Student Objectives:
The student will recognize the value of maintaining posture as an effective way to prevent the Triangle.
The Student will apply the Sit in the Basket Triangle Defense to escape the Triangle.
The Student will apply the Stack and Turn Triangle Defense to escape the Triangle.
Teaching Cues:
Pull into the Basket
Sit
Leg Over
Hands to Shin
Arch
On Top
Stack and Turn
Lapel and Stack
Reinforce
Plank
Walk
Lesson: Triangle Defenses Posture/Basket Sit/Stack and Turn
The Triangle defense lesson starts by having an in depth conversation about posture inside the Guard (both Open and Closed). The main concern when losing posture, or having it broken is the Triangle. For this reason it is important for the practicing student to keep their hips under their shoulders. As the practicing student progresses through the ranks, and their opponent’s become better, it will become increasingly hard to maintain posture while experiencing advanced forms of Kuzushi. To battle these off balancing techniques, the practicing student should understand that posture can be maintained through alignment which includes a variety of methods including, but not limited to:
Posture starts with the head. Look forward and/or up. Avoid looking down at your partner when at all possible.
Pulling the shoulders back when opponents push on your hip. This is often the most natural movement associated with maintaining posture. While it is effective, and important, it can be the most difficult when the opponent is directly controlling the collar and/or sleeves.
Pushing the hips forward. This is probably the most overlooked method of maintaining posture. The hips are the most powerful part of the body (in my opinion) and using them as a purposeful part of your defense in the same manner that you use your arms and legs, is often overlooked.
Squatting and rotating the pelvis from Open Guard is a great way to regain your posture once you recognize that you are losing the posture battle. This combines the houlders going back, the hips going forward and the head looking up or away. This concept is extremely powerful but takes an understanding of the individual pieces before it can be implemented effectively.
After the practicing student has a working knowledge of what posture is and how to maintain it, then we can have a conversation about late defenses and how to apply them. There are two main defenses that should be taught in the kids class. They are the Basket Sit and the Stack and Turn.
Basket Sit
After the practicing student is caught in the Leg Necklace and realizes they can’t get their posture back they will attempt to “sit into the basket”. This is accomplished by stepping up to both feet and sitting on their bottom. When sitting, the foot on the side with the “arm out” should be placed near the hip of the assisting student before sitting. This will make coming over the hip easier.
Once seated, the practicing student will attempt to bring the foot over the hip line. This should be parallel with the assisting students belt. Once the foot is over the hip, the practicing child will place both hands on their shin, one near the ankle, one near the middle of the knee and use those hands as a frame to push back into the leg that comes across the back of the neck. This, combined with an arching of the back can create an extremely powerful force to help break open the Triangle.Once the legs open there are multiple ways to transition to the top position. I prefer to continue extending the shoulders and head before coming up into the Reverse Mount Position before either back stepping or Break Dancing into a more conventional position.
Stack and Turn
After the practicing student is caught in the Leg Necklace, and their posture is being broken against their best efforts to maintain, then the Stack and Turn becomes a viable option. For practicing purposes I tell the children to first practice with a loose leg necklace, and then as proficiency in the defense increases and the student knows the pathway, the choke can be applied in increasing pressure. Remind the students that it is ok to tap, and even when done correctly, there are times that tapping becomes necessary.
Closing the distances between the hips and folding the assisting student up is essential in the stack portion of this movement. However, it needs to be balanced against preventing the angle change as that will tighten the Triangle. This can be accomplished by grabbing, with a thumb down, in the collar on the far collar, with the arm that is “out”. It can be reinforced by the hand that is in on the collar as well, but the goal is to combine the power of the pull on the lapel, with the stacking motion of the practicing student.
While stacking the practicing student will apply forward pressure with the shoulder that is covered by the assisting student’s knee. Through this forward pressure the practicing student should attempt to compress the assisting student’s knee into their own nose (obviously while practicing, the student should apply this pressure slowly and in control so as to not smash the knee into the face). As the pressure increases from the stack, the practicing student will start walking their feet, while maintaining a strong plank, towards the head of the assisting student. Make sure the practicing student is walking to the same side as the covered shoulder.
When done correctly, with good pressure and head control, there will often be space made for the arm to be pulled out. Make sure the arm is pulled out while maintaining the stacking pressure, otherwise the assisting student may have the opportunity to relock the triangle and make the correct choking angle.
Also note that this stacking pressure, while combined with a correct grip, will sometimes turn into a choke (Paper Cutter). While submitting the assisting student is sometimes a by-product of the escape, there should be a priority in escaping the Triangle rather than submitting the assisting student.
Possible Extensions:
The best way to extend the Triangle defenses is to include various setups for the Triangle. Every Triangle entry has a slightly different set of spatial issues; feeling those gaps, and where they need to be tightened, is extremely valuable in knowing if you need to sit or stack. Make sure that you teach both of these defenses as the choice will be situational depending on how tight the Triangle is.
Possible Refinements:
Basket Sit
Commonly students will step over with the wrong foot. This will often bind the practicing students shoulder and arm in a way that makes it difficult to place the hands on their own shin and push. Make sure they are stepping over the hip on the side with the shoulder covered by the knee pit.
Make sure the practicing student is arching their back away at the same time they are pushing with their arms. Sometimes this contrasting force is difficult for students to understand.
Stack and Turn
The Stack is a late defense and should not take the place of maintaining posture. This can be confusing for children to understand, especially when we start the practice with a loose Leg Necklace. While this makes practicing the movement more comfortable, and the space creation more apparent, it is important to have a conversation about the differences in its application when applying the movement in real time vs in practice. Emphasize this is the last resort, after posture has been broken, and that even when they do it correctly they may need to tap.
The thumb-in grip is important as there is exposure to an Armbar. Reaching across the body is a dangerous endeavor, and while it will be important in effectively binding the head, and thus the hips, it also becomes a liability. The thumb-in grip can go a long way in orientating the elbow in a way that helps defend against the armbar.
Reference materials:
Teaching Reflections:
How did I do teaching?
What could I do better next time?
Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?