Triangle from Mount

Triangle from Mount is a finishing attack built around a handful of repeatable controls. The top player is in three-quartered juji with the bottom player attempting to pendulum or sit up to escape. Another common starting shape: top player has climbed to high mount with the opponent's arms trying to push the hips down. The ideas that hold it together are head off floor cue, juji to triangle chain, and mounted triangle hand assist.

The triangle chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Watch the bottom player's head; the moment it lifts off the floor, slide the leg under it. Once the leg is under, the bottom player cannot return the head to the floor and must sit up into the triangle. Isolate one arm by pinning it to the mat or pushing it across the body. Swing the opposite leg over the neck and lock the triangle. Either finish from the top or rotate off to one side to tighten. Use the near hand to push the knee over the opponent's shoulder rather than swinging the leg blindly. Keep the chest down on the opponent during the leg climb to avoid floating up. Lock the figure-four before committing weight to the side or rolling. The top player has converted to a front triangle (mothaisen-sankaku) by using the moment the bottom player lifts the head off the floor to feed the leg under.

Later in the triangle, retain top during entry, foot and head cradle, and wrist strip first tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Forcing the leg through before the head lifts. Letting the opponent retract the trapped arm before the leg locks. Throwing the leg over without a hand assist and ending up rolled to the back. Releasing chest pressure too early so the opponent can shrug the head out. The high-percentage version of triangle from mount is the one you can still chain when the first squeeze is defended.