{"slug":"arm-triangle","name":"Arm-Triangle Choke","aliases":["kata gatame","head-and-arm choke","arm triangle"],"category":"submission","format":"both","level":"fundamental","summary":"A head-and-arm strangle that traps one of the defender's shoulders against their neck while the attacker closes the opposite side.","overview":["The arm triangle wraps the opponent's head and one arm together. The defender's own shoulder closes one side of the neck while the attacker's arm and upper body close the other.","It most often develops from mount, side control, or half-guard top. The technical challenge is settling the trapped arm across the neck and removing space without driving uncontrolled pressure through the cervical spine."],"keyPrinciples":["Move the trapped shoulder across the neck before tightening.","Keep your head low enough to prevent the arm from returning.","Settle the body beside the defender rather than squeezing from a loose mount.","Adjust patiently and release immediately on a tap."],"entries":[{"label":"Mount","description":"Walk an elbow above the shoulder line and guide the arm across the neck."},{"label":"Side control","description":"Use crossface pressure to trap the far arm beside the head."},{"label":"Half-guard top","description":"Flatten the shoulders and isolate the head-and-arm connection."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Mount","description":"Return to a stable top position if the defender turns or the choke loosens."},{"label":"Back control","description":"Follow a turning escape around the far shoulder."},{"label":"Side control","description":"Settle the pin while preserving head-and-arm control."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Frame early","description":"Prevent the elbow from being walked above and across the neck."},{"label":"Turn toward space","description":"Change shoulder alignment before the attacker settles beside the body."},{"label":"Recover the elbow","description":"Bring the trapped arm back across the attacker's face or chest when space appears."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["mount","side-control","back-control","darce-choke"],"athleteSlugs":["dorian-olivares","luke-griffith","kendall-reusing","gianni-grippo"],"rulesetNote":"The submission is widely recognized, but age, belt, finishing direction, and ruleset can change what is legal. Train the finish under qualified supervision and check the current event rules.","historyNote":"Kata-gatame is part of judo's recognized control-technique vocabulary and functions both as a pin and a strangle across grappling rulesets.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"},{"label":"ADCC official rules and legal-technique guides","url":"https://adcc-official.com/pages/adcc-rules","type":"rules"},{"label":"International Judo Federation technique catalogue","url":"https://judo.ijf.org/","type":"reference"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/arm-triangle","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/arm-triangle.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/arm-triangle","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"mount","name":"Mount","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/mount"},{"slug":"side-control","name":"Side Control","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/side-control"},{"slug":"back-control","name":"Back Control","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/back-control"},{"slug":"darce-choke","name":"D'Arce Choke","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/darce-choke"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"dorian-olivares","name":"Dorian Olivarez","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/dorian-olivares"},{"slug":"luke-griffith","name":"Luke Griffith","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/luke-griffith"},{"slug":"kendall-reusing","name":"Kendall Reusing","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/kendall-reusing"},{"slug":"gianni-grippo","name":"Gianni Grippo","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/gianni-grippo"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}