Escaping armbars and triangles

Escape early, or tap

Armbar: they straighten your arm across their hips to bend the elbow the wrong way. Triangle: their legs choke you, with your own arm across your neck.

Every escape works only before the lock is set. Once your arm is straight and their hips are up, it is too late.

High mount and S-mount

High mount: their knees are in your armpits. S-mount: one of their legs is folded under your head and the other knee is across your chest.

• High MountHigh mount, with their knees up by your armpits.
• S-MountS-mount, with one leg under your head and one knee on your chest.

In high mount with an arm trapped up, pull the elbow back down to your ribs. Turn toward the trapped side. You are back in plain mount.

In S-mount the armbar is almost ready. This is the last moment for the hitchhiker escape.

The hitchhiker escape

Use it when they start to swing a leg over your head from S-mount. Your elbow must still be bent.

1. Clasp your hands before the leg comes over.
2. Turn your thumb up, so the elbow points at their hip.
3. Turn toward them, chest toward their legs.
4. Pull the elbow past their hip and come up to your knees.

The armbar from guard

You are inside their guard. They throw a leg over your head and start to lift their hips.

Your answer is the stack: you drive your weight down onto their hips so they cannot lift them.

1. Clasp your hands and keep the elbow bent.
2. Stack: drive your weight forward over their hips.
3. Turn the trapped hand toward their hip, thumb up.
4. Walk around toward the trapped-arm side.
5. Pull the elbow free and settle into side control.

The triangle escape

In a triangle, one of your arms is inside their legs and one is outside. The inside arm is the trapped arm. It lies across your neck and makes the choke.

1. Posture up: back straight, chin down.
2. Pull the elbow of the trapped arm to the mat on your own side.
3. Stack: drive your weight onto their hips.
4. Walk around toward the trapped-arm side.
5. Pull your head free and settle into side control.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the arm is straight before you defend.
• Pulling the arm straight out instead of turning it out.
• Lifting your head against a leg that is over it.
• In a triangle, pulling your head out with both hands.
• In a triangle, staying square, chest to chest.
• Posturing up but leaving the trapped arm across your neck.