Mastering Triangle Chokes
Mastering Triangle Chokes book cover

Mastering Triangle Chokes

Paperback – November 19, 2013

by
Price
$34.32
Format
Paperback
Pages
288
Publisher
Victory Belt Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1936608096
Dimensions
8.54 x 0.72 x 10.85 inches
Weight
2.07 pounds

Description

"Neil has created one of the most unique and effective grappling styles I have ever seen. He's become the elite "Mad Scientist" of the ground game!"—Gray Maynard"The creative and different ways Neil uses a technique as basic as a triangle and triangle setups is a true testament to his mastery of that structure. Learn it or be left behind."—Greg Jackson"Coach Neil's knowledge and use of the guard is unparalleled. He has so many threats at once from a universal position such as the ground. I don't feel anyone's guard comes close."—Matt Mitrione"The most amazing thing about Neil's grappling is its constant evolution. When he runs into a problem, no matter how minor, he dedicates himself wholeheartedly to figuring out the cause and the most efficient way to overcome it. Perhaps that's why Neil is the best grappler I've ever rolled with and the best coach I've ever had. And if you like seeing me use the Yes Lock, you can thank Neil for teaching it to me."—Bryan Danielson (WWE Pro Wrestler Daniel Bryan)"I have rolled with some of the best in the game over my 15 years in this sport, and Neil by far has the most aggressive, slick, and violent guard game that I have experienced. I'm very happy to call him coach and friend instead of enemy."—Frank Trigg"Coach Melanson is the best instructor I've worked with. His knowledge of submissions is secondary only to his ability to explain his knowledge. He has torn submission fighting apart and reconstructed it in a way that has never been done. I'd slap Rickson Gracie in the face five times before I'd disrespect Melanson once."—Chael Sonnen"Neil has a unique perspective on techniques that makes him a fantastic grappler and a tremendous coach. I've enjoyed learning from him, and I'm honored to have a black belt in his system. If you think his triangles are badass, you should see the rest of his game."—Randy Couture"Neil's guard game is one of the best in the world. He can find a way to triangle anyone. I've never seen anything like it."—Vitor Belfort Neil "The Ground Marshal" Melanson is one of the most sought after ground fighting coaches in the world, due to his intense and relentless grappling style and paramount fighting techniques. As a Hayastan Grappler, Neil trained under "Judo" Gene LeBell, Gokor Chivichyan, and received his black belt from Karo "The Heat" Parisyan.At Hayastan, Neil learned this hybrid art of grappling that focuses on the use of neck and leg locks. Neil is well known as a master of the guard and has developed many different guard systems such as K-control, shoulder pin series, Irish collar, and others. Not only do guard players seek Neil out to learn and master the guard, but top game players do as well. Neil has made a name for himself as the man to see to learn how to beat the guard. He teaches an MMA style of grappling that focuses on protecting the head from strikes along with the practical application of the turtle in MMA.Neil has trained champion fighters such as Randy Couture, Gray Maynard, Frank Trigg, Vitor Belfort, Michael Chandler, Chael Sonnen, and others, to become a legend in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.Much of Neil's time is spent at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, Nevada, but he also travels throughout the country to teach seminars.Marshal D. Carper grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania running from bullies and playing video games. Now, much to the surprise of his family, his former bullies, and himself, he trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Sauer black belt Sonny Achille and writes about fighting. In addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of Lockflow.com, Marshal has been published in Ultimate MMA Magazine, Fight! Magazine, and the Escapist. He is also the author of Cauliflower Chronicles: A Grappler's Tale of Self-Discovery and Island Living, and coauthor of Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Marcelo Garcia and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Open Guard with BJ Penn.Lance Freimuth is a writer, editor, and photographer who lives in Las Vegas, NV. He also teaches grappling at Xtreme Couture, one of the most highly respected MMA gyms in the world.

Features & Highlights

  • In
  • Mastering Triangle Chokes
  • , Neil Melanson takes you deep into the grappling rabbit hole and teaches you how to apply the devastating triangle choke submission in virtually any scenario from your guard. Unlike other grappling instructional manuals,
  • Mastering Triangle Chokes
  • is not a random compilation of techniques. It is a detailed system that teaches you how to capitalize on your opponent's body position and direction of movement. It gives you a chess-like strategy for anticipating your opponent's counters, allowing you to remain two steps ahead and shut down all possible escape routes. With more than 2,000 color photos and descriptive narrative,
  • Mastering Triangle Chokes
  • is the most complete tome ever written on the art of the triangle choke.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(143)
★★★★
25%
(60)
★★★
15%
(36)
★★
7%
(17)
★
-7%
(-17)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Definitive Encyclopedia of Triangle Chokes

"There is a plague of short legged BJJ guys everywhere with dreams of having a deadly triangle." Bjj instructors/ instructionals I’d seen taught the triangle in a traditional way. Ryan Hall’s "stomp and curl" method was better and helped my game but truthfully my triangle finish percentage was still pretty low and I was better off just switching to an omoplata or armbar. This book changed that. Neal finishes the triangle in a way I had never seen. It is superior to the traditional method and is both tighter and easier to obtain for us with normal length legs. Learning this method and his "Order of Control Principle” would be more than enough to justify the price of this book. However, this book is also a whole guard system and is more systematic then any BJJ instructional I have ever seen. The book is very dense and comprehensive. However, whenever I have trouble finishing a triangle on someone, this book is my go to reference and offers a solution. It will likely take years for me to satisfactorily finish this book but already big guys at my gym are at least aware of the threat of my triangle. Buy the book. This is a game changer. Thank you Neal!
13 people found this helpful
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Completely Changed My Guard

There's a reason people were selling their copies for $500 dollars when this looked like it was out of print permanently.

I've been catching taps on training partners (some of who are very high level competitors) I have absolutely no business tapping and I've actually been referencing this book regularly since picking it up, unlike a few other books I've picked up where I crack the spine to look through it and then they just collect dust on my book shelf.

I frequently see people online suggesting that all new grapplers pick up Saulo Ribero's BJJ University with their white belt. I think everyone should buy this book when they get their blue belt. Outside of the triangle attacks and set ups, this book has changed how I approached the guard both offensively and defensively. I had a fairly lazy guard for a long time and working on the material in this book has really helped me to develop a guard where, even if I'm not hunting triangles, I'm constantly harassing my opponent and creating angles leading into other attacks and sweeps. From a defensive perspective it's really helped me identify vulnerable positions and the reasons for them being vulnerable and as a result my defense from within the close guard has become far more formidable and I've found myself being choked/arm locked/shoulder locked/swept/omoplata'd far, far less than previously.

One finale note: for those of you with Ryan Hall's DVD series on triangles, this is still worth picking up as Neil comes from a catch wrestling/Hayastan Grappling background, and a lot of positions and angles are covered that Ryan didn't (and vice versa).
12 people found this helpful
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Complete shift in your perception of the Guard and Triangle

For a lot of grapplers and MMA practitioners it can not be understated what a profound effect this book will have upon your approach to fighting off your back. I trained under few different grappling coaches before training Neil's system, and thought I understood the guard and the triangle, I was wrong.Neil has a formulaic approach to grappling that leaves nothing to error. In every position, Neil has a firm grasp of what the opponent can do and is ready to capitalize on their actions. When used correctly your opponent is nothing more than a fly caught in a spider's web. Neil Melanson does everything, but slap the triangle on your opponent himself. Also go to youtube if your on the fence, Neil has uploaded some of the techniques from his book in HD.
7 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Best triangle book ever written and one of the best submission grappling books ever written

Neil "The Ground Marshall" Melanson is a jiu-jitsu wizard. He definitely had some of the best teachers, but his own jiu-jitsu IQ is undeniably off-the charts. Having been a fan of Melanson and having seen many of his technique videos on the internet I knew I was going to get a great book when I clicked on "order". Even then, the content of the book surprised me positively, and was beyond all of my expectations. It will probably take me several years to study and train all of the amazing techniques Melanson has shown in the book. The explanations are crystal clear and the colour photos are sharp and taken from several different angles so that you would get a complete understanding of each and every technique in the book. I could not even imagine that so many variations and set-ups exist to the triangle choke. This book will definitely take your triangle game to another level. Money well spent.
5 people found this helpful
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Worth the money.

A complete and well laid out system for setting up and finishing triangles. You will not only see the progression of the technique but maybe even more importantly you get to understand the theory of why this particular technique for the given situation. It is hard to explain, but, the system helps you to funnel your opponent into the submission and gives you options to follow depending on how your opponent is playing you. Great photos and surprisingly concise and clearly written captions/instructions. I had my doubts about a book being able to convey complex series of movements, however, it is fantastic with the following caveat: you need to already have some rolling experience in order to appreciate some subtle but critical changes in angles/position that are conveyed without the aid of video. A blue belt in BJJ (or equivalent time on the mat grappling) or higher would benefit greatly. I would buy this again if I ever lose my copy.
4 people found this helpful
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Neil breaks this down brilliantly and explains how to attack each one

The book is primarily an in-depth tutorial on the Closed Guard. It is taught as no-gui with emphasis toward MMA but don't let that deter you. All the principals and most of the techniques work equally well in the gui. What makes the Closed Guard so difficult is that it is really 5 different guards. Neil breaks this down brilliantly and explains how to attack each one. It is not just the material itself but the structure and editing of the book that turn this into such a coherent system. I thought I knew something about triangles until I read this book. The best Jiu-Jitsu book I have every seen.
3 people found this helpful
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"And the Lord said, let there be triangles"

I don't think I can say it any better than anyone else already has, so I will be brief. This book is epic. The title is a little misleading, as this book is not about to slapping on your regular ol' triangles willy nilly. It's about how to stalk, setup, then execute the triangle from nearly anywhere the opponent may go. Good posture won't even save him if you practice these attacks. This is one of the coolest books I have on martial arts, and most of my friends have never heard of Neil's systems, so when I wrap them up with a K-Control Knee Pinch Triangle attack, they are left dumbfounded. Don't know what that attack is. you say? Then get the book, and get to work. Cheers.
3 people found this helpful
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Taking my traingles and closed guard game to new levels.

Been in the game since 2013 and used to traingle peeps in the gi like it was going outta style, then I made the switch to nogi and opponents started posturing out or stack passing me more often, so I made the obvious transition to leg locks. Then people stopped giving me access to their delicate feet and I got stalled out a lot. Enter this excellent book. I've read many a BJJ books and this one is on another level. The pictures and breakdowns are so detailed and systematic that the only thing missing is a drilling partner (grappling dummy is on my wish list).

As you roll with higher belts traingles seem to be less available, so the setups and traps to get there highlighted in this book are a godsend.

This book needs to be digested in small chunks due to the depth and nutrient density of the techniques.

Highly recommend for any practitioner of the game young/old, new/experienced, gi/nogi, male/female, skinny/fat, tall/short or top/bottom players. The only people I wouldn't recommend it to is my training partners lol, at least not until I master it first!

Even though this book is a few years old and the game has evolved a lot the techniques in this book are relevant and applicable still (unlike most BJJ books). Neil has done a great service to the bjj community by publishing this for all to absorb. Videos, privates, seminars and taking classes are all valid ways of upping your game but books are almost becoming an archaic way of learning grappling which this golden piece of literature will surely change your mind upon flipping open to any page.

Buy this book and become a nasty traingle machine and leave a trail of unconscious opponents in your wake. There are no short leg or lack of flexibility excuses. Breaks are cool and might disable your opponent but kills are the end all be all to a fight ☠️
2 people found this helpful
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Get This Book! Techniques You Can Use Instantly!

I got this book for Christmas and I can honestly say it's the best jiu jitsu based book I own. I can guarantee you that you will never see some of the set ups and triangle positions contained in this book anywhere else. Except maybe on the mat from the people who bought the book before you did. Sweeps,counters,transitions,positions,they're all covered here. Techniques you can instantly add to your game. I did and that's why I hope Melanson sells a million copies. Thanks for the awesome techniques Neil! God Bless.
2 people found this helpful
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This book is legit

Mr. Melanson gave me a copy of this book and it impoved my guard game exponentially. Now, I almost not only can land a triagle from every postition but also finish it in a very efficient and effective way.
2 people found this helpful

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