Collar Tie Triangles With Craig Jones

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The hip bump sweep is a technique that most Jiu Jitsu players encounter very early on in their careers. They find themselves in closed guard and in need of a way to reverse the position, and the hip bump fits the bill. Those who have been on the mats for a prolonged period of time will testify that it works well, especially at the lower levels of competition. 

As we progress, however, the hip bump loses some efficacy because it’s easy to see coming. The opponent will feel you move your weight from one side to the other laterally, and can’t miss the weight of you sitting up on their lap. At this point, it’s crucial to develop paths and options of basic techniques that will allow you to keep using them as your game grows.

In the video clip below, Craig Jones shows that the triangle choke is one of the most brutal and effective options to work off of a hip bump:

 

A Traditional Hip Bump

To begin this setup, you’ll first need to understand the mechanics of a proper hip bump sweep. It begins from closed guard and is initiated from the bottom. Begin by unhooking your feet and planting one on the ground as a post. This will be the leg that drives through to give you power as you reverse the position.

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At the same time, come up on the hand opposite your planted foot and scoot your hips up and forward to position yourself on the opponent’s lap. As you land, use your free hand to overhook their posting arm. Once their post is controlled, you can push with your hips. Achieve this by pushing hard off of your planted hand and foot, and roll through to complete the sweep.

Key Steps for a Hip Bump:

• Unhook feet &plant outside leg
• Post opposite hand
• Sit in opponents lap &overhook far shoulder
• Complete the sweep by bumping forward

Fake Hip Bump to Triangle

As Jones points out in the video, the main difference between a traditional hip bump and the variation that he’s teaching is the collar tie. Instead of using your free arm to overhook the opponent’s far shoulder, you’ll use it to take a same-side collar tie behind the neck. As a result, your opponent will have control of their arm to use as a post.

Allowing your opponent to post out with this arm makes no sense if you’re after the sweep but if you’re after the triangle then it’s perfect. In order to get the space to bring your leg from their armpit and over their shoulder, they’ll need to be based out with a hand posted on the mat. With this gap created, it’s time to get to the triangle setup and eventually close the choke. 

Modifications for the Collar Tie Hip Bump to Triangle Setup

• Instead of far-side overhook on the arm, take a same-side collar tie
• Instead of destroying the post, use it to maneuver into triangle setup

Final Thoughts

It’s worth mentioning that these two variations do not have to be thought of in isolation;they connect to one another as well! You don’t have to set your mind to one technique or the other ahead of time. Instead of choosing to initiate a motion that will lead to a hip bump or a triangle, you can begin the path with a genuine hip bump attempt every time. If they are able to post, you can slide your overhook back to a collar tie very quickly and then proceed with a triangle. In general, you should look to complete the sweep and be aware of the submission option in the case of failure. Good luck out there!

Who is Craig Jones?

Craig Jones (47-17-2) is one of the most popular voices in the sport of submission grappling. Known for his outspoken attitude and his love of leg-locks, Jones made a name for himself in the no-gi world after receiving his black belt under Lachlan Giles. He now trains in Puerto Rico with the Danaher Death Squad, led by esteemed professor John Danaher and his protege, Gordon Ryan. Still active in the competition scene, Craig Jones’ last match was on May 28th, 2021 against Brazilian grappler Luiz Panza (24-21-0). It ended with a victory for Jones via inside heel hook, an impressive feat given Panza’s reputation as a leg-lock specialist.

If you’re looking for more sneaky setups for the triangle choke, don’t forget to take a peek at Jones’ instructional on submission dilemmas available on BJJFanatics.com. In it, you’ll learn the system of triangle setups that started Craig Jones down his bath to competition success. You’ll gain the ability to see triangles from all angles and drastically improve your bottom game.

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