Caio Terra sinks a triangle in 2009 Worlds final. Photo: Regis Chen/GRACIEMAG.
In the early days of the UFC, Royce Gracie took the world by storm with his Jiu-Jitsu and guard, leaving a string of bigger, heavier opponents in his wake. In December 1994, at UFC 4, the commentator for the fight between the Brazilian black belt and Dan Severn said: “He wants to get out of there; he’s got nothing.” A slight misjudgment, as Royce was in the process of introducing the world to the triangle choke. Within mere seconds, the lumbering wrestler was tapping out, signaling he’d given up.
The guard continues to draw awe to this day. In the latest issue of GRACIEMAG, for example, Jiu-Jitsu stars take a close look at the details involved in mastering the guard and the triangle. We made the most of the occasion to offer up some more ins-and-outs of the move, here. Just don’t forget: never rest in anyone’s half-guard; it could be your undoing.