Triangle Escapes Revisited

Went to the gym to get my run in real quick and get some tips from Mike regarding my triangle escapes. We revisited 3 escapes and touched on how each escape has an appropriate time to be used.

Escape #1 - Over the shoulder (Early)

• This escape is best used when the triangle is being attempted or has not been been locked in, meaning your opponent's leg is across the back of your neck or better not sunk in yet.
• Keep head up.
• Arm that is in must not go across their body. Can put it on the ground or in your opponent's hip or ribs. By doing this, it makes it harder for your opponent to lock up the triangle since your elbow will be blocking their leg.
• Get up and w/ other arm grab around their neck and work for an over the shoulder pass.
• If the legs still have not opened up yet, throw your elbow (the arm that is in) back as if elbowing someone behind you.

Escape #2 - Stacking (Sunk in, but not quite deep enough)

• This escape is, like the title says, good when the triangle is not deep. Meaning, the triangle is locked in and your opponent's leg may is somewhat perpendicular to the back of your neck and your elbow has been defeated from escape #1.
• Both hands must go behind your opponent's neck. You must be able to control them by putting your arms there. (Maybe the rapist choke? I don't know if this would be where I would want my arms because it would be easy for my opponent to defeat them versus being behind their neck and not around their throat)
• Stand up and get face to face. Be careful not to get legs trapped by opponents arms. Keep opponent from wiggling out w/ arms and hands behind neck.
• Sprawl into their butt. Use your hips! Legs should pop open.
• REMEMBER - use hips not chest! "Make like Fuck"

Escape #3 - "The Laird" (Last Resort)

• Now the triangle is in and locked up. Your opponent's leg is completely perpendicular to the back of my neck and is sunk in.
• With the arm that is in, put your thumb in the bend of their knee. By doing this you're almost making it deeper because you should be reaching across your body.
• Get the arm that is in across their body (elbow to opponent's hip).
• Free hand grabs same knee and peels.
• MAKE sure to pull knee off and try and get opponent's leg on it's side.
• Also do not stay at six o'clock but move bottom half of body to either 3 or 9 o'clock (depending upon what arm is in) to help get opponent's leg on it's side.

It was good to revisit these escapes. I personally have been going to the over the shoulder pass and not trying the stack pass more often. It could be my timing and not being able to recognize how deep the choke is but I definitely need to work the different escapes.