The push pull triangle was the one of the first attacks I ever learned from closed guard. It’s simple, and it works.
That’s what makes it great.
But no matter what the technique, or how simple it may seem, there is room for improvement. Small adjustments can made to improve the technique and make it work better.
And I’m going to give you some little tips on how you can improve this particular entry to the triangle.
Push Pull Angle Adjustment
There are two fundamental objectives when it comes to attacking with the standard triangle from guard:
- One arm must be inside of your legs while the other is outside.
- You must break posture and maintain that control.
Our focus when doing the push pull entry is to accomplish those two objectives in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
And that can be accomplished with a small adjustment of angle.
Instead of pushing and pulling the arms straight back and forth, cross the arms. That seems super simple, and it is. But it will will do two things for you immediately:
- It’ll make it easier to get your legs over one arm.
- And It’ll help you control posture since it forces your opponent to bend forward more.
Shoulder Ride
Beyond the angle, there is also a specific movement that you must develop for the push pull triangle.
You have to be able to elevate your hips to the sky.
In your mind, imagine that you’re crocodile treading the water. Your stomach is growling, and just above the water’s edge a bird is gliding low through the air.
It’s not going to come to you.
You have to go to it, and to do that you must shoot out of the water, clamp down and then drag it back into the water’s depths.
Your legs are just like the jaws of a crocodile and your hips are the head. You MUST elevate, and using your opponent’s body to help you elevate will make the task easier and more efficient.