⚠️ SAFETY: Triangle Choke Front targets the Carotid arteries and one shoulder. Risk: Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness. Release immediately upon tap.
The Triangle Choke from front positions is one of the most fundamental and high-percentage submissions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly effective from closed guard, spider guard, and various open guard positions. This blood choke works by using your legs to create a triangle configuration around the opponent’s neck and one arm, simultaneously compressing the carotid arteries while using their own shoulder to complete the choke. The beauty of the front triangle lies in its mechanical efficiency - you’re using the largest muscle groups in your body (legs and hips) against the relatively weaker muscles of the opponent’s neck, creating a submission that requires minimal strength when executed with proper technique.
The front triangle is distinguished from rear and side triangles by the attacker’s position relative to the opponent - in this variation, you face your opponent while controlling them between your legs. This position offers unique advantages including superior angle control, easier transitions to armbars and omoplatas, and the ability to break posture effectively before finishing. The submission is particularly powerful because it creates a dilemma for the defender: any attempt to escape by pulling the head out typically exposes the arm to an armbar, while attempts to remove the choking leg often result in the defender posting their hand and creating an omoplata opportunity.
Historically, the triangle choke has been a cornerstone of guard-based jiu-jitsu since the earliest days of the Gracie family’s development of the art. Modern practitioners have refined the technique through countless competitive applications, with champions like Roger Gracie, Demian Maia, and more recently Gordon Ryan demonstrating its effectiveness at the highest levels. The front triangle remains essential curriculum from white belt through black belt, with advanced practitioners developing sophisticated set-ups, entries, and finishing details that make the submission nearly inescapable when properly applied.
Category: Choke Type: Blood Choke Target Area: Carotid arteries and one shoulder Starting Position: Closed Guard Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Carotid artery compression leading to unconsciousness | CRITICAL | Immediate upon release, but repeated unconsciousness can cause brain damage |
| Neck strain or cervical spine injury from improper defense | Medium | 1-2 weeks with rest |
| Shoulder or clavicle injury from extreme pressure | Medium | 2-4 weeks depending on severity |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 3-5 seconds minimum from lock to tight finish
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap (say ‘tap’ clearly)
- Physical hand tap on opponent’s body or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any distress signal including loss of resistance or unusual sounds
Release Protocol:
- Immediately open legs and release the triangle configuration
- Remove squeezing pressure from carotid arteries
- Allow opponent to recover in a safe position (do not immediately stand or roll)
- Monitor partner for signs of disorientation or distress
- If partner lost consciousness, place in recovery position and alert instructor immediately
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply triangle at competition speed in training
- Always allow partner clear access to tap (don’t pin both arms)
- Never spike or jerk the head during finishing sequence
- Respect all taps immediately without hesitation
- Do not practice on partners with known neck or cardiovascular issues without instructor approval
- White belts should practice under direct supervision until mechanics are understood
Key Principles
- Posture disruption is prerequisite - opponent cannot be finished from good posture
- Triangle geometry requires one arm inside, one arm outside the legs
- Squeeze knees together, not just ankle behind knee, to properly compress carotids
- Angle off 45 degrees from centerline to tighten the choke effectively
- Control opponent’s trapped arm to prevent escape and set up armbar threat
- Hip extension and pulling the head down simultaneously creates finishing pressure
- The opponent’s own shoulder completes one side of the choke - use their structure against them
Prerequisites
- Closed guard, spider guard, or open guard control established
- Opponent’s posture broken forward (head below hips)
- One of opponent’s arms isolated and controlled inside your guard
- Ability to create angle and bring one leg across opponent’s back
- Hip mobility to bring leg over shoulder and lock triangle configuration
- Opponent’s weight committed forward or trapped in position
Execution Steps
- Break opponent’s posture: From closed guard or open guard position, establish strong grips (collar and sleeve, or overhook and head control). Pull opponent’s head and upper body down while using your legs to prevent them from posting back. The goal is to bring their head below the level of their hips, compromising their base and creating the opening for triangle entry. Use hip movement and grip pressure simultaneously. (Timing: 2-3 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Isolate one arm inside: Using your grips and leg positioning, force one of the opponent’s arms to be inside your guard while the other remains outside. This creates the essential triangle geometry - one arm trapped against their neck, one arm free. Common methods include pulling one arm across while blocking the other with your shin, or using collar-and-sleeve grips to manipulate arm position. The inside arm should be deep, ideally with their elbow past your hip. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Throw leg over shoulder: With posture broken and arm isolated, uncross your ankles and bring one leg (same side as the trapped arm) across the opponent’s back and over their shoulder. This leg should be high on the shoulder, with your knee pointing toward their opposite ear. Simultaneously, your other leg should maintain control on their hip to prevent them from posturing up during the transition. Execute this movement smoothly to prevent them from recovering posture. (Timing: 1 second - must be quick) [Pressure: Light]
- Lock the triangle: Bring your leg that’s across their back down so your shin crosses behind their neck. Take your opposite leg and place the ankle (not the back of the knee) behind the knee of the choking leg. This creates the locked triangle position. Common error: placing the back of the knee behind the ankle, which is weaker. The proper lock has the ankle behind the knee, creating a more secure configuration. Your legs should form a figure-four shape. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Angle off and control trapped arm: This step is critical for finishing effectiveness. Angle your body approximately 45 degrees away from centerline, toward the side of the trapped arm. At the same time, grab the opponent’s trapped wrist and pull it across your body, preventing them from using that arm to create a frame or defend. Your hips should now be perpendicular to their body rather than square. This angle tightens the triangle geometry significantly. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Firm]
- Finish the choke: With the triangle locked and angle established, finish by squeezing your knees together powerfully while simultaneously pulling opponent’s head down with both hands (grip behind the head or their trapped arm). Extend your hips forward and up slightly to increase pressure on the carotid arteries. The finish should be a coordinated squeeze - knees together, hips extended, head pulled down. Apply pressure progressively over 3-5 seconds, releasing immediately upon tap. (Timing: 3-5 seconds progressive tightening) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Opponent stands up to defend triangle (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Transition to armbar or omoplata as they stand, or hook their far leg with your free hand to prevent full standing posture and sweep them
- Opponent grabs their own ankle or knee to prevent triangle lock (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Establish temporary hold with legs unlocked, use hands to strip their defensive grip while maintaining posture control, then immediately lock triangle before they can reestablish defense
- Opponent tries to pull head straight back (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Maintain angle and trapped arm control - pulling head straight back increases pressure on their own shoulder and typically fails if triangle is properly locked and angled
- Opponent attempts to stack and drive forward (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Swim your legs higher on their shoulders as they stack, maintain the lock, and be prepared to transition to omoplata if the stack becomes too severe
- Opponent tries to create space by pushing on hip or knee (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Squeeze knees tighter together, pull their head down harder, and consider switching to armbar on their posted arm if they commit significant pressure
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the proper configuration for locking the triangle - which leg’s ankle goes behind which leg’s knee? A: The ankle of your bottom leg (the leg that comes across the back) should be placed behind the knee of your top leg (the choking leg). This creates a figure-four lock. Reversing this (putting the back of the knee behind the ankle) creates a weak triangle that is easily escaped.
Q2: Why is angling off 45 degrees essential for finishing the triangle choke effectively? A: Angling 45 degrees toward the trapped arm side tightens the triangle geometry by creating proper compression on the carotid arteries. When you remain square with the opponent, there is too much space between your legs and their neck. The angle also helps isolate the trapped arm and prevents the opponent from creating defensive frames or relieving pressure.
Q3: What are the three critical safety protocols when applying triangle choke in training? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: First, apply pressure progressively over 3-5 seconds minimum rather than applying maximum force immediately. Second, always allow your partner clear access to tap (never pin both arms or prevent them from signaling). Third, release immediately upon any tap signal without hesitation or attempting to ‘finish’ the technique. These protocols prevent unconsciousness and injury during training.
Q4: What is the proper geometry needed before attempting triangle entry - which arm positions are required? A: You need one of the opponent’s arms inside your guard (trapped against their own neck) and one arm outside your guard. This creates the essential triangle geometry where their arm and your leg combine to compress one side while your other leg compresses the opposite side. Attempting triangle with both arms in or both arms out will fail.
Q5: If your opponent stands up while you have them in a triangle, what are your two primary options? A: First option is to transition to armbar by releasing the triangle, posting on their hip, and extending their trapped arm. Second option is to hook their far leg with your free hand while pulling them down, preventing them from achieving full standing posture and potentially sweeping them. Standing triangles can be finished but require specific training and create higher injury risk.
Q6: What are the signs that your training partner may be going unconscious in a triangle, and what is the proper response? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Signs include: sudden loss of resistance, body going limp, unusual sounds or snoring, or change in breathing pattern. Proper response: immediately release the triangle completely, place partner in recovery position on their side, alert your instructor, and monitor them until they fully recover. Never continue applying pressure if partner shows these signs even if they haven’t tapped - safety always supersedes the tap.
Q7: What should you do with the opponent’s trapped arm during the finishing sequence and why? A: You should grab their trapped wrist and pull it across your body throughout the finish. This serves multiple purposes: prevents them from using that arm to create a defensive frame against your leg, maintains proper triangle geometry, and keeps the arm positioned to compress their own carotid artery. Releasing this arm is one of the most common errors that allows escapes.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The triangle choke represents one of the most mechanically efficient submissions in all of grappling, and its effectiveness from front positions stems from perfect biomechanical principles. When we analyze the triangle, we must understand that we’re creating a closed kinetic chain using the strongest muscles in our body - the legs and hips - against the opponent’s neck, which has relatively weak supporting musculature. The critical detail that separates high-level triangle execution from mediocre attempts is the angle of application. Most practitioners understand they need to angle off, but few understand why: the 45-degree angle creates proper compression geometry where both carotid arteries are simultaneously compressed by the combination of your shin and their own shoulder. The trapped arm becomes the fulcrum that makes the entire system work. From a safety perspective, students must understand that the triangle is a blood choke affecting the carotid arteries, not an air choke. This means unconsciousness can occur in 3-5 seconds if maximum pressure is applied. In training, we must always apply this submission progressively, giving our partner adequate time to recognize the danger and submit. The progression from entry to finish should take at minimum 3-5 seconds, with pressure increasing gradually. This is not weakness or inefficiency - it is the mark of a mature practitioner who understands that longevity in the sport requires protecting your training partners as vigilantly as you protect yourself.
- Gordon Ryan: The front triangle is one of my absolute highest percentage submissions, and there’s a specific reason why it works so consistently at the elite level: it creates a true dilemma where every defensive option opens up another submission. When I lock a triangle in competition, my opponent knows that if they try to pull their head out, I’m switching to the armbar on that trapped arm instantly. If they try to posture and create space, I’m attacking the omoplata. If they stand, I either finish the triangle from there or I’m taking their back as they try to defend. This is what makes it different from training versus competition - in training, I’m working the position slowly and methodically, giving my partner time to understand what’s happening and tap safely. But in competition, the moment that triangle locks, I’m applying finishing pressure within the legal limits while simultaneously setting up the next attack in the chain. The key technical detail that most people miss is the importance of controlling that trapped arm throughout the entire sequence. I see so many people lock the triangle and then forget about the arm, and their opponent immediately creates a frame and starts to escape. Grab that wrist, pull it across your body, and never let go until the tap comes or you transition to the next submission. One more thing about training safely: even though I can finish triangles very quickly in competition, I never do that in the training room. My training partners are my most valuable asset - they’re the people who make me better every day. Injuring them with unnecessarily aggressive triangle applications would be incredibly stupid. So I practice the position, practice the control, and when the triangle is tight, I wait for the tap rather than cranking it as hard as I can.
- Eddie Bravo: The triangle from the front is an absolute staple of the 10th Planet system because it fits perfectly with our philosophy of control before submission and creating multiple attack chains from single positions. What I love about teaching the triangle is that it exemplifies everything we believe about modern no-gi jujitsu - it’s a position where flexibility, hip control, and systematic thinking all come together. In our system, we typically enter triangles from rubber guard positions like Mission Control or New York, which give us insane posture control that makes the entry way higher percentage than traditional setups. But regardless of how you enter, the finishing mechanics are universal and they need to be drilled with serious attention to safety. Here’s what I tell all my students: the triangle is one of those submissions where you can really hurt someone if you’re not careful. We’re compressing the carotid arteries, cutting off blood flow to the brain, and if you crank that at full speed in training, your partner can go out in seconds. That’s not cool, and it’s not what jujitsu is about. So we have strict protocols - progressive pressure over several seconds, clear communication, immediate release on any tap signal. The other thing I emphasize is creativity with the triangle. Don’t just learn one entry and stick with it forever. Experiment with entries from different guards, try different angle adjustments, work on your transitions to armbar and omoplata from the triangle position. The front triangle should be a central hub in your submission game, with paths leading in from multiple positions and paths leading out to other attacks. That’s how you build a complete game that keeps evolving. But through all that evolution and creativity, never forget the fundamental responsibility we have to keep our training partners safe so they can continue to be our partners for years to come.