D'Arce Choke: Front Headlock Submission

Threading the D'Arce Arm

The D'Arce choke most commonly presents when your opponent is in a turtle or shot-in position, or when you are passing their guard and they turn to their knees. Establish front headlock control first — your arm wraps over their back and your other hand cups their chin or controls their head. To set the D'Arce, slide your choking arm under their near arm and thread it across their neck. This threading motion is the hardest part and requires your elbow to go deep past their armpit. Drive your shoulder forward and down to create the angle that allows your forearm to sit across their neck correctly.

Locking and Finishing

Once your arm is threaded, reach up and grab your own bicep with your free hand — this creates the figure-four lockup that traps their arm and neck simultaneously. Clasp tight and pull your elbows together while driving your shoulder into the back of their neck. Rotate your body toward their trapped arm side to tighten the choke. The D'Arce is primarily a blood choke targeting the carotid arteries.

• Thread the arm deep — elbow must clear their armpit completely
• Figure-four grip: your free hand grabs your own bicep
• Rotate toward the trapped arm to tighten both carotid pressure points

D'Arce vs Anaconda: Knowing the Difference

The D'Arce and anaconda choke are mirror images of each other. In the D'Arce, your arm threads under their near arm and your elbow points toward their far hip — you are on their back side. In the anaconda, your arm goes under their near arm from the front and you roll over their trapped arm. Both finish with a figure-four but from different orientations. The D'Arce is generally preferred from guard passing positions, while the anaconda shines when the opponent shoots in and exposes their neck. Learning both makes you dangerous from all front headlock entries.