Side Triangle

What This Is

The side triangle — yoko sankaku in Japanese — is a triangle choke applied from a lateral position. The attacker is perpendicular to the opponent rather than facing them head-on or foot-to-head. The leg wedge captures the opponent’s head and far arm — the arm on the far side of their body — with the attacker’s body positioned beside the opponent rather than above or below.

The side triangle is primarily a top position technique — entered from side control, north-south side position, or scramble positions where the attacker is beside the opponent. Its classic application is against the turtle, where the legs replace the chest connection of a pin. This is the primary reason perspective is listed as “Top”: the standard application has the attacker controlling from the top position, with gravity and positional weight assisting the finish.

The compression mechanics are the same as all triangle variants (strangle both sides simultaneously applies), and so are the finishing cues: steer the trapped arm across the neck, adjust toward a perpendicular angle, extend the hips and squeeze the legs, and control the head. The top position’s weight assists the finish where the guard triangle relies on hip elevation.

The side triangle is a high-percentage finishing position once established. The top positional advantage (positional advantage precedes submission context — positional control increases finishing reliability) combined with the triangle compression means the defender is under simultaneous positional pressure and submission pressure. Escaping requires solving both problems.

Safety First

The Invariant in Action

The bilateral requirement does not change with the lateral approach. The attacker’s thigh and the opponent’s trapped arm against the neck are still the two compression elements. Practitioners who attempt the side triangle as a neck crank — squeezing the leg against the lateral neck — are applying force to one side only and are not applying a blood choke. Confirm both carotids are compressed before treating the position as a finishing threat.

The finishing adjustments in the side triangle are angular. The trapped arm is steered across the neck, the attacker adjusts toward a perpendicular angle to the opponent’s spine, and the legs extend and squeeze to close the compression. A side triangle that is locked but not finishing needs its angle adjusted, not more force.

From side control or north-south, the top player’s weight presses down on the opponent while the triangle provides the submission threat. This dual pressure — positional and submission — makes the side triangle difficult to defend. The bottom player must bridge and frame against the positional weight while also defending the choke, dividing their defensive resources.

Entering This Position

From Side Control — Leg Shoot Entry

The primary entry. From standard side control (chest-to-chest, top player beside the opponent), the top player clears the opponent’s far arm and steps the near leg over the head, laying the shin across the neck so that the head and far arm are captured inside the wedge. The triangle locks with the other leg crossing behind the first knee. The top player remains beside the opponent rather than transitioning to mount or north-south.

From North-South — Lateral Position

From north-south or a 45-degree transition off north-south, the top player rotates to the side and shoots the triangle laterally. This is the most natural entry from the north-south family — the top player is already in a position where the lateral approach is available without significant repositioning.

From Scramble — Top Player Beside the Opponent

When a scramble leaves the attacker beside their opponent — both transitioning from a previous position — the side triangle is available if the arm position is correct. The scramble geometry often produces the lateral approach angle naturally.

The classic case is the turtle. Against a turtled opponent the chest connection of a pin is unavailable, and the legs replace it: a leg feeds past the opponent’s head and far arm, the lock closes around both, and the turtle’s defensive shell becomes the trap. This is the side triangle’s signature use — the leg wedge delivers the connection and the strangle in one structure.

Converting a Failed Standard Triangle

When the standard triangle’s angle is lost — the opponent postures, stacks, or squares their shoulders so the front triangle will not close — switching to the side triangle keeps the strangle alive. The attacker rotates toward the trapped-arm side and re-locks the figure-four from the lateral orientation while the legs stay connected to the head. The bilateral compression continues from the new angle; the lock migrates rather than releases.

Finishing Mechanics

Steer the Arm, Square the Angle

The finishing cues are the universal triangle cues. Steer the trapped arm across the neck so it loads the far carotid, adjust the body toward a perpendicular angle to the opponent’s spine, and extend the hips as the legs squeeze. The side position often provides the perpendicular angle from the start — which is why the side triangle finishes quickly once locked.

Lock the Triangle Tight

The near foot hooks behind the far knee. From the side position this hook must be tight — the side triangle has a different angle of leg pressure than the guard triangle, and a loose lock is more likely to slip from the side position than from directly above.

Head Control

The opponent’s head must be controlled from the lateral position — preventing them from pulling out of the triangle by turning away from the attacker. The head control in the side triangle is typically a hand on the back of the head or an overhook on the neck rather than the two-hands-behind-the-head of the guard triangle.

Weight Distribution

The top positional advantage means the attacker’s weight assists the finish. Sinking weight into the opponent’s upper body while the legs squeeze combines positional and submission pressure. Do not rise off the opponent to adjust the angle — the weight must remain.

From This Position

Blood Choke Finish

The primary outcome. With the trapped arm steered across, the angle adjusted toward perpendicular, a tight lock, and bilateral compression, the side triangle is a blood choke.

Armbar from Side Triangle

The trapped arm is in armbar range from the lateral position. The pivot to armbar from the side triangle is the same triangle-armbar dilemma as the guard triangle — defending the choke exposes the armbar, and defending the armbar relieves the choke. See: Armbar.

Return to Side Control

If the side triangle fails to close — the opponent frames out or the lock slips — the attacker returns to side control rather than losing the top position. The side triangle is built into the side control game; a failed attempt does not require giving up position.

Defence and Escape

Prevent the Leg-Over Entry

The earliest defence is denying the wedge. From side control bottom, the far arm must not be left extended or floating — the capture requires the head and far arm inside the leg loop. Keeping the far elbow tight to the body and blocking the leg from crossing the head prevents the entry.

Roll Into the Attacker

Rolling toward the attacker — into the triangle — can break the lock before it closes. This creates space between the shoulder and the triangle leg, and the bottom player can follow through to a reversal or guard replacement.

Frame Against the Hip

The free arm frames against the attacker’s legs or hip, preventing the lock from fully closing and denying the angle adjustment. Without the perpendicular angle, the compression is reduced. This requires the free arm to be active throughout — the free arm is the primary defensive tool against the side triangle.

Common Errors — and Why They Fail

Error: Squeezing without adjusting the angle. Why it fails: force angle. A leg crossing the neck too flat compresses poorly regardless of squeeze. The lock is closed and the finish still does not arrive. Correction: Angle first, then squeeze — steer the trapped arm across, adjust toward perpendicular, and extend as the legs close.

Error: Losing weight distribution while adjusting. Why it fails: Rising off the opponent to adjust the angle removes the positional pressure advantage (positional advantage precedes submission). The bottom player can use the space created to escape. Correction: The angle adjustment must happen while maintaining weight on the opponent’s upper body. The two actions — weight and adjustment — happen simultaneously.

Error: Loose triangle lock from the lateral position. Why it fails: The side triangle’s angle makes the lock more susceptible to slipping than the guard triangle. A loose near-foot-behind-far-knee lock fails at the first defensive movement. Correction: Set the lock tighter than feels necessary before beginning the finishing sequence. The lateral position amplifies the consequences of a loose lock.

Drilling Notes

• Side control to side triangle entry drill. From established side control, practise clearing the far arm, stepping the leg over the head, and locking the triangle around the head and far arm. Goal: smooth entry without losing the weight distribution. Partner offers passive resistance initially. Twenty reps.
• Finishing-cue calibration. From established side triangle, practise the finishing sequence with a cooperative partner — steer the trapped arm across, adjust toward perpendicular, extend and squeeze. Partner confirms whether the pressure is vascular (both carotids loaded) rather than a crank. Repeat until the sequence is automatic.
• Triangle-armbar dilemma from side. From established side triangle, practise the pivot to armbar as the opponent postures to defend. The pivot direction from the side triangle is mirrored from the guard triangle — confirm the correct pivot direction before adding resistance.

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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