Gogoplata: The Shin Choke

Gogoplata Mechanics and Setup

The gogoplata is most often accessed from the rubber guard or an inverted guard position. From rubber guard (mission control), slide your shin across their throat by threading your foot past their head. Your shin bone — specifically the area just above the ankle — presses directly against their trachea or carotid area. Reach behind their head with both hands to clasp together, pulling their neck into the shin. This requires significant hip flexibility and a long leg, as you must get your shin high enough to contact their neck. Flexibility drills and rubber guard practice are prerequisites for this submission.

Gogoplata from the Top and Side

Less commonly, the gogoplata appears from top position when the opponent is turtled. You can thread your foot under their chin and use the shin to apply the choke from a mounted or north-south position. The inverted gogoplata, or "electric chair" position, combines shin pressure with spinal flexion for a hybrid submission. Each variation requires the shin to be placed precisely — too high or too low on the neck changes the submission's effectiveness dramatically.

• Shin must contact the throat or carotid — ankle bone is too low
• Clasp both hands behind their head and pull neck into the shin
• Flexibility in the hip flexors is essential for a deep setup

Why the Gogoplata Works

The gogoplata works because the shin bone creates a hard, narrow point of pressure directly against the soft throat and neck structures. Unlike arm-based chokes that use the softer forearm, the shin concentrates force into a much smaller area, making the pressure intense and immediate. Against a resisting opponent, the gogoplata also threatens a neck crank if their chin rises, combining two different submission mechanisms into one position. It is a true submission for flexible, creative grapplers willing to explore the edges of the positional map.