Reader Question: “Subject: Triangle Short Legs Issues”


Question : Recently I had a roommate start talking shit about making me tap out. I don’t have much BJJ training but I know a little bit.

I trained for a few months at an MMA gym, but he had about 60 + pounds on me.
Anyways, I caught him in a triangle position. Kinda.

He wrestled in high school he says, so I easily trapped his right arm and head in my legs.
But he was so much bigger than me, but with my short legs I couldn’t get my ankle down below my knee.

What should I do next time? In my head I wanna say I should have switched to an armbar and just released my ankles and threw my leg in front of his face. Sound about right?”

Jiu-jitsu Times : My first suggestion would be that if you really want to do Brazilian jiu-jitsu, get yourself a kimono and head down for classes at a real academy! If you want to grapple your buddies, don’t do it on the living room floor and risk breaking the flat screen TV – or worse someone’s neck or arm!

Now to address your question directly: if you have short legs, triangle greatness is likely not in your future. Especially against larger opponents with big necks and shoulders.

This is the plague of short legged BJJ guys everywhere with dreams of having a deadly triangle.

In this video, Renzo Gracie gives a tip for triangling larger opponents.

Renzo Gracie Demonstrates How To Triangle Larger Opponents

Now if you are thinking arm lock instead of triangle, that is a good strategy against a much larger opponent when you can’t break their posture and cinch the triangle tight.

Dennis Asche of Connection Rio shows his version of attacking the armlock from triangle:

Super-effective BJJ triangle-armbar submission, good for vs big guys

Seriously, if you want to do BJJ, do it in a safe environment under the supervision of a black belt instructor before one of you or your buddies gets hurt.

A Reader Question on Jiu-jitsu Times: “Is size and strength more important than skill?”

A Reader Question: “Is size and strength more important than skill?”


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