Sankaku from mount

Sankaku from mount is the judo-derived name for the mounted triangle — the triangle choke applied from the mount position in which the attacker’s legs close around the opponent’s neck and one arm while maintaining top-position control.

Etymology. Sankaku (三角) means “triangle” — referring to the triangular leg configuration that defines the choke; “from mount” specifies the entry position. The Japanese terminology entered modern submission grappling through judo and was reinforced by Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s adoption of the triangle family. The mounted entry to the triangle became a high-percentage attack in submission-only competition through the 2010s as practitioners developed reliable transitions from mount to mounted triangle without losing the top position during the leg-engagement phase.

Mechanics. From the mount position, the attacker breaks the opponent’s defensive posture, isolates one arm across the centreline, and rotates one leg over the opponent’s neck while the other leg engages the opposite shoulder, locking the figure-four triangle. The body weight loads the carotid compression past the strangle’s failure point. Maintained mount control during the entry phase prevents the opponent from rotating out before the leg-triangle closes.

Cross-reference. English-speaking no-gi and BJJ use “mounted triangle.” Full mechanical coverage on Mounted Triangle.