Triangle Choke Statistics: How Often the Guard's Signature Finish Lands
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The Jiu-Jitsu Mindset · Data Study
Triangle Choke Statistics: How Often the Guard's Signature Finish Lands
The triangle choke accounts for 173 of 3,209 recorded submission wins (5.4%) across 97 elite grapplers — fifth on the all-technique list, behind the choke from the back, the armbar, the rear naked choke and the general choke category. Counted as a family, triangles make up about 8% of all finishes.
The triangle is the most famous attack in jiu-jitsu and the image the sport uses to sell itself. It is also, by the numbers, roughly a third as productive as the armbar. Both things are true, and the gap is interesting.
The triangle against the finishes above it
Recorded submission wins, out of 3,209 total finishes.
Why the triangle ranks lower than its reputation
Two reasons, and neither is that the technique is bad.
The first is positional. The triangle is a guard attack, and guard is a position you attack from while your opponent is trying to leave it. Back control is a position you attack from while your opponent has already lost. Any finish that depends on the opponent staying in range will produce fewer taps than one that does not — which is the same reason back attacks lead every family.
The second is that the triangle rarely finishes alone. It is one half of a system: the triangle and the armbar punish opposite defensive reactions, and a large share of the armbar's 467 finishes started as triangle attempts that the opponent defended in the one direction that opens the arm. The triangle's real contribution to the sport is larger than its own line in the table.
Where it sits in the choke picture
| Family | Share of all 3,209 finishes |
|---|---|
| Back attacks | 30% |
| Leg locks | 23% |
| Arm locks | 20% |
| Chokes (front headlock, collar, arm triangle) | 19% |
| Triangles | 8% |
Worth noting: the arm triangle (katagatame) is counted separately in our source data, at 76 finishes, and sits in the choke family rather than with triangles.
Frequently asked questions
How common is the triangle choke in BJJ?
It is the fifth most common individual submission, with 173 of 3,209 recorded finishes (5.4%) across 97 elite grapplers. As a family, triangles account for roughly 8% of all taps.
Is the triangle choke effective at a high level?
Yes, but it is a guard attack competing against finishes that come from dominant positions. It also underpins the armbar and omoplata attack chain, so its influence on the sport is larger than its own finish count suggests.
Triangle vs armbar — which finishes more often?
The armbar, by a wide margin: 467 recorded finishes to the triangle's 173. Elite guard players generally treat the two as a single system rather than competing options.
Why do I keep losing the triangle?
Usually angle, not squeeze. The finish requires cutting an angle so the shin crosses the neck rather than resting on the back of the head, and the opponent's trapped arm must be pulled across. Our triangle choke breakdown covers the common errors.
Sources & method
Data captured from athlete Submission W/L Methods tables on FloGrappling in July 2026 — 97 athletes with recorded methods, 3,209 submission wins, 53 distinct techniques, gi and no-gi combined across each career. Family groupings are our own and are approximate. Full write-up: Tap Stats. Technique breakdown: the triangle choke, step by step.
More from this series: The most common submission in jiu-jitsu · Armbar statistics · How many submissions are there? · Catch The Jiu Jitsu Mindset on YouTube and Spotify.