Anaconda choke: how often it lands in real training
The anaconda choke is the #10 submission in BJJBuddy logs, finished by 774 people. How the front headlock arm-in choke works, and how each belt uses it.
Finished it. Got caught by it.
The same person can be in both groups. Across all logs, 1,095 finishes and 779 taps were recorded on separate training days.
Gi vs no-gi
851 finishes on days with a logged gi or no-gi session. Across all sessions the split is 51.5% gi.
The anaconda is an arm-in choke from the front headlock: your arm goes under the neck and through the armpit, then you roll so the choke tightens. It pairs naturally with the guillotine and the D’arce.
How the anaconda choke works
- From a front headlock with your partner on their knees, shoot your arm under their neck and through the far armpit.
- Lock a gable grip or grab your own bicep with that hand.
- Roll toward their trapped arm side, over your shoulder, so they turn onto their back with you.
- Walk your body toward their hips and squeeze your elbows together to finish.
Common mistakes
- Rolling before the arm is deep enough under the neck.
- Rolling the wrong way, away from the trapped arm.
- Finishing flat on your back instead of walking around to tighten.
Learn and drill techniques with a qualified coach and a cooperative partner, and let go the moment your partner taps. This overview is not a substitute for live instruction.
How often each belt finishes it
Share of each belt’s users (among those who logged any submission) who have finished with it. Belt is the rank set in the app today.
How to read these figures
“Finished it” means a user logged this move as a submission they got. “Caught by it” means they logged tapping to it. The rank orders all 36 submissions by how many different people logged them either way. From BJJBuddy training logs, November 2015 to November 2026. Duplicate uploads are removed, so a session is one person on one training day. Each person counts once per technique. Groups smaller than 10 people are not shown.