Opposite-Side Triangle

What This Is

The opposite triangle — hantai sankaku in Japanese — is the reversed-lock triangle in the five-triangle classification standard in modern no-gi. The trapped head-and-arm configuration is identical to the front triangle. What differs is the figure-four itself: it is locked on the reversed side, with the top, choking knee on the wrong side relative to the trapped arm.

The reversed lock is rarely chosen. It arises when the attacker locks the triangle on the side that is available rather than the side that is correct — usually mid-scramble or mid-entanglement, when the legs close on whichever configuration the exchange offers and the figure-four lands with the choking knee on the same side as the trapped arm.

The consequence is the point. With the lock reversed, the choking leg’s calf does not cross the carotid line — the compression that closes a front triangle (strangle both sides simultaneously) is unavailable from this configuration, and squeezing harder does not fix a geometric problem.

The configuration’s real value is as a trapping position and an armlock platform. The head and arm are held as firmly as in a front triangle, and the trapped arm sits directly in range of the kimura, the americana, and the straight armlock. The strangle path exists too: the front triangle is one re-lock away — swapping the choking leg to the correct side converts the trap into the choke.

Safety First

The Invariant in Action

The opposite triangle holds everything a front triangle holds except the choke. The choking leg’s calf, locked on the reversed side, does not cross the carotid line — one side of the neck stays unloaded, and the bilateral requirement is unmet regardless of squeeze. The strangle returns when the re-lock returns the calf to the carotid.

The side of the lock is the angle. The same legs, the same squeeze, applied from the reversed side, route force across the jaw and skull rather than the carotids. Squeezing harder changes nothing. The correction is geometric: swap the choking leg to the correct side and the angle — and the choke — return.

The reversed lock keeps its inside position even though it loses its choke. The legs control the head and the trapped arm from inside, dictating posture and denying the arm’s escape. That inside control is the trap — and it is what makes the armlock layer safe to attack at leisure.

Entering This Position

From De La Riva Guard

Triangle entries launched from De la Riva arrive on whichever side the entanglement presents, and that is often the reversed side. As the opponent’s posture breaks, the legs close around the head and arm — but the figure-four lands with the choking knee on the wrong side relative to the trapped arm, and the De la Riva control is spent in the transfer. The attacker arrives holding the trap rather than the strangle, and the armlock layer and the re-lock are what make the exchange worthwhile.

From K-Guard

K-guard entries produce the same reversed lock while preserving control — the K-guard’s structure keeps the attacker connected through the transition, and the figure-four lands on the reversed side because that is the side the K-guard’s geometry presents. This is the calmer version of the same arrival: the attacker settles into the trapping position with the head and arm controlled, and chooses between the armlocks and the re-lock to the front triangle.

Finishing Mechanics

Why the Strangle Stalls

The choking leg’s calf is not across the carotid line. Squeezing the reversed lock compresses the jaw and skull — painful, survivable. Treat the reversed lock as a control structure, and route the finish through the armlocks or the re-lock rather than through force.

The Armlock Layer

The trapped arm is the primary attack. The kimura and the americana attack the shoulder with a figure-four grip on the trapped wrist; the straight armlock extends the arm over the hip or thigh. The legs never release during any of these — the head-and-arm trap is what makes the armlocks safe to set up, because the opponent can neither posture out nor withdraw the arm.

The Re-Lock to the Front Triangle

The strangle path is the re-lock. Holding the head with the legs throughout, the attacker opens the figure-four and swaps the choking leg to the correct side relative to the trapped arm, closing the front triangle. The steps are small and the head never comes free during the swap. Once re-locked, the finish is the standard triangle finish.

From This Position

Kimura, Americana, Straight Armlock

The trapped arm feeds all three. Which one arrives depends on the arm’s bend as the opponent defends — an arm bent upward feeds the americana, bent downward the kimura, and straightened the armlock. Cycling between them against a defending opponent is the position’s attacking rhythm.

Re-Lock to the Standard Triangle

The conversion to the strangle. The switch runs both ways — a front triangle that slips mid-scramble can land as the reversed lock, and the trap holds what the strangle lost until the attacker re-locks. See: Standard Triangle

Defence and Escape

Protect the Trapped Arm

From the reversed lock the strangle is weak; the arm is the danger. Hiding the trapped wrist — gripping the own thigh or connecting the hands — denies the kimura and straight armlock while the escape is worked. An exposed wrist is the first thing the attacker takes.

Escape Before the Re-Lock

The re-lock is the moment of greatest danger and greatest opportunity. The figure-four must open to swap sides — posturing and extracting the head during the swap beats the front triangle before it closes. A defender who waits until the re-lock completes is defending a full triangle instead of a weak one.

Posture and Stack

The head-and-arm trap still answers to posture. Driving up and stacking loads the attacker’s hips and can shake the lock loose — and the attempt is more available here than against a front triangle, because the reversed lock cannot punish it with an immediate choke.

Common Errors — and Why They Fail

Error: Forcing the strangle from the reversed lock. Why it fails: strangle both sides simultaneously. The choking leg’s calf is off the carotid line — the squeeze delivers jaw and skull pressure, no blood choke, and burns energy the trap was preserving. Correction: Attack the trapped arm, or re-lock to the front triangle. The reversed lock finishes through its follow-ups.

Error: Opening the lock fully to re-lock. Why it fails: The head comes free during the swap and the whole position is lost — the trap traded for nothing. Correction: Swap the legs in stages with the head controlled throughout; the figure-four opens, the choking leg crosses, the lock closes, and the head never leaves the loop.

Error: Holding the trap without attacking. Why it fails: The reversed lock’s control is real but static — a defender given time will hide the wrist, stack, and work free. Correction: The armlock threats start immediately. The kimura, americana, and straight armlock cycle keeps the defender reacting while the re-lock waits as the strangle path.

Drilling Notes

• Lock recognition drill. From De la Riva and K-guard triangle entries, close the figure-four and call which side the lock landed on — correct or reversed — before attacking. The skill is recognising the reversed lock instead of squeezing it.
• Re-lock drill. From an established reversed lock, practise swapping the choking leg to the correct side with the head controlled throughout. Cooperative partner first; then the partner tries to extract the head during the swap.
• Armlock cycle drill. From the reversed lock, cycle kimura, americana, and straight armlock on the trapped arm as the partner defends each in turn. The legs never release. The goal is continuous threat, with the re-lock added as the fourth option once the cycle is smooth.

Ability Level Guidance

Ruleset Context

Legal in every major ruleset. Neither a spinal lock nor a compression lock, so none of the belt-graduated restrictions reach it. Verify current ruleset versions before competing.

Also Known As

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