The Triangle is a submission hold that often leads to a tight choke in Jiu-Jitsu. So when you do the setup for a Triangle, most people expect a choke attempt. If the Triangle choke fails, the transition to an armbar is very common because it gives you another chance at a submission from the same setup.
However, if you approach the Triangle with an armbar as the primary goal instead of the choke, you can catch the opponent off-guard. Once you begin the setup, he would be immediately taking measures against the choke, which is likely to slow down his ability to defend the armbar.
CONVENTIONAL TRIANGLE CHOKE AND TRANSITION TO ARMBAR
In a conventional Triangle from guard, you would trap the opponent's head and one arm in between your locked legs. One of your legs would be above his shoulder while the other under the armpit. The choke is achieved when you tighten the space around his neck while the leg above his shoulder (known as the choking leg) applies pressure directly onto his carotid artery. The process of finishing this choke is often slow, so the opponent has time to alleviate the choking pressure, possibly breaking free of the submission hold.
If the opponent successfully defends against the Triangle choke, you could counter with an armbar by unlocking your legs and throwing the non-choking leg over the opponent's head so that both of your legs are on the same side of his head. This would trap the opponent's arm between your legs, making it possible to get a tight armbar.
KEY TECHNIQUE TO A STRONG CHOKE OR ARMBAR FROM A TRIANGLE SETUP
The key technique to ensuring a tight choke from the Triangle is done during the setup. The initial space between the choking leg and the opponent's neck should be virtually nil. When you lift your choking leg over the opponent's shoulder, you need to lift your leg high enough past his shoulder so that the calf is horizontal to the back of his neck when you lock your legs together. Not only would this minimize the chances of him pulling out his head or arm, but it would also cause him to carry your entire hip weight whenever he lifts his head.
Realistically, when you set up the Triangle by lifting your leg over his shoulder from guard, his reaction would be to posture his body, which could make it difficult for you to lock your legs and tighten the space around his neck. But if you lift your leg high by pushing off his body with your other leg, or use a collar grip to lower his posture, you can land your calf horizontal to the the back of his neck, making it very hard for him to maintain his posture. Thus, you would have a good chance at entering and maintaining the Triangle.
Having your calf horizontal to the back of the neck is also the key component to securing a fast armbar immediately after abandoning the choke. If you also begin thrusting your hips upward before passing the non-choking leg over his head, your hips would remain high so your thighs would be glued to his elbow regardless of how high he postures.
GOING FOR ARMBAR DIRECTLY FROM TRIANGLE SETUP
The main issue with going for the Triangle choke first is that the transition to an armbar would not present a dilemma of submissions. If the choke attempt were to happen first, but the opponent manages to avoid getting submitted by the choke, he would be fully prepared to defend the armbar when you abandon the choke.
Instead of going immediately for the choke from the setup (as the opponent expects), you could go directly into the armbar by throwing your non-choking leg over his head. Remember to start thrusting your hip upward (as if you were already starting the armbar) before passing the non-choking leg over the head. The opponent would have little time to react to the armbar because the pressure on his elbow would happen as soon as you throw your leg over his head. The calf on the back of his neck and the hip thrust prior to passing the non-choking leg over will cause your hips stay close to his elbow regardless of his posture, leaving very little room for him to move or escape his elbow once it is trapped between your thighs. So with little time to deal with the armbar, he would likely tap from a sharp pain before thinking about alleviating the pressure.
The best way for the opponent to defend against a tight armbar like this is to prevent the elbow from being trapped between the thighs. In other words, he would have to anticipate the armbar a few seconds before you throw your leg over his head. If the armbar is concealed by a choke setup, and your hips are high enough, the opponent will not react in time to avoid the elbow trap.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATING ARMBAR FROM A TRIANGLE FAKE
Here is a video of an Armbar from the Triangle Setup of the Collar and Sleeve guard:
SEE ARMBAR FIRST INSTEAD OF CHOKE FROM THE TRIANGLE SETUP
Attempting an armbar after a failed Triangle choke normally results in the opponent being ready to defend the transition, especially when he knows that the choke is failing. Thus, it's best to put on the armbar when he is most likely to expect a choke attempt. This could happen before or after you lock your legs, as long as he is expecting the choke and your hips are very high against his elbow. You will be delighted at the efficiency of this armbar.
Remember that this armbar is meant to be fast and powerful so when you are drilling this submission on a training partner, tell him what to expect so that he is ready to tap.
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