Explore The Triangle Choke For BJJ With Legendary Coach John Danaher

By Matt Bryers, March 14, 2019

If You've Never Experienced John Danaher's Infinite Grappling Wisdom Then You Really Need To See This...

The triangle choke has a long history, originating from Judo and the later adopted in jiu jitsu. The creation of the triangle can be traced all the way back to the early 20th century. It was first made famous by two Judo Masters, Tsunetane Oda and Kanemitsu Yachibei Hyoe. Some of the top submission fighters in the world have been known to use the triangle, including Demian Maia, Keenan Cornelius, Marcio Cruz, Robert Drysdale and John Danaher. So what makes the triangle so widely used? Well, for starters, it is an incredibly versatile submission that can be hit from many different positions. Secondly, it is an effective submission no matter what your level of experience is as it is built off of very fundamental principles that even a complete novice can understand. And lastly, it’s great for everyone, no matter your age, body type, or level of athleticism.

The Most Comprehensive Course On Triangles Ever Created...

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Today we will learn all about the triangle choke from one of the greatest grappling coaches on Earth, John Danaher. John Danaher is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie and an instructor at Renzo’s academy in New York City. He has been the mastermind behind many of the BJJ and grappling achievements of some of the most dominant MMA and grappling athletes on the planet. With long time students like Eddie Cummings, Garry Tonon, Gordon and Nicky Ryan and a whole host of others, he has a led a group which bears the nickname "The Danaher Death Squad."

These triangle concepts and techniques can be found on Danaher’s incredible instructional series “Triangles: Enter The System” available exclusively on BJJFanatics.com. If you have never had an opportunity to listen and learn from Danaher then you need to check this series out. Every BJJ Fanatic out there can learn a lot from Danaher’s triangle system. Even though he is known for his leg locks his wealth of grappling knowledge extends far beyond just lower body attacks. So with that in mind, let’s check out some of his amazing instruction on the triangle choke for BJJ.

Triangle Mechanics

The beauty of a triangle submission is that it is so versatile. You can hit the triangle from many different positions, from bottom, from top, from standing… every type of situation you can imagine. John Danaher’s emphasis is on good bio mechanics of effective submissions and holds. As he says, there is nothing more tragic than getting close to a good submission hold and then having it get away due to bad mechanics. It’s John’s belief that almost all the problems associated with applying a strong triangle choke in competition and sparring can be overcome with a good understanding of its mechanics. Check out the video below!

There is a common misconception that people with short legs can’t hit a good triangle. The reality is, the triangle works no matter what your body type is. One of the hardest things John has to do as an instructor is convince people that their bodies are capable of performing triangles. With good mechanics even short legged people can have a formidable triangle submission. Let’s see what John Danaher has to say about short legged people. Check out the video below!

How To Do The Perfect Triangle Even If You Have Short Legs

First let’s understand one thing about the triangle. Like any strangle hold, it is a grip around your opponent’s neck and arm. When Danaher goes to lock a triangle, there is a certain action that creates the space for the strangulation to happen. That space can be bigger or smaller depending on how tight the triangle is and how close your knees are to your chest. So there are two ways in which the diameter of your triangle can diminish or expand. One has to do with your legs going down, and one has to do with your knees coming in. The amount of space in a tight triangle is actually quite limited. When Danaher locks up the triangle his forearm is roughly the diameter. That means if your opponent is very broad shouldered it is going to be hard to lock up the triangle.

By using body positioning you can get around these problems. From any standard situation when you go into the front triangle, the number one problem is that your opponent’s shoulder starts coming inside the lock of your legs. Ultimately what you want is your opponent’s neck and one arm inside your triangle. What you do not want is the bulk of his shoulder. The more his shoulder comes forward the harder it becomes to lock the triangle. What you want to do is eliminate the shoulder. The number one method is with the correct angle. You do not want to be square in front of your opponent, and you do not want his head to rise vertically. So you need to do two things: control his head, and get your body offline.

Wrist Controls To Triangle

Wrist controls are a very important concept when setting up the triangle from closed guard. Double wrist control is a venerable technique that has been around for many years. But the truth is that it is hard to get in a live roll. John Danaher does not prefer to use the double wrist control. In the video below John Danaher demonstrates his wrist control concept and breaks it down into any easy to learn approach. Check it out now!

John Danaher does not prefer to use the double wrist control to set up a triangle because it does nothing what so ever to control his opponent’s posture. Typically, an alert training partner will know to posture up when you push his arm in, making it very difficult for you to throw your legs into the proper position. What’s required here is that your opponent stays down so that from here you can get your knee over his shoulder. Because of this, Danaher prefers a collar tie and wrist grip over a double wrist grip. This allows Danaher to secure a two on one grip. Once Danaher has the two on one grip he takes his hand inside and pulls with his legs to establish a collar tie with a single wrist grip. John’s left arm has the inside position, with his elbow inside his training partner’s elbow. Now when your opponent goes to posture up, it is almost impossible for him to get away from the collar tie. From here you want to physically push your training partner’s wrist into his sternum. At this position you want to take your leg and go over the top of your opponent’s arm. Place your other foot on your training partner’s hip, which will give you the height to go knee deep over his shoulder. Now when you opponent tries to posture up, you have the collar tie and a good bite on the shoulder to ensure that he can’t get away.

If you are less experienced and having trouble getting a triangle submission, or any submission in general, it is likely because there are small yet crucial details you just have not picked up on yet. If you liked these videos then be sure to check out John Danaher’s instructional series “Triangles: Enter The System” available exclusively on BJJFanatics.com!

TRIANGLES ENTER THE SYSTEM BY JOHN DANAHER

The Most Comprehensive Course On Triangles Ever Created – By The Greatest Grappling Coach On Earth

John Danaher Calls The Triangle The Most Versatile Submission There Is
In Triangles: Enter The System He Shows All Of the Setups, Chokes, And Armlocks That Will Make This Become Your Go To Move From Bottom Or Top
John draws back the curtain and lets you in on all of his secrets
John Danaher has become the best known and most sought-after grappling coach on Earth
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