Peruvian Necktie

Quick Introduction

The Peruvian necktie is a front-headlock submission popularised by Tony DeSouza, a Peruvian-American MMA fighter, in the early 2000s. From a front-headlock position with the opponent on knees or in turtle, the attacker rolls forward over the opponent's head and lands in a tight neck-and-arm compression with the opponent folded between the attacker's thighs.

It belongs to the front-headlock family alongside the guillotine, darce, and anaconda. All four start from similar grips but finish in distinct positions.

Position Overview

From: Front Headlock, opponent on knees or in turtle | Finish: Neck-and-arm compression with opponent folded between attacker's thighs

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The Standard Peruvian Necktie

1. You're standing or kneeling over opponent who is on hands and knees (front headlock or turtle position)
2. Thread your threading-side arm under their neck — hand emerges on the far side
3. Grip your own wrist with the other hand (figure-4 grip), or palm-to-palm
4. Step the threading-side leg over their back to the FAR side
5. Sit down on the far side, knees pinching their neck and shoulders together
6. Roll forward over their head — your body rotates over the top
7. Pull them with you using the figure-4 grip
8. Land on your back with opponent folded between your thighs
9. Knees together, hips lifted — tap follows from the neck crank

Key detail: The "sit on the far side" is the critical step. If you sit on the same side as your threading arm, the technique becomes an anaconda or fails entirely.

Setup From a Sprawl

1. Opponent shoots a takedown, you sprawl
2. Hips drop, threading arm goes under their neck
3. Figure-4 grip, walk around their head to the far side
4. Step over and execute the Peruvian roll
5. Finish as standard

Setup From Turtle

1. Opponent is in turtle (hands and knees, defensive)
2. Approach from the front, thread arm deep under their neck
3. Same far-side sit and roll-over

Differentiating Front-Headlock Submissions

Submission	Grip configuration	Finish position
Guillotine	Arm around neck, hand under chin	Opponent in front, you on bottom or guard
Darce	Thread opposite, far arm trapped	Side hip, squeeze
Anaconda	Thread same side, far arm trapped	Roll to side, squeeze
Peruvian necktie	Thread, NO arm trapped, sit far side	Roll forward, opponent folded between thighs
Japanese necktie	Single-arm lapel-style behind neck	Roll back, no thigh trap

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Core Principles

1. Far-side sit — sit on the side opposite the threading arm
2. Knees pinch the neck — the knees act as the choke walls during the roll
3. Roll over the head, not sideways — the rotation is forward, not lateral
4. Pull them with the figure-4 — the grip drags their head between your thighs
5. Lift hips on landing — the final squeeze comes from hip extension

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Threading too shallow	Get shoulder past their neck before sitting
Sitting same side as threading arm	Practice the far-side step until it's automatic
Rolling sideways	Roll over the top of their head; commit forward
Knees flaring apart	Pinch knees together throughout the entire roll
Losing the figure-4 mid-roll	Re-grip palm-to-palm if figure-4 slips

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When to Look For It

• Opponent shoots a takedown — you sprawl and find front headlock
• Opponent in turtle defensively
• After a failed armbar or kimura attempt where they turn into you
• More common in no-gi but works in gi as well
• Watch out: many beginners are unfamiliar — high-percentage at lower belts

Safety Note

The Peruvian necktie is a neck crank as much as a choke. Tap early when caught — the pressure on the cervical spine can cause injury if held past the tap. When training, release at the first sign of compliance, not just at a verbal tap.

Next Steps

1. Japanese Necktie — Cousin technique, different finishing position
2. Anaconda — Same-family submission with a different finish geometry
3. Darce — Mirror-image submission from front headlock
4. Turtle Attacks — Other submissions from the same starting position