| Triangle Choke | |
|---|---|
 A triangle choke attempt in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition | |
| Classification | Chokehold |
| Style | Judo,Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,Sambo, No-gi grappling |
| AKA | Sankaku-Jime, Triangle Choke |
| Parent hold | Guard |
Atriangle choke (Japanese: 三角絞sankaku-jime), is a type offigure-fourchokehold that encircles the opponent's neck and one of their arms within the legs of the attacker. The configuration of the legs is similar to the shape of atriangle. Applying pressure using both legs and the opponent's own arm/shoulder, the technique is a type of lateral vascular restraint that constricts theblood flow from thecarotid arteries to thebrain, resulting in loss of consciousness in seconds when applied correctly. Recent studies have shown that the triangle choke takes an average of 9.5 seconds to render an opponent unconscious from the moment it is properly applied.[1]
The triangle choke was seen in earlykosen judo competition.While details of its origin are unknown, it is strongly associated toYaichibei Kanemitsu and his apprentice Masaru Hayakawa, who featured the first registered use of the move in a kosen judo tournament inKobe, Hyogo in November 1921.[2][3] Earlier names for the technique would have beenmatsuba-gatame (松葉固め),sankaku-garami (三角緘み) orsankaku-gyaku (三角逆) before finally settling down onsankaku-jime (三角絞め).[2][3] According to Kanemitsu himself, a primitive version of the move had been shown byTakenouchi-ryū master Senjuro Kanaya around 1890, though it was apparently a simpler form of neckscissors without the posterior triangle action.[4] The sankaku-jime was officially adopted and endorsed by important judokas like Masami Oyama, and soon met plenty of use both in kosen judo and mainstream judo.[2][5]Tsunetane Oda, a fellow kosen judoka,[6] demonstrated the technique on video[7] and is also credited with the creation of the move in some sources.[8]
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The first reported variation was the front triangle choke ormae-sankaku-jime (前三角絞め), applied from the position known in modern times asguard, often after a pull down orhikikomi (引込).[9] Another variation was the horizontal triangle oryoko-sankaku-jime (横三角絞め), performed from the side. Martial arts historianToshiya Masuda has attributed its innovation toMasahiko Kimura, who would have created it during the Takudai kosen judo tournament atTakushoku University and accomplished prolonged success with it, though he also deems probable that Kimura only popularized the variation instead of creating it.[9] The inverted variation orushiro-sankaku-jime (後三角絞め), typically seen in modern judo competition, was the next addition, preceding many others.[2][9]
Among those variations, the front triangle is particularly favored by practitioners ofBrazilian jiu-jitsu. According to a popular belief maintained byRomero Cavalcanti, the technique was introduced in Brazilian jiu-jitsu byRolls Gracie after finding it in a judo book.[10]Márcio "Macarrão" Stambowsky, who was named byRickson Gracie as one of the earliest Brazilian competitors to popularize the concept,[11] has also credited Rolls.[12] Other sources, like Toshiya Masuda[9] and Roberto Pedreira,[13] believe it might have been introduced in Brazil much earlier by Yasuichi and Naoichi Ono, disciples of Yaichibei Kanemitsu himself, as well as possibly other judo practitioners like Ryuzo Ogawa.[13] Rolls trainee Mario Tallarico lends credibility to this theory,[8] as does a 1935 newspaper clipping that depicts Yasuichi Ono performing a Triangle Choke in his training for an upcoming fight with Helio Gracie.[14]
The triangle choke was seen in Japaneseshoot wrestling in the 1980s. The triangle choke was first shown inmixed martial arts on March 11, 1994, when Jason Delucia used a triangle to defeat Scott Baker atUFC 2. This variation has remained as the most commonly seen in MMA, although the side or inverted triangle has been also used; on September 26, 1995,Shooto fighterRumina Sato submittedIsamu Osugi with a flying inverted triangle choke. Many years later,Toby Imada won 2009 Submission of the Year with an inverted triangle choke overJorge Masvidal atBellator 5.[15] Even more complex holds, likeChris Lytle's inverted mounted triangle/straight armbar combination atUFC 116 in 2010, have also surfaced.[16]
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Tactically speaking, the triangle choke is a very effective attack employed from the bottom position, generally applied from theguard. The choke can also be applied in themount,side mount andback mount positions by more advanced grappling practitioners. A flying triangle choke is performed when the attacker leaps into the air to apply the hold on a standing opponent.
To escape a triangle choke, the defending practitioner must first elevate their head so as to preclude the full force of the submission, and subsequently must bring their arm away from opposition with their own carotid artery. Once out of immediate danger of loss of consciousness, the practitioner can concentrate on reversing or escaping the figure-four lock. One method for this is to break the opponent's legs apart. With the opposing practitioner applying the choke in a bottom guard position, the defender should start to stand up, with both hands stacked and bearing weight on or above the breast opposite the arm in the choke (or gripping the collar of the opponent's gi). When the defender is nearly standing and leaning over so as to bring their weight to bear on their opponent, the defender should start to walk to the side opposite the captured arm. This pushes the defender's back and shoulder into the leg wrapped around their back, and forces the opponent's other leg to reach forward to maintain the lock. This weakens the strength of the choke and allows the defender to muscle out or force the attacker to release the choke.[citation needed]
In some rule sets such asmixed martial arts, it is possible for the defender to lift the person applying the choke and to slam them to the ground in an attempt to get them to release the hold. In many grappling rule sets such slams are not allowed.
What is the origin of the triangle? The application of the triangle in my life started with watching guys like Marcio Macarrao.[dead YouTube link]
I put it in my game a lot, so many people think I invented the triangle, but I didn't — I learned from Rolls.
