Improve Your Triangle Chokes with These Grips

Posted by Fanatics Authors on October 02, 2017

The classic triangle choke can be a very high percentage submission attempt if executed well. There are a number of factors that need to be on point for a clean triangle submission to be achieved. In the classic 101 triangle that we all learn from the closed guard, our opponent makes the obvious and sometimes theatrical mistake of pulling one back and perhaps using it to control our hips, while leaving one arm still caught with their body in our closed guards.

Once this idyllic situation is achieved, we attack their upper body with a higher version of the guard which further isolates that arm. It is important to hip up and bring the isolated or trapped arm across our mid line to make sure the choke can be fully secured. Using our arm, we secure control of the shin on our leg that's opposite of the arm we have controlled. Once we have control on that shin, we can open our legs and put our foot on their hip and cut our angles to bring the shin perfectly perpendicular to their spine and running along their shoulder line. There could be some further adjusting by hipping away from the opponent to further break them down and tighten the squeeze, but from here, we are able to place our legs over our foot and lock in the triangle, finishing by pulling down firmly on their head.

For another variation of the triangle choke, check out this previous article from BJJ Fanatics on the reverse triangle!

The triangle is a move that in most cases, never happens quite like that in live rolling or competition. There are many points along the way, where the opponent can thwart our progress and make the move ineffective.

Jay Wadsworth, BJJ Black belt, has developed a unique guard style that uses very effective gi grips upon which he build an entire game called the "92 Double Sleeve Guard." In the video below, Jay demonstrates how he is able to secure a very tight triangle built off of his "92 Double Sleeve Guard". Applying the grips he shows will pay you dividends beyond this particular technique, because in actuality, this guard was a way for him to impede someone from pressure passing. By ensuring that his opponents could not secure two strong grips on him, he made sure that their pressure was nowhere near what it could have been.

Notice how Jay's use of the his 92 Double Sleeve Guard effectively controls and isolates the arm that will ultimately spell their demise. In addition, the use of the bottom leg on the hip of the opponent ensures that they are pushed away and perfectly set up for the attacking leg to come up and over. The push and pull of the foot on the hips and the double sleeve guard, make the securing of a tight triangle inevitable and there is far less need for all of the adjustments that you might have had to undertake in the past. This makes for a far more efficient attack and increases the likelihood of securing the submission quickly and earning the tap.

Again, this particular approach to controlling the opponent embodied in the "92 Double Sleeve Grip" can be incorporated into many elements of your guard game. The two on one control that this gives you will make your opponents and training partners wary of any attacks like triangles, arm bars, back takes, or more. This simple and easy to apply addition to your arsenal will have them backing up on their heels to try to stay away from the powerful grips you're trapping them with.

Tired of getting smashed underneath heavy opponents? Take a look at Jay Wadsworth's "92 Double Sleeve Guard" and your bottom game will be rejuvenated with the tips, tricks and techniques Jay shares in this two DVD set for the unheard of price of $47!