Monday, August 29, 2005

BJJ Move #62: Arm Drag to Back Mount from Closed Guard

A general tip from a guy who taught me, leading into what the arm drag from guard is about:

A big, strong guy with good posture and strong shoulders can often be caught in an armlock or triangle, but it has to be from open guard where he extends his arm and you swivel your hips and drive them upwards, catching him unaware—you can’t lever him over with your hips from the closed guard.
If he is stiff and defensive and will pull anything out that you try, go for the arm drag from the guard (open or half guard or sitting guard). The move is so simple and you will always at least sweep him if not take his back. The arm drag capitalizes on his weakness: lack of mobility.
Don't play a closed guard with him, he'll just sit in it, you need feet in the hips, you need a solid half-guard or sitting guard. He's all about forward pressure and just laying on you. You need to make that space to allow yourself to work.

What follows is an arm drags from closed guard.

WARNING! These techniques could result in serious injury or death if practiced incorrectly or even if performed correctly. They should only be practiced with the supervision of an experienced instructor.

Arm Drag to Back Mount from Guard:
-reversal

Arm Drag Reversal to Back Mount from Closed Guard:
Opportunities / set-ups:
1) First, get the no-gi arm control: When trying to control your opponent’s right arm while he’s in your guard, and he isn’t wearing a gi, hold his right wrist with your left hand against your chest, trap his right arm by the elbow with your right hand, and hip up to his elbow, reducing the space for him to bend his arm and pull it away. Your butt will leave the ground.
Now, drop your hips suddenly and to the left, pulling his arms to the mat and slightly to the right, sliding your locked feet to the right so they’re over his left hip.
2) Your opponent is in your guard and is leaning on your throat with his right forearm.
Grab his right wrist / gi sleeve with your right hand, and his right elbow with your left hand.
Push your opponent back with your hips, and push his arm to your right.
Switch your right hand to grab underneath his right upper arm, securing his shoulder to your chest.
Once you’ve done the arm drag, immediately hug your chest against his right shoulder, grabbing around his back with your left hand to his left lat, trapping both of his arms across to your right, and free your right hand (if he’s holding it, you can’t pivot around him).
With your left hand/arm over his right shoulder grabbing his back or the back of his left armpit, start scooting around clockwise towards his back until you have the back mount.

"Thwart" move:
As above, but he’s holding onto your right wrist so you can’t slide around to get his back. Uncross your feet and swing your left leg to the side, rolling him over his right side and taking the cross side on his right.

Comments? Please feel free to point out mistakes, describe tips on the techniques, suggest ways to make the descriptions clearer, etc.
Click here to go to the list of my BJJ move posts.

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