The triangle choke is an essential and iconic part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you’re describing BJJ to someone who has never grappled or watched MMA in their life, it’s the perfect place to start. You’re on your back with your opponent over you, a place where to the untrained eye you look like you’re losing the fight. From that position you can use your legs to choke your attacker unconscious, while still staying on your back! The BJJ triangle choke is a great example of the power of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu especially because a much smaller opponent can use it to incapacitate a stronger or larger one, just watch UFC 4 when Royce Gracie at 180 pounds used the triangle to submit the huge 260 pound Dan Severn.
While the BJJ triangle choke is one of the fundamental staples of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is why it is a part of the Gracie BJJ Blue Belt Test. It’s a complicated move that can take hours to understand weeks to get comfortable with, months to feel good about, and years to master.
Rener Gracie, Ryron Gracie, and Reylan Gracie all got together to release this video detailing the finer points of the BJJ triangle choke from guard in this extensive video.
The video is awesome and filled with details that are worth watching over and over, but here are the steps:
Start: Closed guard with one of opponent’s arms inside of closed legs
Step 1: Control opponent’s wrist and pull it across your body
Step 2: Pull down on head
Step 3: Put outside foot on opponent’s hip
Step 4: Bite across person’s neck with top-side leg
Step 5: Grab ahold of your top-side shin to keep opponent in place
Step 6: Figure four bottom leg over top-side leg so that your knee is hooker over your ankle or shin
Step 7: Grip being head with both hands and pull opponent’s head down
Step 8: Squeeze thighs together and lift hips up to complete triangle choke