Triangle From Spider Guard

By Fanatics Authors, October 22, 2018

Work It. Refine It. Love It!

In class, I love that our instructors will show a technique as often as needed and that they are always walking the mats to be sure everyone is getting it. The multiple reps we drill gives us the opportunity to practice a move until it makes a little more sense each time we work it. Sometimes we get it quickly, sometimes it takes a little longer. Sometimes it’s us overthinking the movements making it harder on ourselves.

Recently we worked on the triangle choke which I’ve been told by my training partner I have a pretty good one! So I always like to attempt it when I feel it’s accessible. I’ve achieved it a few times but often feel as if I get the set up wrong initially. Thank goodness for those that post instructional videos in which I can use as continuing education away from the gym!

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I found an awesome video on the triangle where Elliot Bayev and his training partner Stephan Kesting breaks it down from spider guard that I’m quite excited to try next time I’m on the mats.

Whether your partner is standing or is down on one or both knees the technique is executed identically. He uses 6 steps to set up a successful triangle and get a tap from his training partner.

Beyev starts his instruction in spider guard with a four finger, thumb in grip on both sleeves of the Gi and his feet on the biceps of his partner, which he compares to “basically forcing him to become a marionette” this gives us control on moving our partner in a way that allows us to create gaps between their elbows and hips giving us the opportunity to execute the first move of the technique, which is to shoot our leg inside while using our grips to pull down on the right sleeve of our partner.

He demonstrates the importance of raising your hips high once the leg is through the gap of the elbow and hip of your partner and biting their back with a toes flexed out foot grip to hold you in place as you incorporate the next step of the technique.

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Crossing your partners arms to the left is a must detail as initially you are in the wrong position for a traditional triangle, this will allow you to easily switch your legs as well. As you move the arms of your partner, you’ll need to slide your right foot down their back toward their hip and swing the left leg over the back of your partners neck which puts you in position for a traditional triangle set up. All of this is done while your hips are still raised high off the mat which ultimately throws your partner off balance and puts you in position that allows you to lock up the triangle.

This is standing instruction but the technique doesn’t change if your partner is down on a knee or both. It just simply means you don’t have to raise your hips as high as when they are in the standing position. Watch, Learn and Give it a try. I know I will.