Necktie Lever

SubFamily

フロントヘッドロックチョーク(Furonto Heddorokku Chōku)

Transliteration

Translation: Front Headlock Choke (katakana loanword)

Overview

Necktie-lever chokes use a necktie grip (arm draped over the back of the opponent's neck) combined with a leg or body lever to apply choking pressure. ^[1] The Peruvian necktie is the primary technique: the attacker secures a front headlock, steps a leg over the opponent's back, and sits back, using the leg as a lever to drive the forearm into the throat. ^[2],[3]

Also known as

Necktie Choke^[1]Cravate Submission^[2]Necktie Lock^[3]

Used in

BJJ Judo Submission Grappling MMA Sambo

History & Origin

The Peruvian necktie was popularized by Tony DeSouza, a Peruvian-American MMA fighter and grappler, who demonstrated its effectiveness in competition in the 2000s. ^[1],[2] It represents the innovative combination of wrestling-style head control with BJJ submission finishing. ^[3]

Effectiveness

The necktie lever mechanic — using leg pressure across the back of the neck combined with head-and-arm control — creates one of the most powerful compression chokes in no-gi grappling ^[1]

Lineage

The lever concept underlying the Peruvian Necktie family; formalized by Tony DeSouza and subsequently analyzed by John Danaher in his front headlock instructional series ^[1]

Competition Record

The necktie lever principle has produced finishes across ADCC, no-gi worlds, and MMA at the highest levels since the mid-2000s ^[1]

Images

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Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Compression of the neck structures — restricts blood flow or airway depending on technique application

Joints Involved — Cervical spine, surrounding musculature, and vascular structures of the neck

Force Vector — Directed compression against the neck from the choking limb or body position

Finishing Mechanic — Sustained pressure causes either vascular occlusion (unconsciousness) or tracheal restriction (breathing difficulty)

Position & Entry

From back control with seatbelt — Establish hooks or body triangle, slide choking arm under the chin, connect hands and squeeze

From turtle top (back take) — Break down the turtle, insert hooks, secure seatbelt grip, slide to back control and apply the choke

From standing back clinch — Secure rear body lock, drag opponent to the mat while inserting hooks, transition to choking position

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Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Extreme9/10

Necktie chokes use leg pressure over the back combined with front headlock grip for extreme compression

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Advanced

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

Illegal

— FIAS Sport Sambo — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo

FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF

Legal

— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes a...

IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF

— shime-waza

IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF

— 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 RulesPDF

Training Notes

✓The necktie-lever subfamily organises front headlock chokes that add a structural lever (leg, shin, or shoulder) to a headlock grip — the lever amplifies the strangling force beyond what the arms alone can produce (Danaher, Front Headlock System: Go Further Faster, 2019)

✓The necktie-lever principle: the headlock grip provides the strangle, and the lever (placed over the back or against the neck) adds compressive force — a two-system attack

✓This subfamily primarily contains the Peruvian necktie and its variants: each uses the same headlock grip but varies the lever mechanism (shin across neck, leg over back, shoulder post)

✓The lever concept distinguishes this subfamily from arm-only chokes (guillotine, fulcrum) and arm-triangle chokes (anaconda, D'Arce) — the lever is an external force multiplier

✓The necktie lever creates a mechanical advantage: the lever arm (leg or shoulder) provides force that compounds with the arm's choking pressure — the total force exceeds either component alone

✓The subfamily represents an evolution in front headlock technique: adding leg involvement to arm chokes was a technical innovation that expanded the finishing options from front headlock

✓The necktie-lever approach is biomechanically sound: using the legs (the strongest limbs) to assist the arms (weaker limbs) follows the principle of leveraging the body's strongest muscle groups

Common Mistakes

!Applying the lever without a proper headlock grip — the grip is the foundation; the lever amplifies what's already there; a lever on a loose headlock doesn't create a submission

!Not understanding which lever to use — shin-across-neck provides the most direct force; leg-over-back provides weight; shoulder-post provides stability — match the lever to the situation

!Using only the lever without the arm strangle — the lever assists the choke; by itself, the lever is a control tool, not a submission

!Not training lever placement — the lever must contact the correct area (neck, upper back); imprecise placement reduces effectiveness

!Attempting necktie-lever techniques without front headlock proficiency — master the basic front headlock before adding levers

!Not transitioning between lever types — if one lever is defended, switch to another; the same grip supports multiple levers

!Neglecting the arm-only chokes from front headlock — the necktie lever is one tool; guillotines, D'Arces, and anacondas remain essential

Related Techniques

Escape — defensive technique to relieve choking pressure and recover position Tap (Submission Signal) — the safety mechanism indicating the technique is effective

Counter Techniques

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

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

Wikipedia ja (フロントチョーク); Japanese BJJ community

1WebsiteWikipedia Japanese

Japanese Wikipedia — martial arts technique articles

2OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention

Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities

3CitationWikipedia ja (フロントチョーク); Japanese BJJ community

Japanese terminology sourced from Wikipedia ja (フロントチョーク); Japanese BJJ community

Community

Athletics

Requires

grip or squeeze strength, positional control

Favours

strong upper body for sustained compression

Key muscles

forearms, biceps, pectorals, core stabilisers

Sub-techniques

Peruvian Necktie

Genus

The Peruvian necktie is a front headlock choke where the attacker wraps one arm around the opponent's neck, locks a grip, and throws a leg over the opponent's back to create downward leverage that tightens the strangle. [1,2] The leg draped across the back acts as a lever — the weight of the leg plus hip extension creates significantly more compression than arms alone can generate. [1,3] The technique is entered from a front headlock when the opponent is turtled or on all fours, and finished by sitting back while the leg drives the opponent's head downward. [1,4]

2 species·5 techniquesExplore

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Necktie Lever work?

Necktie-lever chokes use a necktie grip (arm draped over the back of the opponent's neck) combined with a leg or body lever to apply choking pressure. The Peruvian necktie is the primary technique: the attacker secures a front headlock, steps a leg over the opponent's back, and sits back, using the leg as a lever to drive the forearm into the throat.

Where does the Necktie Lever come from?

The Peruvian necktie was popularized by Tony DeSouza, a Peruvian-American MMA fighter and grappler, who demonstrated its effectiveness in competition in the 2000s. It represents the innovative combination of wrestling-style head control with BJJ submission finishing.

Is the Necktie Lever 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 Necktie Lever?

Danger rating 9/10. Necktie chokes use leg pressure over the back combined with front headlock grip for extreme compression

How do I set up the Necktie Lever?

The standard setup chain: Achieve Controlling Position → Isolate the Neck → Set the Grip → Apply Pressure.

How do I defend against the Necktie Lever?

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 Necktie Lever?

Common variants: Standard grip variation (primary hand configuration for maximum choking pressure); Gi variation (uses the lapel or collar as an anchor for additional fric…); No-gi variation (adapted grip and positioning for submission grappling wit…); Transition finish (applied during a positional change to catch the opponent …).

How effective is the Necktie Lever in competition?

The necktie lever principle has produced finishes across ADCC, no-gi worlds, and MMA at the highest levels since the mid-2000s

What are common mistakes when doing the Necktie Lever?

Top errors to watch for: Applying the lever without a proper headlock grip — the grip is the foundation; the lever amplifies what's already th… / Not understanding which lever to use — shin-across-neck provides the most direct force; leg-over-back provides weight… / Using only the lever without the arm strangle — the lever assists the choke; by itself, the lever is a control tool, … / Not training lever placement — the lever must contact the correct area (neck, upper back); imprecise placement reduce….

What are other names for the Necktie Lever?

The Necktie Lever is also known as Furonto Heddorokku Chōku, Necktie Choke, Cravate Submission, Necktie Lock.

furonto heddorokku ch ku submission choke and strangle lock front headlock choke necktie lever necktie choke cravate submission necktie lock