What is the D’arce Choke?
Knowing how to submit is one of the facets of being a great grappler. There are many types of grappling submissions that a grappler can add to their toolbox of submissions but one submission that is a must know is the D’arce Choke.
The D’arce choke, also known as the no-gi Brabo choke, screw choke and variation of head and arm choke is often confused with the Anaconda choke. The difference between the D’arce Choke and the Anaconda choke is that when attempting the D’arce choke, you force your choking arm under the opponents near arm then under the opponent’s neck then closing with your far arm, where as the Anaconda starts the same position but first at the neck and then the the opponent’s arm afterwards.
Often called the Brabo choke, the D’arce choke is a bit different as the Brabo choke was originally a Gi choke that used the opponent’s gi for a grip to attain the choke.
Where did the name D’arce Choke come from?
Although it is common belief that the D’arce choke was invented by a Renzo Gracie blackbelt named John D’arce, it was actually invented by a Norwegian Luta Livre practitioner named Bjorn Dag Lagerstrom who found the choke variation while trying to do an Anaconda choke but accidentally had his arm position reversed thus stumbling upon the D’arce choke. He would use this in competition to tap his opponent’s out and thus the choke became known in the Luta Livre community.
The name of the choke eventually switched to the D’arce Choke when John D’arce was rolling with MMA fighter Jason Miller and got the choke on Miller, Miller being unaware of the technique called it the D’arce choke and the name has stuck ever since.
The Effectiveness of the D’arce Choke
A very effective and grappling competition tested technique, the D’arce choke has been used successfully in Nogi BJJ, submission grappling, Luta Livre, Catch Wrestling and MMA competition.
The choke is very fast and very aggressive in nature as unlike the Anaconda, there is no real need for a gator roll to secure position for the choke. The D’arce, like the Anaconda choke, is generally placed when the opponent is in Turtle position although the D’arce choke can be applied from a multitude of positions and even when escaping when in the side control position from the bottom. The Darce choke is a blood choke and when applied properly is extremely tight and effective.
In Conclusion
The D’arce choke is a must know choke for Nogi BJJ, Submission Grappling and MMA, it is fast, will catch your opponent surprisingly when done properly and works at all levels of grappling and MMA competition. The D’arce choke is a great example of BJJ for MMA and will continue to be used by top grapplers and fighters forever.
Here is a D’arce choke video we made for our Grapplezilla YouTube channel that is great for beginners and we highly recommend to watch.
