Mata Leão

Last updated: June 18, 2026

What is the mata leão?

The mata leão is the same technique that English-speaking grapplers call the rear naked choke, or RNC. A fighter takes their opponent’s back, wraps one arm around the front of the neck so the bend of the elbow sits under the chin, locks the grip, and squeezes. That pressure clamps the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, the vessels that carry blood up to the brain. Once the blood supply is cut, the opponent has a few seconds to tap before losing consciousness.

It is usually one of the first submissions a beginner learns in jiu-jitsu, and it is the most common choke finish in mixed martial arts. According to a peer-reviewed analysis by Dr. Samuel Stellpflug, the rear naked choke accounts for about 49% of all UFC choke finishes, nearly as many as every other strangle combined. A casual fan running into the term has almost certainly seen the technique already.

When a commentator says a fighter has “sunk in the mata leão” or “locked up the rear naked choke,” they are describing the same arm-around-the-neck finish from the back.

Mata leão means “lion killer” in Portuguese. The same choke picks up a different name in nearly every grappling tradition: judo calls it hadaka jime, or “naked choke,” while American and English-speaking grapplers say rear naked choke. John Danaher and his students prefer “rear naked strangle,” arguing that a choke crushes the windpipe, whereas this technique attacks the arteries.

The “lion killer” name is fairly recent. According to a BJJ Heroes interview, the term is credited to Reylson Gracie, who started using it in the 1960s after seeing photos of karate founder Mas Oyama. Gracie reasoned that even a man as strong as a lion could be put to sleep with a strangle from the back. Before that, Brazilian practitioners simply called it the “technical choke.” The nickname caught on across the jiu-jitsu world and stuck.

Name	Tradition	Literal meaning
Mata leão	Brazilian jiu-jitsu	Lion killer
Hadaka jime	Judo	Naked choke
Rear naked choke (RNC)	MMA / English grappling	Choke without the gi
Rear naked strangle	Danaher / modern no-gi	Strangle from the back

A blood choke and an air choke work in opposite ways, and the mata leão belongs to the first group. An air choke crushes the windpipe, which hurts and works slowly. A blood choke compresses the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck and stops oxygenated blood from reaching the brain, which works fast and with far less pain. One peer-reviewed study of resisting opponents, published by Dr. Samuel Stellpflug in 2020, measured an average of 8.9 seconds to full unconsciousness once the choke is locked in.

Mechanically, the choking arm threads under the chin so the bend of the elbow lines up with the centre of the throat. The biceps presses one carotid, the forearm bone presses the other, and the free hand behind the opponent’s head closes the vise. Because the finish relies on blood flow rather than muscle, a smaller grappler can put a much larger opponent to sleep. The word “naked” points to the same idea: the choke needs no gi or collar to work, only the arms.

This is the question most people arrive with, and the answer is simple. They are the same technique. The only real difference is which martial art the name comes from. Judo named it first as hadaka jime, the choke travelled to Brazil through Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie family, and picked up the name mata leão, and the broader fight world settled on rear naked choke.

There is one small wrinkle. In judo, hadaka jime can describe a slightly wider family of clothing-free chokes from behind, while mata leão tends to point at one specific version. In day-to-day gym and broadcast language, though, the three terms get used interchangeably, and a grappler who hears any of them pictures the same finish.

Most of the difference between mata leão finishes comes down to the grip. The two most common are described below.

Variation	Grip	How it behaves
Figure-four (standard)	Choking hand grabs the opposite biceps; free hand sits behind the head	The cleanest blood choke, hard to escape once set
Palm-to-palm (gable grip)	Both hands clasp behind the neck	Mixes blood and air pressure, more painful but often slower

A figure-four grip gives the tightest, fastest blood choke and is the version taught first. The palm-to-palm grip clasps the hands together, which adds squeezing power but loosens control of the head, so it tends to become a mixed blood-and-air choke. At a high level, skilled grapplers can also finish with a single arm after trapping one of the opponent’s limbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the mata leão the same as the rear naked choke?

Yes. They are two names for one technique. Mata leão is the Portuguese name used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and rear naked choke is the English name. Gyms use both.

What does mata leão mean?

It is Portuguese for “lion killer.” The name describes a choke strong enough to put down even the toughest opponent.

Is it a blood choke or an air choke?

Primarily a blood choke. The standard grip compresses the carotid arteries rather than the windpipe, which is why it works quickly and with little pain.

How long does it take to pass out?

Research on resisting opponents found an average of about 8.9 seconds to unconsciousness once the choke is fully locked. A loose or poorly placed choke may never finish.

Why is it called “naked”?

“Naked” refers to the absence of the gi. Unlike collar chokes, the mata leão needs no clothing to work, only the attacker’s arms.

Is the mata leão dangerous?

Applied carelessly, yes. A blood choke can cause unconsciousness within seconds, so in training, the person applying it must release the moment a partner taps.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “Rear naked choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear_naked_choke
2. BJJ Heroes. “The Mata Leão, Rear Naked Choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://www.bjjheroes.com/techniques/the-mata-leao
3. Combat Sports Law. “Study: Locked In Chokes Take 9 Seconds To Full Unconsciousness.” 2020.
   https://combatsportslaw.com/2020/06/17/study-locked-in-chokes-take-9-seconds-to-full-unconsciousness/
4. Combat Sports Law. “Physician Reviews and Analyzes All Choke Submissions in UFC History.” 2020.
   https://combatsportslaw.com/2020/12/26/physician-reviews-and-analyzes-all-choke-submissions-in-ufc-history/
5. Fight Encyclopedia. “Rear Naked Choke: The Most Effective Submission in Fighting.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://fightencyclopedia.com/blog/blog-rear-naked-choke

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