Why Your Triangle Choke Is Not Working (Generally Speaking)

When I teach triangle choke to people who are not familiar with it, some of them often ask…
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“Hey Masa, am I doing this correctly?”
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I usually answer to them by saying:
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“Ask your training partner!”
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If your choke is on and effective, your training partner will know it immediately… and tap accordingly.
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The more you get used to doing triangle, the more you will develop a sense of when your triangle is on.
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And when you do triangle correctly, it feels as if you can keep going further and further without feeling much resistance.
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Generally speaking, if your triangle choke is not working, it’s because your positioning is off.
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If you want to get better at triangling people, you have to understand this feeling so you will be able to adjust your position.
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Focus on improving your position and controlling your opponent.
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And don’t squeeze hard right from the beginning, even if you think you are in a good position to finish your opponent with triangle. You can start with just enough amount of pressure that won’t burn your legs.
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Increase pressure gradually, and make sure to keep improving your position if there’s still room for such improvement.
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All of these things apply to every other choke.