arm triangle flawed in general?

[Brent Smith]

i'm as amature as they come but i've followed the sport for some time now and it seems to me that the arm triangle is seriously flawed in general. i've seen lots of people get choked out with this move in the UFC or tap when rolling on the mat. here are my thoughts:

it's locked in and they are in side control and u have a guy squeezing around ur neck and one raised arm. your laying on ur back, arm above ur head waiting to tap or pass out...... but why? the fix is so simple, use ur two arms that are laying there! lock ur hands together and direct the power of ur whole upper body into his head. u have two choices, drive ur elbow into his face and head bending it way to the side until he gives up trying or grind ur elbow along his head until you clear ur own trapped arm. no matter how big or strong a guy is, it's only his head that is trapping ur arm and you've got a perfect crowbar to pry into his face!

uhhhhh...Go find someone that doesnt train solely in a garage to slap an arm triangle on you and see if this logic works for you. If it was that easy do you think the arm triangle would have lasted in this style?

[Nick Magner]

I'll be the only one here that isn't condescending. Listen man, it seems super simple, but try it. The only way to really tell if something like your idea works, is to try it. With my personal experience, although your method may buy a little, baby bit of time, it's not effective. In the arm triangle you have no use of your strangled arm and at most times your free arm can get pinned in various locations.

[Mike Dewitt Jr]

A lot of times if someone has a good arm triangle just getting your arm back to your head to "answer the phone" is difficult enough let alone back over and in front of their head and face.

[chronic_jiujitsu]

From what I can understand, Youre saying once in an arm-triangle, join your hands together, and use that to push your elbow into their head, correct? (Or use it to clear their head). I think its a good idea to try out, but I feel like the biggest problem would be that arm triangles are meant to be applied VERY tight. And you have to remember, they dont just have their head pushing against your arm, the have their whole body weight laying behind that head pushing into you. In a sense, youd not only have to be able to move the weight of their body back, away from yours.. but they also have THEIR hands locked, and theyre squeezing the entire time. So Youd have to push hard enough to move their body + release that squeeze theyve got on you. Just my thoughts.. But I say for every new move you think of, try it out on the mats. Worst case scenario you learn more about the move that youre trying to defend against, and you can be better prepared next time.

[chris2013]

i knew I was gonna get this kind of response but thats fine!

[Mike Dewitt Jr]

i knew I was gonna get this kind of response but thats fine!

The arm triangle is legit bro, even Bruce lee applied it...All levels use it with success so I'm not sure what you are basing your judgement on.

[Greg W]

i knew I was gonna get this kind of response but thats fine!

If ya knew it, why'd ya do it. That is almost open admission that you were just trollin'

[Kyle Hilfiker]

If ya knew it, why'd ya do it. That is almost open admission that you were just trollin'

Taylor?!?!

[David Rosado]

i'm as amature as they come but i've followed the sport for some time now and it seems to me that the arm triangle is seriously flawed in general. i've seen lots of people get choked out with this move in the UFC or tap when rolling on the mat. here are my thoughts:

it's locked in and they are in side control and u have a guy squeezing around ur neck and one raised arm. your laying on ur back, arm above ur head waiting to tap or pass out...... but why? the fix is so simple, use ur two arms that are laying there! lock ur hands together and direct the power of ur whole upper body into his head. u have two choices, drive ur elbow into his face and head bending it way to the side until he gives up trying or grind ur elbow along his head until you clear ur own trapped arm. no matter how big or strong a guy is, it's only his head that is trapping ur arm and you've got a perfect crowbar to pry into his face!

Let me help you out.

First, understand that people are going to be condescending for a reason: an admitted noob just said that a consistently effective 100+ year old submission hold is "seriously flawed in general."

2ndly, just because there's an escape to it doesn't mean the whole submission is flawed. There are escapes to triangle chokes. Escapes from armbars. It doesn't mean they're flawed.

3rd, it sounds like you don't understand the arm triangle and haven't been put into too many legit arm triangles. That defense might work well before the triangle is locked 100% (maybe). Once you're in a fully locked arm triangle, like Dewitt said, it's hard enough to answer the phone. And playing the game of "pain vs blood choke" is a recipe for passing out.

[Kyle Hilfiker]

As usual, David Rosado brings the epic Clip of failure! Was hoping for the Simpsons one. That one had me pissing my pants with laughter!