Last updated: June 18, 2026
Quick Definition
An inverted triangle is a variation of the triangle choke in which the attacker flips the position of their legs to trap the opponent’s head and one arm, then cuts off blood flow to the brain from a reversed angle. It is also called the reverse triangle.
What is an inverted triangle choke?
The inverted triangle is a blood choke. Like the standard triangle, it traps the opponent’s head and one arm inside a figure-four built with the attacker’s legs, and it strangles by compressing the carotid arteries on either side of the neck instead of crushing the windpipe. What sets it apart is orientation. The attacker reverses which leg does the choking, so the lock arrives from an angle the opponent rarely sees in time to stop it.
Grapplers reach for the inverted version when the textbook triangle is off the table. It tends to surface from tangled positions, like the bottom of side control or the middle of a scramble. The most famous recent example came at ONE 159 in July 2022. There, ONE Championship’s Reinier de Ridder put Vitaly Bigdash to sleep with one, and ONE later named it the promotion’s 2022 MMA Submission of the Year (ONE Championship). In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the name to know is Braulio Estima, the black belt most associated with the choke after using it on elite opponents at the 2009 ADCC (BJJ Fanatics).
How the inverted triangle choke works
A triangle choke works because of geometry, not muscle. The attacker forms a triangle shape with the legs around the opponent’s neck and one trapped arm. One side of the neck takes pressure from the attacker’s leg, while the other side takes it from the opponent’s own shoulder, shoved inward by the arm caught in the lock. Both carotid arteries close. With blood no longer reaching the brain, a trapped opponent fades fast, and Wikipedia cites studies putting the average near 9.5 seconds once the choke is on correctly.
The inverted version keeps that same engine and swaps the chassis. Rather than the leg configuration used in a standard guard triangle, the attacker reverses the legs, which adds a torque on the neck on top of the blood restriction (ONE Championship). Power still comes from cutting the angle rather than from squeezing the thighs, which is why a smaller grappler can put a much larger one to sleep (mmaailm.ee). It counts as an advanced position because reaching that reversed angle usually demands flexibility and sharp timing (Submission Searcher).
Inverted triangle vs traditional triangle
Most people meet the inverted triangle because they already know the regular one, and then got confused watching it run backwards. The two chokes share a finish but arrive there by different roads.
| Feature | Standard triangle | Inverted triangle |
| Leg setup | Front leg crosses the neck, locked in a figure-four | Leg roles reversed; the opposite leg builds the choke |
| Usual position | Closed or open guard, attacker facing the opponent | Bottom side control, the back, or a scramble |
| Japanese name | Mae-sankaku-jime | Gyaku-sankaku-jime |
| How common | Seen roughly 90% of the time in MMA and BJJ | A rarer variation, mostly at higher levels |
| Choking mechanism | Leg plus the opponent’s shoulder on the carotids | The same, with added neck torque from the reversed angle |
Both remain blood chokes finished with the legs and the opponent’s own shoulder. The difference a viewer actually notices is the attacker’s body pointing the wrong way relative to a normal triangle (Grapplearts).
Inverted, reverse, or side triangle: clearing up the names
The naming around this choke is messy, and it trips up newer fans constantly. In English, inverted triangle and reverse triangle usually point to the same thing, and Grapplearts notes that the two terms get used interchangeably (Grapplearts). The Japanese label most often attached to it is gyaku-sankaku-jime, sometimes ushiro-sankaku-jime.
A side triangle is a separate move. Judo calls it yoko-sankaku-jime, and it attacks an opponent who has turtled, coming from the side rather than from a reversed guard angle (Grapplearts). So a reader hearing reverse, inverted, and side tossed around in the same breath should treat the first two as effectively one choke and the third as its own technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the inverted triangle the same as the reverse triangle?
In most usage, yes. English speakers apply both names to the same choke, and the Japanese term for it is gyaku-sankaku-jime (Grapplearts).
Does an inverted triangle choke hurt?
Not when it is done right. As a blood choke, it restricts circulation rather than causing pain, so a caught opponent tends to feel pressure and then lightheadedness before the tap (NAGA Fighter).
How long does it take to pass out from one?
Seconds. Wikipedia cites an average of 9.5 seconds for a correctly applied triangle, and other estimates land in the 8 to 10 second range (Wikipedia; mmaailm.ee).
Is it used in MMA?
Yes, though it stays rare. Reinier de Ridder’s finish of Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 is the most cited modern example (ONE Championship).
Where did it come from?
The triangle family traces back to early-1900s judo, where it was formalized as sankaku-jime, before the Gracie family adapted it for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and no-holds-barred fighting (mmaailm.ee).
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Triangle choke.” Accessed June 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_choke - Grapplearts. “The Five Types of Triangle Choke You Need to Know.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.grapplearts.com/five-triangle-chokes-you-should-know/ - ONE Championship. “Reinier De Ridder’s Inverted Triangle Choke Is ONE’s 2022 MMA Submission Of The Year.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.onefc.com/features/reinier-de-ridders-inverted-triangle-choke-is-ones-2022-mma-submission-of-the-year/ - NAGA Fighter. “What is the Reverse Triangle Choke?” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.nagafighter.com/what-is-the-reverse-triangle-choke/ - BJJ World. “The Hidden Secrets Of The Reverse Triangle Choke.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjj-world.com/reverse-triangle-choke/ - BJJ Fanatics. “Reverse Triangle: How To Make The Tightest Triangle Choke Ever.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-the-tightest-triangle-choke-ever-the-reverse-triangle - MMA Ailm. “The Triangle Choke in MMA: The Ultimate Guide to the Signature Submission.” Accessed June 2026.
https://mmaailm.ee/en/triangle-choke-mma-guide/
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