The Armdrag

[the_Dark Knight]

Hey guys, recently I started trying to work the armdrag into my game, and was looking for a few pointers. I wanted to share a few of the problems i face with it and wanted to see if you guys could help me.

1. When is the best time to set up the arm drag? I tried it while standing and were both locking for top grip, anyother set up you guys like? do you ever fake a move and hit the armdrag? If so what?

2. When a guy braces himself for it, and postures back, what is my best option from there?

3. Its not always an easy drag i get, and sometimes my partner would would wrap around my arm and we would kind of swing with eachother, what are some ways I can improve it?

4. Do you find the armdrag works better from sitting or standing (meaning you gain a better position) and is it as effective in the gi?

5. The times i do hit the drag my partner flies right by me, and i notice A. I'm not at a good angle to take the back B. theres too much space between us and he has time to circle back around. What are the proper mechanics to the armdrag? Could it be I'm pulling them in the arong direction?

If there are any vids you guys have could yall post the link, I'll be using a mobile phone and cant see posted vids only get youtube links. Well thanks for the help

 

[TalkShowOnMute]

Your main problem may be that..."The times i do hit the drag my partner flies right by me"

In an armdrag, the goal is not to pull the oppnent out of position and past you, it is to pull yourself around to their back before they can react. If you are attempting to pull them out of their base you will always be fighting quite the battle.

 

[TalkShowOnMute]

The other thing I meant to mention about arm drags...by mid-white...blue belt level guys are using them all over the place. They are predictable. Use that to your advantage...fake armdrags a few times...then on the last one hit a drop seio nage or a firemans carry.

In striking, you will almost always see the fighter, throw a jab or feint before he throws a leg kick. Or even throw a multitiude of leg kicks and then fake the leg kick and go for the head. In jiu jitsu the most overlooked part IMO are fakes and feints. Making someone think you are doing something you are not. Once you have them going one way..BAM! take them the other way...

This is fairly prevalent in Judo, and look how great it works when done correctly

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

As talkshow said, move you and not them....well, not entirely. You guide them, but you move you.

 

[Enhance]

Doesn't exactly answer all your questions, but there's some good pointers in this video we filmed from class.

 

[Newcastle]

I'm not one to give advice on the armdrag as I'm always working to improve it within my own game. That said I would highly recommend seeking some Marcelo Garcia tutorials on the armdrag. He is one of the best at them.

YouTube - Marcelo Garcia Series 2, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Arm Drags

 

[notoriousLBO]

arm drag is awesome. so versatile

 

[curb1850]

Your main problem may be that..."The times i do hit the drag my partner flies right by me"

In an armdrag, the goal is not to pull the oppnent out of position and past you, it is to pull yourself around to their back before they can react. If you are attempting to pull them out of their base you will always be fighting quite the battle.

Good post.

 

[good grips]

arm drags are awesome!!

watch anything with marcelo garcia

braulio estima explains the whole concept really good in hes new instructional

 

[Spoken]

I am the arm drag king. I pull that shit on upper belts. Easily one of my favorite set up for takedowns!!!
Before I start answer your questions, know there are different ways to do it. I do typically do the normal arm drag, but I was shown away to do it where you shoot to the side/ side step while doing it. I haven't mastered the step out but it kicks ass.

1. for me, the arm drag is best set up when I'm low and my elbows and arms are in. I let them reach in rather than me reach out for the drag. I get a of ankle picks too and for some reason, those transition well depending on the weigh they decide to react. A great way to step up the arm drag is to change levels and step out. That causes an automatic reaction for a lot of people to reach out. Just my experience.

2. If you try it and the guy pull his arm and body back, shoot for the double or single.

3. I'm not 100% sure what you're saying here. But I'll do my best.
I think with the gi its pretty easy for someone who is getting dragged to grab the arm, however, a quality arm drag should shuck them to to the side so getting the back or at least killing the space from your chest and his side should be easy, thus, nullifying his grabbing of the arm (most of the time). I've had great people catch my arm drag and throw me... but thats not the usual guy.

4. Standing because you can step out and shuck them easier.

5.I'd watch a video on this one.

 

[sanchezero]

when working the armdrag standing, it helped me to break it into stages.

when i was a whitebelt, grappling other whitebelts, i would grab the elbow and - shazam! - i swung around behind 'em, no problem. later, of course, people began to get wise to my slickness and i had to actually learn how to do them.

the single biggest thing that's helped is to think of it more as a deflection to a crash. all i want is to twitch their arm past my centerline. when i go, i'm not going around them either, i'm going directly into them and trapping their arm between my chest and their ribs. my other hand reaches for their far side as usual and i end up in a kind of t position. from there you can hit a few different finishes.

 

[Title Fight Productions]

The other thing I meant to mention about arm drags...by mid-white...blue belt level guys are using them all over the place. They are predictable. Use that to your advantage...fake armdrags a few times...then on the last one hit a drop seio nage or a firemans carry.

Nice! Also a ankle pic stiff arm in the chest also works nice from here and isn't as technical of a move.