A New Twist on the Tried and True Triangle From Guard

Regardless of how long you have been training, be it months, years, or maybe you’ve just begun your journey.  

At some point within your first few weeks you’ve likely seen the “standard” triangle from guard. The triangle has been one of my favorite submissions for a while now.  I like the versatility and the sheer strength of the submission. The ability to use the massive muscles in the legs for the choke proves not only strong, but very effective.  If you’ve had the opportunity to try to execute the triangle submission in live training, I would venture to assume you probably experienced a little bit of resistance you weren’t expecting.

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As you soon realize, double wrist control becomes more difficult when your opponent is fighting back. Keeping their posture broken down and shoving one arm to their body so you can get one arm in and one arm out can become nearly impossible, especially if you’re training with the bodybuilder of the group.  (I have to assume every academy has at least one or two). Often times when we get this resistance it’s easy to chalk it up as “the move doesn’t work” or “it’s not my move”. The reality is, with the right technique, it can be your move, and it can work. Let’s take a look at Professor Danaher’s Triangle from guard details and break down the differences.

Initially Professor Danaher expresses his dislike for the standard double wrist control and shows his preferred method of reaching behind the opponent’s right arm with your left arm and using your left hand to grab their left wrist.  In order to get their hand on top of your chest you can push it in with your right bicep.

Once Professor Danaher secures the opponents left wrist with his left hand, he goes to a two on one grip and then removes his left hand and moves to getting a collar tie.  In order to achieve the collar tie he is pulling in with his legs and making sure to keep his left elbow on the inside of the opponent's’’ right arm. Using the collar tie will help keep the opponents’ posture broken down allowing you to shoot your triangle.

How you “shoot the triangle”, as it’s called, will most certainly determine your success, or lack of, with this submission.  First and foremost, you must clear the space for your right leg to move over your opponents’ arm. This will be accomplished by using the grip you have on your opponent's’ arm to push the arm to the sternum and moving your left foot to their right hip allowing you to push off of them as you shoot your right leg high into the air over their shoulder getting your knee to the same height as their neck.  

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As shown in the video, the leg must shoot up so that the back of your knee can bite your opponents’ neck by their ear. Prior to locking the choke Professor Danaher shows reaching under the opponents with the arm on the same side as the leg that is biting the neck.

Shooting this arm under your opponents’ leg will force you to be perpendicular to your opponent and consequently, tighten the choke even more as you lock the triangle.  In order to lock the figure four after securing your grip under the opponents’ leg bring your left knee as a wedge to the back of the opponent's’ head and then allow your left leg to straighten slightly and move around your opposite foot allowing you to lock the figure four. Securing the figure four lock should produce an immediate choke.

For me I’m most excited to try shooting under the opponents’ leg before locking the figure four.  I’ve personally always locked the figure four and then tried to fight to get under the opponent. Yet another amazing video from Professor Danaher.  Don’t forget to check out the entire “Enter the System” series!

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