Too often I go for a triangle from the guard, but it failes because my opponent throws my leg over his head, even though I've got control of his other arm (the one that's still inside my guard).
Any tips for getting the triangle or keeping my guard?
Thanks in advance.
Grab your shin of the leg that is around his neck with your hand to secure the triangle so that you can adjust it...also lock your hips and push them up and towards him (just like when applying an armbar from the guard) so he can't push you to the side when he is attempting to pass.
Thanks for the answer. I have heard about this variation of the triangle in which you grab your shin before throwing your other leg over. However, for some reason, I've seen the other version, in which you first lock your legs togeather, more often in MMA fights, such as several ones by Nogueira.
Do most people agree that you should first grab the shin and then lock your legs? I know that Bolo likes to do this.
If any of you like to first lock your legs and skip the grab-shin-first part, please tell us how you avoid getting passed.
I would like to have more discussion about this if anyone cares to join in.
See the 'need triangle help' thread in the archives.
Usually what I will do is lock my legs as I throw my leg over his shoulder, but not perfectly. To adjust it I'll pull my shin towards me. From that point on I never let go of my shin, except in certain circumstances, like I want to go for an armbar.
Controlling his head is way more important than controlling the arm that's inside.
Thanks, all. I'll take a look at this archived thread.
"Controlling his head is way more important than controlling the arm that's inside."
I assume that you're talking about a one hand on tricep and one hand behind the neck grip (in a no-gi situation), rather than 2 hands on his arm that's inside your gi? And emphasise holding his head down, even if you don't have a triceps grip?
if they do happen to shrug off your triangle and start to pass do this:
as he shoulders off your leg, his arm will be swimming across. take your same side arm, and lock it out on his tricep. you completely negate his ability to turn back into you and get to cross side. this leaves a huge gap for you to bring your knee back through and reguard him, retriangle, or even take his back depending on his reaction.
bolo showed me that.
once you get it locked slide your hips away from him, but be careful, this puts him almost flat on the ground un-able to do anything except tap.
By controlling his head, I just mean keeping his head down. The best way to do that is to hold onto your shin, and your shin is over his neck. The highest percentage escapes involve him getting posture, so you can't let him have it.
I'm talking about once you have the triangle locked on. You don't need to worry about his arm that much because he can't pull it out. Depending what he does with it, you can armbar him several ways, kimura or americana, omoplata, or finish the choke.
Once I have the triangle on, if my feet are on my left side, I keep my left hand on my shin near my ankle and maintain a downward pressure and don't let go. My right hand can try to drag his arm across or underhook his leg. There are many things you can do with your hands, this is just what I like.
Let him go around your leg like you are letting him pass but also start to roll over your shoulder and go to your knees. When you get to your knees (still controling his arm) swing back to get omoplata or maybe even the triangle again.
Another option if he has shrugged/pushed your leg over your head is to go to the bicep lock position.
You have his head and right arm triangled
He pushes your right knee/leg over his head - both your legs are on his right side
keep control of his right sleeve, and drop your right shin/ankle across his right bicep insertion
triangle your legs
From here you can sweep, bicep lock, spin underneath to triangle or omo plata, etc.
Stephan Kesting
www.grapplearts.com
Stephan, I am having a hard time visualizing the spin under to triangle or omoplata with my right shin in his right bicep. Can you explain more?
I know how to do it with my left shin in his right bicep, as demonstrated in your excellent omoplata tapes.
I can't envision ending up with an omoplata with my right leg attacking his right arm.
It seemed to me that he meant your left leg attacks his right arm. You thrust your left leg up and over his right shoulder and spin to your left.
What I'm interested in is the aforementioned sweep from the bicep lock...
As he throws it over his head cut that shin in front of his throat. Then take your other leg and place it over the back of his head. In a sense scissor the head. Now u can either armbar him and if he pushes himself in to block the armbar your shin chokes him.
IF you hump his head when you have the triangle half on, he will squirm and give you alot of opportunities to transition to armbar. i always hump my opponent's face when grappling.
Listen to Andrew.
In the following discussion I assume that I'm going for a triangle with his right arm inside my guard:
It's funny that I seem to have the most success with the triangle when I throw my right leg over his neck AT THE SAME TIME I LIFT MY LEFT LEG HIGH UP IN THE AIR AND OVER MY RIGHT SHIN. I might not get it locked all the way down by I'll get it there pretty soon. I get this one more often than grabbing my right shin just before figure-four-ing my legs, for some reason.
However, then I need to get his arm across if it's not already there and/or spin more to the side because I didn't post and spin on the hip with my left leg that much, if at all. Getting the arm across doesn't seem to be too difficult usually, but when I spin to the side (after having locked in the triangle) I try grabbing his pants and pulling myself in. I know that some people recommend temporarily releasing the triangle and post on the hip but what do you think about grabbing the pants and pulling yourself in until you've got a better angle?
"It's funny that I seem to have the most success with the triangle when I throw my right leg over his neck AT THE SAME TIME I LIFT MY LEFT LEG HIGH UP IN THE AIR AND OVER MY RIGHT SHIN. I might not get it locked all the way down by I'll get it there pretty soon. I get this one more often than grabbing my right shin just before figure-four-ing my legs, for some reason."
That's cool, man, I wish I could do it that way, it would leave my left hand free for other things. I have more success pulling on my shin right away with my left hand, but if you can do without it, more power to you.
"However, then I need to get his arm across if it's not already there and/or spin more to the side because I didn't post and spin on the hip with my left leg that much, if at all. Getting the arm across doesn't seem to be too difficult usually, but when I spin to the side (after having locked in the triangle) I try grabbing his pants and pulling myself in. I know that some people recommend temporarily releasing the triangle and post on the hip but what do you think about grabbing the pants and pulling yourself in until you've got a better angle?"
Absolutely. I have been making "getting an angle" a much bigger priority and have been having much more success with the triangle. Do whatever works for you to get yourself turned to the side, be it underhooking the leg, grabbing the pants, whatever you can get.
Best,
Jeff
I've seen both Nogueira and Bolo do this version, i.e. lock legs first and then pull down the shin. Any comments from other people?
I should probably add that I push his left wrist away with my right hand to clear the path for my right leg to come over his neck. My left hand is holding his neck (I'm always doing no-gi BJJ). When my leg comes over his neck, I release his wrist with my right hand and move it to his neck.
I think that this part plays a big role in the technique because my right forearm kind of blocks my right knee so it's harder for my opponent to push it forwards. If I grab my right shin with my left hand and don't have my right hand on his neck, sure, his head is pulled down, but he can push my right knee towards me and escape. But what do I know, lol :) This is just my limited experience.
Seeing as how the discussion has turned to the sequence of events that we perform to affect the triangle, I find it extremely helpful to turn myself to the side AS my leg comes down on the back of their head. Think about it for a second, you can put a lot more force on their head if your leg is straighter as opposed to being bent at a 90 degree angle. It places much more weight on the back of his head and breaks them down, making it much easier to lock your foot under the other leg tightly.