Easy Body Triangle Escapes

By Fanatics Authors, December 12, 2017

There are few positions that inspire despair as much as having your back taken with the hooks in. Wearing your opponent as a backpack and defending against the many chokes and limb attacks they can throw at you can make for an anxiety filled roll. If your training partner or opponent has flexible, long legs, they might be able to cinch you in a body triangle which can take the back mount position to even more horrible heights of control and discomfort. It is not uncommon for someone to actually submit to the pressure of the body triangle and tap simply from pure discomfort and lack of oxygen.

In his upcoming release, "Submission Escapes" soon to be released from BJJ Fanatics, ADCC and UFC veteran Tom DeBlass brings his clear, easy to implement escape to this position that can feel like the Alcatrazz of positions, out of which no one seems to escape.

Tom DeBlass walks around at around 225 lbs and is very strong compared to many jiu jitsu practitioners, but in the video below from his new instructional, you will clearly see almost NO strength being used.

Before you check out the technique, take a moment to take a look at this article from BJJ Fanatics to give you more background on Tom DeBlass and his career countering pressure in life and competition.

By remaining calm and assessing the immediate dangers, you will put yourself in the best position from which to launch your escape. First and foremost, you must protect yourself from the choke. Once this threat has been nullified, the goal is to address the body triangle at it's weakest point which is where the two legs meet. Just as the weakest point of an arm body lock would be the hands, where the legs meet at the feet or knees would be the way out.

The next goal is to begin pulling your back towards the floor, while simultaneously turning your hips and belly button into the opponent. This changes the angle of the body triangle and puts you in a position where most likely your opponent will react and possibly try to mount, which creates an opportunity for you to capitalize upon and get yourself out of there.

There are some key philosophical points to take away from Tom DeBlass' explanation of this technique. These are common threads that run through all of the instructionals available from BJJ Fanatics and Tom DeBlass.

Big Guy Using No Strength

Tom DeBlass just grappled in the heaviest bracket at the ADCC Worlds in Finland. He is one of the biggest, strongest grapplers on the planet. If he wanted to "break" himself out of the body triangle, he could. But instead, it calmly and methodically uses body positioning, angles, and gravitational pressure to nullify one of the most painful and discombobulating positions out there. This means his techniques will work for anyone at any size and can also be implemented in the event you don't have the crazy athleticism he and his team might possess. So if you're tiny and comparatively not as strong, don't think you have to be built like Tom DeBlass to pull off these techniques.

Prioritize and Sync Your Body

Commonly, when we learn new jiu jitsu techniques, we learn them in a series of steps that seem to follow one after another. While this may help us initially put the pieces of a technique together, it's also important to recognize that certain aspects of these techniques must be "in sync" with each other and done simultaneously. If performed one move after another, the individual techniques might not have the impact that performing the three of those techniques as one coordinated action.

In this particular technique, Tom initially looks to prioritize the danger he faces from the potential choke attacks. Once he ensures that the choke is not an imminent threat, he moves to sync the next steps into one beautifully coordinated symphony of body movement. He pulls his back towards the mat, while simultaneously turning his hips and core towards his opponent. If the opportunity presents itself, he will add stepping over the triangled leg to open the triangle at it's weakest point.

Assess the Weakest Link

Simply stated, when we're just starting out, we sometimes attack a threat straight on at the most fortified point. Sometimes it's best to attack at an angle, to attempt to out flank the danger. In the case of the body triangle, there is only one way that makes sense. Attack at the opening, the "grip" or the connection of the opponent's feet or legs. By coordinating our attacks at the weakest position, we ensure success for our escape.

Capitalize on Their Reaction

Once you've given them a reason to change what they're currently doing, a Tom DeBlass adage and rule of thumb, it's time to capitalize on their next move. In this case, they will possible attempt to come up and take mount. In every case, you will have a scramble on your hands and this is your chance to get yourself out.

Tom DeBlass is one of the biggest, strongest competitors out there today. He is also one of the most cerebral and strategic competitors out there on the high level stages today. The sooner you begin to train your mind to begin partnering with your body, rather than working against your body, like it is prone to do some times. By focusing on technique over strength, assessing and prioritizing dangers, and synching your movements to attack the weakest points of an opponent's foundations, you will quickly find yourself unable to be caught in your opponent's attacks.

Tom DeBlass' new "Submission Escapes" is his eagerly awaited follow up to his amazing "Half Domination" video where he shares all of the secrets of his absolute favorite position the half guard. He is also the creator of the life-changing "12 Weeks to Ripped Program" which has led to hundreds of pounds being lost over the last few months by dozens and dozens of happy customers.

While you wait for the next Tom DeBlass instructional, explore some of the best submission escapes from 5 time world champion Bernardo Faria. His "Escapes from Anywhere" is available here On Demand from BJJ Fanatics!