BASIC TRIANGLE LOCK MECHANICS
The triangle choke starts by hugging around their shoulder line, and trapping their arm within that hug. The mechanics for the choke happen by using your limb (leg or arm) to compress one side of your opponent’s neck, while their trapped arm's shoulder helps compress the other side of the neck, closing off the carotid arteries and threatening unconsciousness.. To finish, you must angle your body off-center, pull the opponent’s head down, and flex your muscles to tighten the seal. The finish doesn't come from just “squeezing,” but rather from removing all space between your thigh and their trapped shoulder. Correct leg positioning, angle, and posture-breaking are critical to making the triangle effective.
ARM TRIANGLES
Arm triangles use your arms—and often your shoulder and chest—to trap the opponent’s neck along with their own arm, creating a powerful blood choke. These submissions close off both carotid arteries by driving pressure into one side of the neck while their trapped arm collapses the other. Arm triangles are usually applied from top positions like mount, side control, or front headlock, making them ideal for pressure-based players. Finishing depends on closing space, settling your weight, and using your body—not just your arms—to tighten the choke. When applied with control and patience, arm triangles are among the most suffocating and high-percentage submissions in grappling.
ARM TRIANGLE
A top-pressure choke that traps the opponent’s own arm against their neck while your shoulder seals the other side.
ARM-IN GUILLOTINE
A front headlock choke that includes one of the opponent’s arms inside, combining neck and shoulder pressure.
D'ARCE CHOKE
A deep front choke where your arm threads under their armpit and across the neck, locking at your bicep to squeeze.
ANACONDA CHOKE
Similar to the D’Arce, but your arm wraps over the neck and under the armpit, finishing with a roll and tight body compression.
LEG TRIANGLES
Leg triangles use your legs to form a figure-four around the opponent’s neck and shoulder, creating a choke that limits blood flow and often locks down their posture. These submissions are highly versatile and can be entered from guard, back control, side control, and even mount. What makes leg triangles especially powerful is their dual function: while one leg applies pressure across the neck, the opponent’s own trapped arm seals the choke, making it difficult to escape. Finishing requires angling your body off to the side, tightening your legs behind the knee, and squeezing with your hips. Once locked in, the triangle choke is a technical and reliable submission that rewards timing, control, and composure.
FRONT TRIANGLE
A triangle choke from guard that traps the opponent’s neck and one arm between your legs to cut off blood flow.
REAR TRIANGLE
A triangle applied from back control, wrapping your legs around the opponent’s neck while trapping their far arm.
SIDE TRIANGLE
A triangle locked from mount or side control, stepping over the head and angling your hips to finish from the top.