How to Do a Triangle Choke in MMA and Self-Defense

In this post, I am going to teach you how to do a triangle choke that is effective not only in sports BJJ but also for MMA and self-defense situations.

The triangle choke or the sankaku-jime is one of the most effective and efficient chokes in submission grappling.

It involves wrapping your legs around your opponent's neck and arm, putting pressure on the neck and carotid arteries to cause your opponent to tap out or lose consciousness.

It is also one of the basic moves that you will learn in your first month of BJJ training.

The choke comes in many different variations, such as the inverted triangle, the mount triangle, the reverse triangle, and so on.

If you are a beginner, it is important to start with the basic variation of the choke and master it before moving on to the more advanced variations.

Here's the fundamentals on how to do a triangle choke in 5 simple steps:

To set up the triangle choke, you need to first establish a position known as the "closed guard."

This is where you are on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist.

Your feet should be locked behind your opponent's back to prevent them from passing your guard and moving to a dominant position.

Once you are in the closed guard position, you need to create an opening to go for the triangle choke.

You can do this by pushing your opponent's inside, creating space for you to loop one leg over their shoulder and under their armpit.

Or, you can also break the opponent's posture by using your legs to pull him closer.

Once the posture is broken, you can begin working to get the triangle configuration with your legs.

As you loop your leg over your opponent's shoulder, you need to grab the head down to prevent them from posturing up again.

After that, you need to shift your body a bit so that your head and your opponent's head are perpendicular.

Make sure that when you go perpendicular, you tilt your head in the direction of the leg that is on top of the shoulder.

You need to use your other leg, which is below the armpit, to step on your opponent's hip to help you go perpendicular.

Once you are perpendicular, re-lock your triangle and make it even tighter this time.

With your leg looped over your opponent's shoulder, you need to bring your other leg across their neck and hook it behind your knee.

This will complete the triangle and create the necessary pressure to force your opponent to tap out.

You should have a very tight triangle by now and optionally, you can pull your opponent's trapped across their body to make the choke even tighter.

Once you have the triangle locked in, you may need to make adjustments to the position to apply more pressure and make it harder for your opponent to escape.

Your opponent will fight and resist.

In some cases, they can be very strong and can even lift you in order to threaten you with a slam to escape.

Keep pulling on the head and use underhooks on their leg to prevent your opponent from standing up.

To really finish the triangle, you need to do these three motions at once: pull your opponent's head down, squeeze your knees and lift your hip up.

If your opponent doesn't tap out, they may pass out due to the pressure on their neck and carotid arteries.

In a self-defense situation, the triangle choke could be a life-saving technique.

Remember, the triangle choke requires practice and patience to master.

It is important to drill the move with a partner and get feedback on your technique to ensure that you are doing it correctly.

If you want to see a visual demonstration of the technique, check out the video below.

It will provide you with a more detailed explanation of the choke in MMA/self defense situations and how to perform it correctly:

In conclusion, the triangle choke is an essential technique for any BJJ practitioner, MMA fighter, or self-defense enthusiast to master.

By following the steps above and practicing regularly, you can add this powerful choke to your arsenal and use it to submit your opponents or protect yourself in a dangerous situation.

So there you have it, that's how to do a triangle choke!

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