Category: Choke

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How To Do a D’Arce Choke in BJJ

The D’Arce choke or inverted arm triangle choke is named after American grappler Joe Darce, who made the choke famous in the early 2000’s thanks to its brutal and efficient effectiveness. 

The D’Arce choke, which like the arm triangle involves a figure four of your arms around your opponent’s neck and one of their arms, is a great submission from a common position in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The D’Arce choke is a great addition to any BJJ practitioner’s arsenal since it is simple and effective and is a great answer to a takedown attempt. Even if you are unable to finish the D’Arce choke, the position allows you to stop your opponent’s takedown, allows you to pour your weight onto them and force them to turtle, and threatens them enough that they may hesitate or even decide not to attempt a takedown. 

Not just limited to a single position, the D’Arce choke is effective from half-guard top, side control, mount, turtle, or even knee-on-belly. It is a truly utilitarian submission.

Here is great teacher Stephan Kesting’s guide to landing the D’Arce choke submission from half guard top.

Start: Half guard top

Step 1: Get whizzer overhook on far-side arm

Step 2: Reach arm with whizzer overhook through until hand reaches past opponent’s neck

Step 3: Hold behind opponent’s head with both hands and clinch their head forward and in towards you

Step 4: Keeping opponent’s head clinched, figure four arms and reach near-side hand towards far-side shoulder

Step 5: Drive weight forward towards opponent

Finish: Submission by D’Arce Choke

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How To Get a BJJ Blue Belt – The Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt Requirements

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), getting a blue belt is one of the first major milestone accomplishments in your grappling career. It’s a sign that you have really learned BJJ to the point that you’re not a beginner anymore. Of course, your road is still very long, but it is a great accomplishment and one that most white belts are focused on in their grappling training.

A major problem for white belts is a lack of information on what you need to know to get your blue belt. Luckily, Gracie University Jiu Jitsu has published the basic requirements needed to be eligible for a BJJ Blue Belt in their system. This isn’t a checklist that guarantees you a blue belt (if you’re that desperate, you can always just buy a blue belt but that’s not really the point) but it is a list of the basic knowledge expectations for someone looking to get a BJJ blue belt.

Mount Techniques

There are four sections to the Gracie BJJ Blue Belt test: Mount Techniques, Guard Techniques, Side Mount Techniques, and Standing Techniques.

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How To Do A Triangle Choke From Guard

how to do a bjj triangle choke from guard

The triangle choke is an essential and iconic part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you’re describing BJJ to someone who has never grappled or watched MMA in their life, it’s the perfect place to start. You’re on your back with your opponent over you, a place where to the untrained eye you look like you’re losing the fight. From that position you can use your legs to choke your attacker unconscious, while still staying on your back! The BJJ triangle choke is a great example of the power of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu especially because a much smaller opponent can use it to incapacitate a stronger or larger one, just watch UFC 4 when Royce Gracie at 180 pounds used the triangle to submit the huge 260 pound Dan Severn.

While the BJJ triangle choke is one of the fundamental staples of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is why it is a part of the Gracie BJJ Blue Belt Test. It’s a complicated move that can take hours to understand weeks to get comfortable with, months to feel good about, and years to master.

Rener Gracie, Ryron Gracie, and Reylan Gracie all got together to release this video detailing the finer points of the BJJ triangle choke from guard in this extensive video.

The video is awesome and filled with details that are worth watching over and over, but here are the steps:

Start: Closed guard with one of opponent’s arms inside of closed legs

Step 1: Control opponent’s wrist and pull it across your body

Step 2: Pull down on head

Step 3: Put outside foot on opponent’s hip

Step 4: Bite across person’s neck with top-side leg

Step 5: Grab ahold of your top-side shin to keep opponent in place

Step 6: Figure four bottom leg over top-side leg so that your knee is hooker over your ankle or shin

Step 7: Grip being head with both hands and pull opponent’s head down

Step 8: Squeeze thighs together and lift hips up to complete triangle choke

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How To Do A Paper Cutter Choke From Side Control

Are you looking for a simple, effective choke from side control? Are you having trouble finding submissions from side control? The Paper Cutter Choke is a simple and high percentage choke from Side Control.

Side control is a very common position in BJJ, especially when you start rolling from your knees, but it can be frustrating if you don’t know side control submissions. The Side Control Paper Cutter Choke is one that every Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player should know.

In this video, Evolve MMA’s Eduardo Novaes shows how to complete the side control paper cutter choke by moving to north south, establishing a collar grip below your opponent’s neck, moving back to side control, and submitting your opponent with the choke.

Start: Side control top

Step 1: Wrap your opponent’s far side arm high on the tricep

Step 2: Grip your own collar with high side arm to secure arm wrap

Step 3: Block opponent’s hip with free hand

Step 4: Walk on toes to North South Position

Step 5: Wrap opponent’s other arm and grip their collar

Step 6: Give up far arm wrap and return to side control

Step 7: Grip opponent’s collar and slide wrist under their chin
(if opponent turns into you, use your knee to turn their head and neck into your wrist)

Step 8: Extend top-side leg and shift weight to that side

Step 9: Drop elbow to mat for choke submission

End: Submission via paper cutter choke