The anaconda is an arm-in choke from the front headlock, locked on your own biceps and finished by rolling your partner onto their trapped-arm side. The squeeze closes the neck between your forearm and their own shoulder.
- In BJJ: a no-gi and MMA staple against the turtle and a failed takedown; BJJ Heroes names it as a signature of Milton Vieira.
- Difference from the D'Arce: BJJ Heroes says the two differ in where the lock sits, which changes how the pressure is applied.
- Finish: usually with a roll, often called the gator roll.
What is the anaconda?
Picture the D'Arce in reverse. In the anaconda your choking arm enters under the chin, slides past the throat and comes out under the far armpit, where the hand grabs your other biceps. Their arm is trapped inside the hold and their shoulder is the second wall of the choke. Once locked, you roll toward the trapped arm so they end up on their side with your chest on their shoulder.
How do you do the anaconda choke?
- Get the front headlock. Against the turtle or a sprawled-on shot, wrap their head and one arm from the front, chest heavy on the shoulders.
- Thread under the neck. Slide your arm under the chin, palm up, and keep reaching until the hand comes out under their far armpit.
- Lock the figure-four. Grab your other biceps with that hand and lay the other forearm along their back, hand near their far hip.
- Roll. Step toward their trapped arm and roll over your choking-side shoulder, taking them with you so they land on their side.
- Walk in and squeeze. On the mat, walk your hips toward their head, pull the elbows together and squeeze slowly until they tap.
The common mistake is squeezing from the front without rolling; the partner stays in a strong turtle and the choke sits on the chin. Roll first, close the angle with your hips, then squeeze slowly and release at the tap.
Is the anaconda choke legal in BJJ and judo?
In BJJ the IBJJF Rules Book's table of illegal moves does not list it; for children under 16 the table bans chokes combined with a spinal lock. In judo, collar chokes are legal and a tap scores ippon; the IJF Sport and Organisation Rules penalise with shido a choke made with the belt, the bottom of the jacket or the fingers alone.
Why does the anaconda need the roll?
The roll takes away their base and puts their trapped shoulder under their own neck, which is what finishes the choke. Done slowly it is safe; done fast it can wrench the neck of a partner who has not tapped yet, so roll at drilling speed until both of you know the position. Rash guards and mats for drilling it are in our BJJ training gear.
Sources
- BJJ Heroes names it, BJJ Heroes
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
Related terms
D'arce choke, Arm triangle, Turtle, Sprawl, Guillotine, Chokes.