Eli Knight's Arm Drag Advanced Basics

Eli Knight (@knight_jiu_jitsu_), 4th degree black belt, with Aaron Janetti on arm drags: the two points of connection, drilling and entries, then the takedowns and back takes that come off splitting the stance. From the video: https://youtu.be/1sJ4m1ideDA

Flow outline

  1. Two Points Of Connection

    • An arm drag is making two points of connection onto an arm.
    • From Eli Knight (@knight_jiu_jitsu_), 4th degree black belt, with Aaron Janetti, in the video "Arm Drag Advanced Basics for Submission Grappling and More".
    • Grip: one point down by the wrist
    • Grip: other point between shoulder and tricep
    • Entry: can be an outside grip
    • Entry: can be a same side grip
    • Entry: can be a crossside grip

  2. Wax Off Drill

    • Drill the arm drag with a wax off motion when the partner places a hand on you.
    • Entry: near side hand comes up by the wrist
    • Grip: go wrist to wrist on that side
    • Grip: other hand goes thumb up to the tricep
    • Anchor: catch the snuff box by the tricep

  3. Split The Stance

    • Pass the arm over and across to split the partner's stance off the drag.
    • Checkpoint: pass the arm over and across
    • Checkpoint: still wind up in the dosey do grip
    • Checkpoint: splitting the stance avoids the spiral of doom

  4. Push Apart And Drag Again

    • The partner pushes you apart and you drag again; the hand that was high on the tricep becomes the wrist hand.
    • Reaction: partner pushes us apart with his arm
    • Entry: drag this direction
    • Drill: keep repeating to build sensitivity and get familiar with the grips and placements

  5. Connected Arm Drag

    • From a connected arm drag, blade and circle for the drag.
    • Timing: blade and circle when he is connected

  6. Intercept And Snap

    • If you catch his arm coming in and intercept it, snap on the wrist and get by the tricep.
    • Entry: snap on the wrist as he reaches in
    • Entry: get by the tricep on this side
    • Entry: snap here and look to pull

  7. Thumb Post Entry

    • Use a thumb post or collar tie to elicit the arm drag response when he is not engaging.
    • Entry: go on a thumb post or almost a collar tie
    • Checkpoint: keep the rear leg back
    • Reaction: when he touches the arm you gave him, that is your tactile point
    • Entry: start looking to drag inside that way
    • Option: if they come to the inside, snap and drag that arm

  8. Over Under Pummel

    • From over unders and pummeling, drive heavier on the right side underhook and get the web grip into the bicep.
    • The idea In pummeling you usually want the inside, but the arm drag is how you escape the inside position to get to the outside.
    • Entry: drive a little bit heavier on the right side underhook
    • Grip: get the little Lego hand or web grip into the bicep
    • Pressure: keep head and chest in tight as you reach
    • Checkpoint: already splitting his stance

  9. Elbow Tight Reach

    • Use the elbow tight and hand in to create space, then reach across with head and chest pressure to make the drag.
    • Entry: use elbow tight, hand in to create a little bit of space
    • Pressure: reach across keeping good head and chest pressure
    • Entry: make your drag and go to step in

  10. Clinch Separation

    • From the clinch, use the arm drag to separate and create offbalance and misalignment before takedowns.
    • Checkpoint: use it to separate and create offbalance and misalignment
    • Checkpoint: this precedes the takedowns

  11. Split Stance Takedowns

    • From a split stance entry, level change into body locks, double legs, single legs, or high crotch lifts.
    • Entry: step in with a split stance
    • Entry: level change into body locks
    • Entry: double leg takedowns off of here
    • Entry: single legs because you have opportunities
    • Entry: high crotch lifts and things like that

  12. Outside Two On One

    • Get to an outside two on one to lead into trips.
    • Entry: get to an outside two on one
    • Entry: this can lead into different trips

  13. Inside Trip

    • From the outside two on one, go hit inside trips.
    • Entry: go hit inside trips

  14. Ankle Pick

    • If you miss the inside trip, try for the ankle pick.
    • Entry: try for this ankle pick here

  15. Snapdown

    • If he steps back out, his nose comes over his toes and that leads to snapdowns.
    • Reaction: he steps back out
    • Checkpoint: his nose comes out over his toes
    • Entry: that leads us into snapdowns

  16. Knee Tap Entry

    • Off the arm drag, split the stance, get hips through, and tap the knee with the clearing hand.
    • Checkpoint: split the stance exactly how we've been doing
    • Checkpoint: make sure you get your hips the whole entire way through
    • Entry: the hand that was clearing the wrist comes down and taps the knee

  17. Underhook And Drive

    • Come with the far side arm to the underhook and drive him forward and through.
    • Entry: come with the far side arm to the underhook
    • Pressure: drive them forward and through
    • Finish: it finishes like a shot takedown
    • Risk: low risk: even if it misses, it creates scrambles and separation

  18. Avoid The Re-Drag

    • Do not get re-dragged off your own arm drag, because that gives them the advantage.
    • Checkpoint: one of the worst things off an arm drag is getting re-dragged
    • Checkpoint: if they re-drag you, your own arm drag gave them the advantage
    • Fix: split the stance or go to the outside two on one so you don't get stuffed

  19. Marcelo Style Drag

    • Level change off the arm drag, pulling his arm into a dead pocket of space so he has to step.
    • Entry: circle or snap into this
    • Entry: drag pulls his arm forward into a dead pocket of space
    • Reaction: he typically has to take a step

  20. Hamstring On Ankle

    • Put your hamstring right on that ankle and drop your weight in.
    • Checkpoint: put your hamstring right on that ankle
    • Weight: drop the weight in here

  21. Chase The Back

    • After the takedown, wind up chasing his back.
    • Checkpoint: wind up chasing his back
    • Checkpoint: if he steps over your leg, bounce back up to standing
    • Checkpoint: maybe still have back exposure or come up on a single leg
    • Risk: looks committed but is easy to recover from

  22. Head Out Step Through

    • With head out, step your outside leg to the inside to split the stance squared up.
    • Entry: step with your outside leg to the inside
    • Checkpoint: even if your head is out, split the stance squared up
    • Checkpoint: you have his elbow across his body
    • Checkpoint: he is split in a line and this leg is out

  23. Take The Back

    • As he addresses the leg to step out and around, use that to cleanly take the back.
    • Reaction: he has to step out and around your leg
    • Entry: as he addresses that, take the back cleanly
    • Checkpoint: with inside hip in, it is harder for him to redrag
    • Risk: if the snap doesn't work, you're still on the back

  24. Misalign Shoulders And Hips

    • Arm drags misalign the shoulders and hips to establish kazushi before a takedown.
    • Checkpoint: get his shoulders and hips misaligned
    • Checkpoint: it does not take a whole lot to dramatically offbalance him
    • Checkpoint: any throw can exist off a derivation of an arm drag

Branch conditions