When you control the head…An old cliche in grappling is that if you control the whole body. There is a lot of truth to this. Learning to exploit the value of this insight is a big part of your progress in Jiu jitsu. It has many manifestations. One of the most important for grappling is the use of the triangle not in its usual sense as a stranglehold, but rather as a means of immobilizing the head so that joint locks become more powerful. A fine example of this is Kimura. It can be very difficult to finish a Kimura when your opponents head is free to move around. When you begin in a triangle that immobilizes the head and THEN apply a Kimura the results can be devastating. The same goes for armbars, even American locks and wrist locks. Much of the defense to these moves involves a preliminary movement of the head – when that is taken away the locks become far more difficult to escape and more devastating in their effects. Next time your triangle isn't working so we'll as a strangle – use it to attack with joint locks – I'm sure you'll be impressed with the results!
