Yoko sankaku

Yoko sankaku is the judo name for the side triangle — the triangle choke applied from a perpendicular angle to the opponent’s centreline rather than from directly in front, with the attacker’s body lying along the opponent’s side and the figure-four leg lock closing from that angle.

Etymology. Yoko (横) means “side” or “sideways”; sankaku (三角) means “triangle.” The combined term — side triangle — names the technique by the entry angle: the attacker’s body lies perpendicular to the opponent’s torso, closing the figure-four from the side rather than from the front. The technique sits in Kodokan judo’s shime-waza (strangulation techniques) catalogue as a variant of sankaku jime and remains in active use in judo and submission grappling contexts where the side angle provides a defensive bypass against opponents skilled at the front-on triangle defence.

Mechanics. The figure-four leg lock closes around the opponent’s neck and one arm from the side, with the attacker’s body lying parallel to the opponent’s. The side-on angle gives the attacker direct access to the carotid compression while leaving the opponent’s defensive frames oriented forward rather than sideways. The triangle’s bilateral compression on the carotid arteries reaches structural failure once the leg-lock figure-four closes fully and the attacker’s body weight loads the configuration.

Cross-reference. English-speaking no-gi and BJJ use “side triangle” or “side choke.” Full mechanical coverage on Side Triangle.