As I watched Pat Barry fall victim to yet another submission at the spider legs of Stefan Struve during UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson this past Saturday, my stomach began to take on the feeling that I hadn’t known since I watched A Serbian Film for the second time. I knew what was going to happen, but deep in my atheist soul I hoped…no, prayed, that things would somehow change. And like a 7-Eleven cashier in Compton, I found myself on the wrong end of the barrel yet again.
Thankfully, the powers at be have likely given Barry another chance. And since we all know “HD” is an avid Cagepotato Fan, I figured I’d let the master of all things MMA/street fighting, Bas Rutten, give us a little tutorial on how to escape a triangle choke. It may not be as flashy as power-bombing your way out, but it’s a hell of a lot more effective.
Being the Renaissance man that “El Guapo” is, he manages to make a complex maneuver seem as simple as four steps:
Step 1. Keep your arm straight. Use wrist control, your opponents head, etc. to keep your opponent from sliding your arm across.
Step 2. Go for the head. Start by posturing up as best as you can, then grab the top of your opponent’s head with both hands, in turn applying a neck crank/can opener.
Step 3. Slide back. Using the neck crank to open your opponent’s guard, simply slide back on your knees, thus freeing yourself from the possibility of the triangle.
Step 4. While maintaining a hold on your opponent’s head, maneuver your own around his leg and move to side mount.
Step 5 (optional). Let your opponent stand up, grab the nearest salt or pepper shaker, and den attack de eyes and de liver.
-DangadaDangadaDang