What would you do? (scenario)

[Matt Wright]

I have changed gyms, and I find myself in this situation alot. I get out of it at times, and sometimes I don't. It depends on who I'm rolling with. These guys are a much better gym than any I have been to yet. And they seem to have mastered the disguised triangle choke. You think you're about to get them in something, and BAM! You're in it. I usually get had when I'm trying to break their guard.

So picture this. You are on top, in your opponent's guard. He has it very tight, and stacking him will not work. You upright yourself, and push down on his lower stomach. You are simultaneously turning your hips to cut through his ankles, and pushing on his inner thighs with your elbows. He squirms and somehow has one of your arms in, and one of your arms out. You know what he's going for.

What do you do?

[TriangleMan]

If he has the choke locked in, you're screwed- its like asking how to stop a punch when its an inch from your jaw- you should have defended it before it got there.

Defending yourself against the moves in jiu jitsu is all about recognizing the setups of the moves so that you can defend it the moment your opponent attempts it.

That being said, the best defense to a triangle (when he jumps the legs over your head and has not yet locked it in) is to get posture so he can not pull your head down. Throw your hips in to his and arch your back as much as possible so that you're literally looking at the ceiling and your back is straight.

[ps1]

Stop digging your elbows into the thigh. It's not effective and depends on pain.

Rule number one to avoid the triangle is to never let one arm get trapped inside while the other is outside. Both in or both out.

Beyond that you'll need to keep training passing techniques and techniques for opening the legs. It takes alot of practice to get good. Don't get impatient.

[unknownstyle]

a better way to break through a guard is to push down on the inner thigh until it breaks and quickly move your knee onto it and then over putting you in a half guard. after that repeat on the other side and you will have a full mount. im not sayin that you will totally eliminate the chance of the triangle, but it my experience it helped alot.

[ps1]

a better way to break through a guard is to push down on the inner thigh until it breaks and quickly move your knee onto it and then over putting you in a half guard. after that repeat on the other side and you will have a full mount. im not sayin that you will totally eliminate the chance of the triangle, but it my experience it helped alot.

This is not going to work on skilled grapplers. It's extremely difficult to pass the guard of a good grappler, let alone go straight from the half guard to mount. You're very likely to get swept trying to do this. It works on beginners, not good practitioners.

In the way you described to do it, as you push down on the inner thigh, the guy will shift his hips out and turn into knee in belly trapping your pushing arm inside. He will then shift back, open the legs and lace them around your head. Walla! The triangle choke is begun. If you make posture you give up the armbar, if you do not...you don't breathe.

The fact is if you find yourself pushing or digging in any way, you are doing it wrong. Everything you do should be a result of something you set up. That is, I put my hands here and it makes my opponent believe this is open. When my opponent goes for that technique, I can employ mine. That is how jiujitsu operates. Application of strength is improper. Application of weight and proper positioning reign supreme.

A great reference for good ways to open the guard can be found at bjj.com

Find two or three that work off of one another. For example, start the stack pass and move into the inside knee pass, they work great off of one another.

[Jiffy]

When you pass the guard, are you putting the leg on your shoulder? If so, this is a good way to pass the guard, but bare in mind it makes it very easy for them to triangle choke. To avoid this, as soon as you have the leg up, push that knee as hard and as fast as you can toward their face. If it's only half way when you start to turn, or you leave it there for too long, they will be able to get the traingle on easily. Take the leg higher where it has very little strength. Practise slowly to get the technique right, then try to speed it up later.

Most importantly, don't stress - "If you never tap, you never learn" - John Will

[bushido_man96]

When you pass the guard, are you putting the leg on your shoulder? If so, this is a good way to pass the guard, but bare in mind it makes it very easy for them to triangle choke. To avoid this, as soon as you have the leg up, push that knee as hard and as fast as you can toward their face. If it's only half way when you start to turn, or you leave it there for too long, they will be able to get the traingle on easily. Take the leg higher where it has very little strength. Practise slowly to get the technique right, then try to speed it up later.

Most importantly, don't stress - "If you never tap, you never learn" - John Will

Aaah, man, that is a good point....but I hate tapping!

[BJJ is 1]

Try and learn some standing guard passes, your base and posture have to be great but it will rule out alot of subs

[Fat Donkey]

Yeah Man, theres something we call the Superman escape. This can work even when the choke is on tight but u r still concious . Basically pretend u r flying like superman and push/run forward as hard and fast as u can. HEAD UP, Arms out. This basically stacks, rolls and breaks your opponents in that order. WARNING, this almost always works against bigger guys 180lbs +, who hate getting stacked. But smaller, more flexible guys r sometimes able to keep the choke and roll with it and end up in a mounted triangle, then your really done. But give it a shot. In the year since I've learned it I've only been triangled 4 times and always by smaller guys.