The gogoplata choke is one of the most dangerous chokes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and it’s easily applied from several different positions. But if you don’t know exactly how to do it and what steps to take, it can be very difficult to get right. In this article, you’ll learn the gogoplata choke with step-by-step instructions that will help you master the move faster than ever before so you can get out of sticky situations during sparring or matches quickly and safely.

The Basics

The gogoplata choke is a relatively new submission in MMA and BJJ. It’s sometimes called The Dragon Claw because it is similar to a kimura from guard, except instead of getting your elbow around your opponent’s arm, you put it under his chin. Like all submissions, gogoplatas are much easier when you can get them from side control or mount. However, there are still ways to finish them from other positions…

What muscles are involved?

The muscles involved in gogoplata are those of your lower body, specifically those that make up your legs. Your quadriceps (the meatiest part of your upper leg) and your glutes (butt) provide most of the power for locking up your opponent’s neck.

How to do it

To secure a gogoplata choke, you must trap one of your opponent’s legs between your insteps. Next, you thread your arm under their chin and secure it around their neck. To finish it off, you then place your free hand behind their head and lock it in as well. This should compress their throat or carotid artery, leaving them unable to breathe or escape from your hold. Take care when using any choke or submission hold: These moves are meant to put pressure on nerve clusters that run through an opponent’s spine—you can seriously injure them if you don’t know what you’re doing.

When will it work?

The gogoplata choke won’t work if your opponent isn’t in a proper position to be choked. The obvious position for it is having his back on you with both of your legs hooked around his. This is referred to as side control or side mount and allows you to use one arm (the one going under) and one leg (the one that hooks across) to execute the move. You should also be able to get enough space between his body and head so that you can get your arm underneath, although not too much; there needs to be some downward pressure between his chin and chest so that he can’t lift himself out of your grip once you have him trapped.

Where will it work?

The gogoplata works when an opponent is in your guard and you have one arm under their collar bone and your other hand under their chin. To finish, use your arm that’s under their chin to pull back on their head while your other hand pushes forward to create torque. This should cause them to submit. Practice it with a partner to get it right before you try it in competition.