Mixed Martial Arts

The gogoplata is one of the lesser seen moves used in MMA, yet it remains a very effective submission.

It is typically set up from the rubber guard position. Which would mean, from an open guard you are reaching behind the opponent, grabbing one of your legs with your arm and raising it up toward his shoulders.

From that position the raised leg would be pulled over the opponent’s head and the shin placed against his throat. The head is then pulled down and the windpipe is compressed causing an air choke.

Some versions of the gogoplata use the foot of the leg not being used in the choke to press up on the leg that is being used. This causes added pressure on the throat.

It takes quite a bit of flexibility to use this submission. Unless you are naturally very flexible, you will need to do quite a bit of stretching be able to perform this technique. When working on your flexibility for this move, you will want to focus on stretching the hamstrings and glutes.

Let’s break it down.

1. The man on the bottom is in an open guard.
2. From the open guard the practitioner brings his right leg up and passes it over the opponent’s head.
3. The shin is placed against the throat.
4. The practitioner first tries pulling down on the head with just his hands.
5. He then places his other leg on the back of the neck and pulls down on his foot. This gives him extra leverage.
6. The choke hold is now locked in tight and there looks to be no escape.
7. The fight is stopped.

This choke is certainly one of the more painful ones used in mixed martial arts. This is due to the pressure being applied directly to the throat rather than the side of the neck. It is quite a bit more painful to have your windpipe compressed than to have the same done to the arteries in your neck. In fact the tap out may come due to the pain rather than a lack of oxygen.

Note: The gogoplata thus far has been referred to as an air choke, but if the opponent turns his head to the side, this will become a blood choke.

Gogoplata