between gator roll and hip walk — both are valid finishes; pick one and commit
!Squeezing with arms only — the anaconda finishes through body movement (roll or walk), not arm strength
!Attempting without head control — the head must be trapped before threading; an uncontrolled head escapes during the thread
!Holding the anaconda position without finishing — the position is transitional; finish quickly or the opponent adjusts their arm position to escape
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Tuck Chin — protect the neck by lowering the chin to prevent the choke from sinkingTwo-on-One Grip Fight — use both hands to strip the choking grip before it locksTurn Into — rotate toward the choking arm to relieve carotid pressurePosture Up — straighten the spine and create distance to break the choking angle
Setup Chain
1Achieve Controlling Position — secure the position from which the choke is applied
2Isolate the Neck — clear defending hands and establish access to the throat
3Set the Grip — lock the choking configuration (arm, lapel, or leg placement)
4Apply Pressure — squeeze to compress the carotid arteries for the finish
Sources & References
Primary Source
Tri-force BJJ Academy (triforce-bjj.com); Tri-force Shiki BJJ (tfshiki-bjj.com); Aoki Shinya (note.com/a_ok_i)
Japan's largest BJJ academy chain — Japanese technique terminology
Japanese BJJ technique naming conventions article (2019)
Top Japanese MMA fighter — BJJ technique terminology
4OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
5CitationTri-force BJJ Academy (triforce-bjj.com); Tri-force Shiki BJJ (tfshiki-bjj.com); Aoki Shinya (note.com/a_ok_i)
Japanese terminology sourced from Tri-force BJJ Academy (triforce-bjj.com); Tri-force Shiki BJJ (tfshiki-bjj.com); Aoki Shinya (note.com/a_ok_i)
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
Sub-techniques
Anaconda Choke From Front Headlock
SpeciesThe anaconda choke from front headlock is applied by threading the attacking arm under the opponent's far-side arm and across the near side of the neck, then locking a figure-four grip and performing a gator roll to tighten the strangle. [1,2] From the front headlock, the attacker reaches across to encircle both the head and one arm, creating the arm-in compression structure. [1] The gator roll — a lateral rolling motion — is used to flatten the opponent and eliminate their base, pulling the choke tight as the bodies rotate. [1,2]
3 varieties·3 techniquesExplore
Anaconda Choke From Sprawl
SpeciesThe anaconda choke from sprawl is initiated after the attacker sprawls to defend a takedown, trapping the opponent's head and threading the choking arm under the far-side arm and across the neck. [1,2] The sprawl creates the downward pressure and head-trapping angle that facilitate the arm thread, and the attacker transitions from the sprawled position into the gator roll to finish the strangle. [1] The sprawl-to-anaconda sequence is a natural counter-wrestling chain that punishes failed takedown attempts. [1,2]
1 varieties·1 techniquesExplore
Anaconda Choke From Turtle
SpeciesThe anaconda choke from turtle targets an opponent in the turtle position by the attacker threading the choking arm around the neck and under the far-side arm from a front-facing or side-facing angle, then locking the figure-four and executing a gator roll. [1,2] The turtle position exposes the head for the neck-wrap and arms for the arm thread, and the gator roll dismantles the opponent's base by rolling them onto their back or side. [1] The attacker ends in a controlling position with the choke locked, using chest pressure and the roll's momentum to complete the submission. [1,2]
1 varieties·1 techniquesExplore
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I position my arms correctly for the anaconda choke?
You need one arm between the opponent's shoulder and neck, with that arm able to grab your bicep. According to Knight Jiu-Jitsu, if the space is too tight, you need to close it up to secure the grip properly.
What's the key to avoiding neck cranks with the anaconda choke?
Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu emphasizes that your elbow position is critical—you must be completely in line with the neck with no weird angles. Use a gable grip, shoot your arm across the body, tuck your head, and roll through for an effective choke without cranking.
How do I finish the anaconda choke if my opponent defends by flaring their elbow?
If your opponent flares their elbow to defend, bring your legs up and then down to complete the choke, as explained by Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu.
What should I do with my hips during the anaconda choke finish?
Marcelo Garcia teaches that you should rotate your hips to move them toward the opponent's head, rather than staying underneath—this rotation helps tighten the choke and improves control.
How does the Anaconda Choke work?
The anaconda choke is a front headlock arm triangle where the attacker threads one arm around the opponent's neck, under the far armpit, and locks a figure-four grip to create bilateral carotid compression. The finishing mechanic involves a gator roll — the attacker rolls to the trapping-arm side, which tightens the squeeze as body rotation cinches the figure-four configuration.
Where does the Anaconda Choke come from?
The anaconda choke was popularized by Milton Vieira and other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the early 2000s. The gator roll finishing mechanic was adapted from wrestling's barrel roll and similar rotational techniques.
Is the Anaconda Choke legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes are the safest submission cat…; IJF: legal — Legal (shime-waza) — strangulation techniques are one of three permitted subm…; ADCC: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — choke submissions are among the most common finishes in MMA; FIAS Sport Sambo: banned — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Anaconda Choke?
Danger rating 9/10. Anaconda/gator-roll chokes use a rolling motion to tighten the arm-in head-and-arm strangle
How do I set up the Anaconda Choke?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Controlling Position → Isolate the Neck → Set the Grip → Apply Pressure.
How do I defend against the Anaconda Choke?
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.
What are the variants of the Anaconda Choke?
Common variants: Standard triangle (classic figure-four leg lock around the head and one arm …); Reverse triangle (legs locked from behind or inverted angle for different a…); Mounted triangle (applied from mount position with gravity assisting the sq…); No-arm triangle (both arms excluded, legs-only compression on the neck).
How effective is the Anaconda Choke in competition?
A top-tier front headlock submission at ADCC, no-gi worlds, and professional MMA. Milton Vieira, Rafael Mendes, and others have finished world-class opponents with the anaconda.
What are common mistakes when doing the Anaconda Choke?
Top errors to watch for: Confusing the anaconda threading with the D'Arce threading — anaconda goes over-neck-under-arm; D'Arce goes under-nec… / Not threading deep enough — the arm must pass far enough to connect the hands; shallow threading cannot be finished / Trapping the near arm instead of the far arm — the far arm's shoulder creates the correct compression angle / Not choosing between gator roll and hip walk — both are valid finishes; pick one and commit.
What are other names for the Anaconda Choke?
The Anaconda Choke is also known as Anakonda Chōku, Anaconda, Arm-Triangle Front Headlock, Gator Choke.