WATCH A NICE REVERSE TRIANGLE TO ARMBAR FROM THE STRIKEFORCE UNDERCARD.

Original photo courtesy of Reggie Biala

As a purveyor of the triangle submission from all angles myself, I was impressed to see a couple performed during matches on the Strikeforce undercard this past Saturday.  But, MMA is not submission grappling, and as you'll see from the videos below, sometimes the attacker on the bottom has to take what's given to him and run with it, even if the technique is not perfectly set up.

Check out Ron Keslar (AKA) as he busts a first round reverse triangle on Eric Lawson.  The reverse triangle (i.e., legs locked on the side of the free arm) is used primarily as a crank or compression-type submission or as a transitional position, as opposed to the more common triangle choke, which is a true choke (i.e., stopping blood flow to carotid artery).  It's oftentimes employed as an alternative to the triangle choke, if the choke cannot be finished (e.g., your opponent interlocks his arms underneath you or grips his own gis/shorts, preventing the choke). 

In the case below, Keslar somehow scrambles/transitions in to this position and sets up shop (a triangle shop), seeking out the armbar that often develops from the triangle position.   We say - nice grappling!