triangle against big opponents

FStep

FStep

Brown Belt
@Brown
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first off note i haven't been grapling that long but generally when it comes to using the triangle i have trouble getting quick/aggressive opponents in it maybe because i haven't had that much practice with it but i tend to get it easily against bigger/stronger but slower guys thing is even when i get it perfect against someone much bigger then me i never get a tap from it and usually have to transition to an armbar once they stand up ... is this move just not meant to work well against someone bigger or is it just something i need to practice more
 
i find that it works better later in a match when the guy is weaker and cant defend it better
 
The triangle works ALOT better against big guys, you gotta train man its the only way you'll learn...Skinny dudes should be armbared.
 
l have problem getting it on dudes with nonexisting (very short) necks or very wide shoulders. Mainly due to my slighty short legs. Its very hard at all to apply any choke on shortnecked dude at my dojo. It almost looks like God forgot the neck before putting on his head on.and left me over with 1 or 2 inches too short legs.
 
FStep said:
first off note i haven't been grapling that long but generally when it comes to using the triangle i have trouble getting quick/aggressive opponents in it maybe because i haven't had that much practice with it but i tend to get it easily against bigger/stronger but slower guys thing is even when i get it perfect against someone much bigger then me i never get a tap from it and usually have to transition to an armbar once they stand up ... is this move just not meant to work well against someone bigger or is it just something i need to practice more
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Try this, dominate their head. Put both hands around the back of their head and keep pulling them down into your guard. Then, put your foot behind their back and grab onto it with one hand, never let his head come up tho. Shift your hips so your hamstring is beside their neck, use your leg, and both arms to keep the head down. shift back in front of him and lock in the triangle.

He's prly not tapping cuz you aint quite on his neck tight enough. Are you pulling his trapped arm further across him into your guard? If not, start doing this, it sinks in the choke. Once you got the legs triangled, the next thing you should do is pull that arm across his neck, nahmean?

If he picks you up, grab onto his gi, or the back of his head, don't fall off! Hang in there, he'll go any minute.

Some guys are really tough, you just have to outlast them. Keep trying and you will see that your legs are probably stronger than his neck.
 
First of all get the right angle for the triangle. If you are putting on the triangle from straight in front, you are doing it wrong. Go ask your instructor for the right way to get the angle.

Second of all, no technique is perfect. Big guys have a natural advantage in defending most techniques since they usually stronger. In these cases be like water and flow. The omoplata and the triangle are like twin brother and sister moves. Learn them. Learn to combine them. Learn to switch back and forth instinctively.
 
some guys are so big they're virtually impossible to triangle. i'm talking husky guys in the 260+ range.
 
i had the same problem once against a guy in my old academy. his shoulders/neck/traps were so big (around 275, 6'0" or so - not too tall) that i couldnt even close the triangle on him when drilling with no resistance - my legs were just too short. the only way that i could close it was if i got at greater than a 90 degree angle to him (almost at his feet), but then it wasnt even really a triangle because it wasnt choking him, lol. despite what people tell you, some guys just might be too big for you to triangle, even with perfect technique.
 
colinm said:
i had the same problem once against a guy in my old academy. his shoulders/neck/traps were so big (around 275, 6'0" or so - not too tall) that i couldnt even close the triangle on him when drilling with no resistance - my legs were just too short. the only way that i could close it was if i got at greater than a 90 degree angle to him (almost at his feet), but then it wasnt even really a triangle because it wasnt choking him, lol. despite what people tell you, some guys just might be too big for you to triangle, even with perfect technique.
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yep i can think of two guys in particular i had trouble on, one was about 6'2" and 260ish, and while it may have been possible to tap him i couldn't.. the other was probably 5'9" and 320ish (real big guy). it was definitely impossible to tap him with a triangle.
 
jahred said:
some guys are so big they're virtually impossible to triangle. i'm talking husky guys in the 260+ range.
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why does everyone have to say "husky"
 
Conditioned by thier parents not to be thought of as fat, but rather 'husky'.
 
alot of new guys will not post their foot in turn for the triangle... making it a weak choke if one at all.

If your stepping on their hip, turning out, locking the triangle and pulling their head and their not tapping.... ask someone why my friend because you are doing it wrong...

Unless they are to big to close the triangle there is no reaosn you should not be able to finish them with it.
 
Gsoares2 said:
Unless they are to big to close the triangle there is no reaosn you should not be able to finish them with it.
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that's the problem. :p
 
I've been able to get the triangle on a couple of big guys (260~s) I've attempted it on by changing the position of my hips to that I'm lying my right side (for example), with my right calf/achilies tendon against his left side of his neck and my left leg on the back of his neck, figure foured around my right ankle, with my groin to his right side, pulling his arm down and to my right/his left. I've also had success doing the triangle the normal way on bigger guys as long as I can fit his upper arm and neck in the triangle, that can usually push his shoulder into his neck enough for it to work, even if I am not surrounding that shoulder with the triangle.
 
Re: Triangle attempts against the big boys:

FStep said:
...they stand up ...
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That's what I've noticed, as a short legged relatively small guy, when the "husky" guy stands up, it's all over for me. I get stacked and have to abandon the triangle or transition to an arm bar attempt as you mentioned FStep. I've pretty much given up on triangles against big dudes in my guard.

The only thing I can think up is to really push your hips into the air as you go into the triangle, really thrusting your leg over their shoulder and then snapping that leg down across the back of their neck hard. It has to be aggresive against the giants, or they'll just bully you with weight and strength. Also, what the guys above have said: good advice.

In addition I think I would think up a couple of things to do by feinting a triangle choke and then following up. Maybe into some leg entangling bjj sweep as they stand up, or a "knee bar" sweep kinda thing. Fake the triangle and anticipate their reaction. Tactically plan 2 or 3 steps ahead. Eventually they may start defending against your combinations, and leave themselves wide open to the triangle you were trying to get in the first place.
 
One other thing. I thought about it for a little bit and when I do get a triangle against a "big boned" opponent, it's usually because they stack and I do an "uphill" roll and end up basically face down, and they're face down too. And I just keep rolling with it, my legs in the figure 4 triangle position the whole time, no matter where they turn. Sometimes I'll end up with a good north south pin if nothing else.
 
I find angle to be very important when im trying to triangle a big guy. You should always move out to an angle but its especially important then.
 
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