Unlocking the Body Triangle
If you can lock a body triangle around any human, I salute you. When I’m able to use the body triangle (normally on someone my size or smaller) the elements of control I feel are absolutely amazing. It helps to free up the hands like no other form of back control, and you get a sense of constriction that feels very dominating. When you achieve the lock, finishing from the back seems to become less of an arduous task, and more like a game of when, rather than if. Yes, it’s an amazing form of control. If it’s available to you, use it. Now, how the hell do you get out?
Check out this body triangle counter/escape from Kurt Osiander. He does a nice job of explaining the details of a foot lock that may just help you win the exchange from inside the body triangle, as well as a way to unlock the dreaded position and break free. Give it a look.
Kurt begins by hooking his partners free foot with the back of his knee. He drives his body up onto his partner and heads for the other side. This buries the triangle lock. In the first scenario, Kurt applies pressure to his partners knee with both hands which produces a foot lock. If you’ve never been caught in this submission, it is a legitimate lock, that must be considered when you’re applying the body triangle. But, in many cases, the tap will not come for us here, and we’ll need to unlock the triangle instead and remove ourselves from the position.
When the foot lock isn’t there, Kurt opts to step on the bottom foot of his partner and make a small adjustment with his hip and knee to break the lock. From here he continues on with a traditional back control escape, securing grips on his partners pants and driving up to the top. The foot lock is a great place to start. But most of us who’ve been caught by it, even one time, now have a heightened awareness of the potential submission. So, it’s good to have a back up plan, if our opponent is hip to the concept.
So, the next time you find yourself being squeezed by the body triangle, don’t panic. Give this sequence a try and come out unscathed. Get to work!
For more from Kurt Osiander, check out Fundamentals of a Jiu Jitsu Renegade, available here from BJJ Fanatics! Shut up, grab your copy and go train!
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