Outside Sankaku — Defending
Defending the outside sankaku in no-gi — a locked triangle on the outside line. Deny the triangle before it closes, hide the heel, and know why waiting is not a plan.
Adapted from InGrappling, Outside Sankaku — Defending. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
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Outside sankaku from underneath — the outside twin of the inside triangle. The attacker has locked their legs in a figure-four around your leg from the outside line.
A closed triangle holds itself, which is what separates this from the ashi positions. The attacker is not spending anything to keep you here, so the usual defensive strategy of outlasting the control does not apply.
The available finishes are outside-line — the outside heel hook, the kneebar, the toe hold. Less catastrophic than their inside equivalents and quite bad enough.
Elevated RiskOutside Sankaku (Defending) is an elevated risk technique. The outside heel hook rotates the tibia outward against a knee held by the triangle. Outside rotation gives slightly more warning than inside, which is a small margin rather than a safe one. The kneebar available from the same position loads the joint in extension with no rotation at all. Serious injury can occur Short. The locked triangle means the attacker can set the finish at their pace rather than yours..
If you are new to this technique: read this section before anything else. Understanding the danger is part of understanding the technique.
The person applying the technique is responsible for releasing immediately.
Communicate before drilling. Know your partner's experience level with this position.