Arm Drags

As with many techniques and concepts in Jiu Jitsu for me arm drags have followed the same progression. That is to say, we are shown a technique, we try to make it work (with more or less success), then it “clicks” and the mechanics of the technique start to become evident. After that you usually start to get a few notches on your belt and develop an ownership for the technique.

For me this has happened with arm drags quite recently, which is allowing all the good things that come with arm drags including; taking the back, triangles and sweeps. I found that the key seems to be not so much in the “dragging” the arm, but in “hanging” from the arm. As I reach an arm accross to the inside of of my opponents opposite bicep and start to pull the arm accross, I lift my back and hips slightly off the ground so that my weight is directly hanging off my opponents arm. This makes it very difficult for my opponent to escape and makes the speed of the arm drag a lot quicker. As soon as I drag the arm, I consolidate by getting about halfway to the back, grabbing my opponents far lat to “close the door” on my opponents arm and putting my outside leg over their back to start climbing on their back. From their I have been trying for three options (Plan A, B and C if you like).

1. Taking the Back - Once the arm drag is complete you are already half way to the back. To consolidate the position I like to reach over the back and get a paddle grip on the far arm as I slide my far leg further over the back to get a hook. While I do this I climb more squarely onto the back using the paddle grip for an anchor. Once on the back I use my near arm to either attack the neck or setup a harness.

2. Triangle - This is a far more successful option for me as most people tend to defent the back very hard. Essentially as I am completing the arm drag I take my inside knee quite high towards the opponents chest. Once in place I maintain my grip on my opponents far lat to keep my attachement to them and then use my other hand to block their far arm. To clear the arm and get to “triangle guard” (one arm in one arm out) there are two basic options. The first is to block the arms movement and bring my knee and foot inside their arm and around the neck. The Second is when the person triest to use the arm to pin my leg and attempt a pass. In this case I push the arm between my legs while I swing my leg around and over the neck. In either case once I have cleared the arm, I have Triangle Guard and can complete the triangles as I normally would.

3 Hooks Sweep - There are 2 basic ways to get the hooks sweep from the arm drag, one towards that arm that is dragged and the other is away. I most commonly go for the away from the arm drag option, as I find it easier as the opponent is already unbalanced and there abaility to post is killed by the arm drag, I basically use my inside arm as an underhook and sitout to the underhook side and lean back for the sweep. The other option is the to go towards the arm drag. In this scenario, you reach the inside arm out over both your opponents arms to kill the post. You are already sitting out to the side so you lean down and do the sweep.

There arm many more things that can be done from the arm drag, but that is the 3 things that are working for me the most at the moment.

Have fun stay safe on the mat!