San Diego brown belt JR came by Gold BJJ HQ and showed us some of his go-to Triangle escapes. We've broken them down into a quick 5-minute guide, with bite-sized chunks to make it easy to take these moves from the screen onto the mat. Enjoy!
San Diego brown belt JR came by Gold BJJ HQ and showed us some of his go-to Triangle escapes. We've broken them down into a quick 5-minute guide, with bite-sized chunks to make it easy to take these moves from the screen onto the mat. Enjoy!
The number one goal here is to get good posture. To get good posture, you need to get a good base inside your opponent's hips or inside their armpits to create some room to where you can straighten your back.
Start by reaching the belt, but it may require you to start by working your way down the body, starting from armpits and then working down to the belt.
Next, bring your knees up to your opponent square. Notice how this will build a strong base for you and lift your opponent.
Push down with your grip and arch your back up at the same time, staring at the ceiling as you posture up.
NOTE: The key to posturing up is to stare at the ceiling as much as you can because that forces your posture to be straight.
Once you feel you opponent's legs have broken open behind your back, bring your free arm in between your opponent's legs. If you can't get it all the way through, you can grab your trapped arm at the bicep and wiggle your arm in to reach closed guard.
This move utilizes the power from your hips to twist against your opponent to break the triangle.
Grab your opponent's gi with both hands at around the knee of their bent leg.
Quickly bring your shoulder to your opponent's chest and turn the shoulder that is inside the triangle outwards, and drop your hip.
You should end up on top and able to take side control.
NOTE: Be careful with this one because you are giving your opponent the leg they want to complete the triangle. Drop your hips at the same time you move your leg into danger so that it your opponent doesn't have that option, and doing the move quickly certainly helps! See image below for where not to move your leg.
This move allows you to keep your leg out of danger from the triangle and simultaneously give you an advantageous position on your opponent.
Give your opponent your opposite side leg that they want, then pull your hips away at a sharp angle from them so they can't get the leg they want.
To begin the roll, slide your knee over your opponent's chest and attempt to flip them onto their stomach. Continue the motion until the roll is complete.
Once the roll is completed, you should be on your opponent's back facing their feet, and they will be lying down on their stomach. Sit on their back and posture up to break out of the triangle, which will probably still be locked around you. Because their back cannot bend that way, they will be forced to release the triangle.
At this point, you can attack the feet, or try to beat your opponent to side control as they try to re-guard (see below).
When you're turning over your opponent, you give them your arm. They can potentially go for an omoplata, but the way you are circling out of the move, you will naturally defend the omoplata by swinging your leg over their body. The only difference is you will end up in a different position where you will want to press down with your shoulder after you step over to end up in side control. See the move with the opponent goes for the omoplata below.
We hope you enjoyed learning these triangle escapes. Stay tuned for more content like this - but until then, go practice this stuff on the mats!
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