Kata-Gatame/ Head and arm choke/ Arm Triangle choke is used as a hold down in Judo, and it is mostly used as a choke in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts.
There are many schools of thought regarding the best positioning for the top attacking partner. Some advocate laying flat on the ground with the hips low. Others prefer turning to a 90 degree angle, while others like to put a knee on the ground and drive forward.
Defending a well placed arm triangle can be a real problem…The band aid defense of ‘answering the phone’ is considered a weak defense as it just delays the eventual tap, and also sets you up to an Americana.
Old school BJJ black belt Matt Thornton, founder of Straight Blast Gym International, shows the best way to survive and eventually escape the lethal arm triangle choke.
Thornton was among the first American-born practitioners to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
He shows some great details:
Frustrated with your training? Are you getting caught in some super difficult situations and can’t find the way out? This instructional is for you! Igor Gracie, the son Jiu Jitsu legend Rolls Gracie and one of the head instructors of the famed Renzo Gracie Academy in New York, takes you through some of his tried and true escapes from some really bad spots. As a member of Jiu Jitsu’s royal family, his training partners are some of the best submission artists in the world. Igor has honed these skills since he was a child in a family full of fighters. Whether you use this instructional as a tool to sharpen your skills or add to your game, you will find some very valuable lessons. Don’t miss out!
If you want to be un-submitable, you need to check out Tom DeBlass’ “Submission Escapes” BJJ 3 volume BJJ instructional from BJJFanatics.com . In this series, he shares multiple escapes from all of the hardest to escape positions. Soon your training partners and opponents will be calling you Houdini.
