I was told by a lower belt that if someone has a body tirangle on you in the back mount, drop your belly to the mat and put weight on their ankle with your hip, which should either make them let go or result in an ankle lock.

Trouble is, I've tried this a few times and it doesn't seem to work for me. Is this a viable move, and what should I do to clean it up if it is?

I don't think that advice is too sound. I'm sure a lot of people around here can give you better advice than me at this stage, but the back body triangle offers a significant challenge. The arms are restricting movement in your upper body and threatening finishing. The legs are not easily exposed to being opened, negating bridge and shoulder escapes.

You can spin into guard if you can free up your shoulders. You can open the legs while protecting your neck, opening up your traditional bridge/shoulder escapes. You've got to chew gum and walk at the same time - keeping your neck protected while working for position and opening legs/freeing up shoulders. It's not easy. I haven't learned any foolproof, gimmicky, or easy methods there.

Trying to go to your belly and drop on top of their ankle sounds gimmicky to me, and I'm not surprised you're having marginal success there.

Anyone else?

There is a technique in Submission Grappling by Royler Gracie #56 "Escaping the back--opponent figure-fours the body" I've only tried it a few times and didn't have much luck. I don't have any means of copying it and too lazy to type out all the steps. Mostly one is fucked in that situation, especially if someone is hitting you in the face.

I was told by a lower belt that if someone has a body tirangle on you in the back mount, drop your belly to the mat and put weight on their ankle with your hip, which should either make them let go or result in an ankle lock.

Trouble is, I've tried this a few times and it doesn't seem to work for me. Is this a viable move, and what should I do to clean it up if it is?
If I'm understanding your description correctly, then as far as I know, your lower belt friend is mistaken. It might be possible if the person with back mount gets too far off to the side, but then why wouldn't you just turn into them to regain guard?

Sounds like gimmicky crap to me.

Maybe his heart was in the right place, he is just mistaken on some of the details... like all of the details up until the finish. I will explain from a different position.
He has your back with his right foot locked behind his left knee.
Both of you are sitting on your butts
You will hook his left leg with your left leg, trapping the right ankle(if he cant extend hisleft leg he cant unhook his right ankle)
You will then rol to your left side which will place his right foot on the mat.
You bridge your hips focusing the pressure on your left side for the finish.

NOTE: This looser the body trianle the harder this is to finish i.e. long legged guys are harder to finish

You will hook his left leg with your left leg, trapping the right ankle

Hook over his left leg?

Hook the free leg, ie. the one that is not under the knee. This makes it hard for him to slip the ankle from inside the kneepit. Now, isolate the foot even more by rolling onto that side, placing his trapped foot (behind the kneepit) on the mat. Arch at hips to put on a modified calf/hamstring crusher with his own ankle.

A secondary defense that alot of guys try (most of these are low efficiency from seeing others try) is to do all of the above and, once the foot is isolated, work to isolate and lock up one arm, then roll into the trapped arm. I'd think it works against those longer legged because they will keep it loose to negate the attempt at submission, and the trapped arm gives more leverage. Sadly, I am a big boy and have found few who could keep a figure four around me as yet, so I don't have alot of practice at this one.

Again, I would defer to someone with alot more experience.

Maybe his heart was in the right place, he is just mistaken on some of the details... like all of the details up until the finish. I will explain from a different position.
He has your back with his right foot locked behind his left knee.
Both of you are sitting on your butts
You will hook his left leg with your left leg, trapping the right ankle(if he cant extend hisleft leg he cant unhook his right ankle)
You will then rol to your left side which will place his right foot on the mat.
You bridge your hips focusing the pressure on your left side for the finish.

NOTE: This looser the body trianle the harder this is to finish i.e. long legged guys are harder to finish

Hurray for long legged folk like myself.
It helps put pressure on the ankle if you push down on the bent knee while you bridge, but that exposes your neck. *shrug*

I was told by a lower belt that if someone has a body tirangle on you in the back mount, drop your belly to the mat and put weight on their ankle with your hip, which should either make them let go or result in an ankle lock.

Trouble is, I've tried this a few times and it doesn't seem to work for me. Is this a viable move, and what should I do to clean it up if it is?

its not a high percentage move, but its probably better than doing nothing.

there is no "get out of jail free" move when someone has your back in any way, shape or form

this is the technique everyone is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnYDMXcsKo

That is indeed the submission from that position. And it is not 100%, but it will distract a guy who knows it's coming and starts shrimping away from you and loosening the lock when you go for it. And that's when you roll in the loosened lock. Either way, learning this technique can save you alot of time and submission losses to guys who love the figure-four.

Royler's Defense definitely works if done correctly. Just go over it with your instructor one day.

I don't like the way cesar just showed it .
I like to trap the leg before I fall over so he can't get it out ..

And there is one where you drop your hip to the ground if you are on all fours and he is on your back . there are some minor points the guy seemed to leave off . I am just not he best typist ..

I like the video technique better. I see two problems with Royler's technique: 1.) It requires too much use of the hands, leaving ones face and neck unprotected. 2.) When the figure 4 is locked on, it is difficult to sit up and grab your opponents legs without wrenching your guts even more.

this is the technique everyone is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnYDMXcsKo


Not a fan of that technique, I dont believe it to be viable against someone with a good attack from the back.

His footlock technique works because if you notice, his partner didnt have a full body triangle on. Rather than being in the crook of his knee, his foot is locked near his calf.

Many people will attempt to put their leg in the position that is shown for that footlock when you get the body triangle (I know I do) as it actually helps to maintain the position rather than open you up for a submission.

My escape from that position- fall to the same side as shown in the video, but use my hips scraping against the ground to unlock my opponents triangle. From there it goes to a normal back escape.

Not a fan of that technique, I dont believe it to be viable against someone with a good attack from the back.

His footlock technique works because if you notice, his partner didnt have a full body triangle on. Rather than being in the crook of his knee, his foot is locked near his calf.

Many people will attempt to put their leg in the position that is shown for that footlock when you get the body triangle (I know I do) as it actually helps to maintain the position rather than open you up for a submission.

My escape from that position- fall to the same side as shown in the video, but use my hips scraping against the ground to unlock my opponents triangle. From there it goes to a normal back escape.


a smart grappler would have switched to traditional hooks when they felt the triangle lock on their claf/ankle, but it is possible to put a solid body triangle from a good grappler into that position... not likely you'll submit them though.