BJJ Arm Drag: Why It's So Effective?

The art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is full of all sorts of techniques and moves. You can learn any type of technique you want, whether it's the surprising technique, slow one, or fast one, the art of Brazil has got everything for you. Besides these types, there are also some techniques that everyone thinks are ordinary just because it does not look special. But once a grappler executes them, the opponent finds it very difficult to handle themselves and defend against the execution. One such silent killing technique is the arm drag. It is a technique that can change the game for you on your side. It is a type of technique that, if you execute in a match where you are losing, can turn the game and bring dominance for you. Let’s explore this technique.

The BJJ arm drag, as the name indicates, is the technique in which the grappler drags the arm of their opponent. In this technique, the grappler pulls the arms of their opponent towards themselves across their center line. This makes the opponent flat in a way that their back gets exposed. It gives opportunities for many attacks on their opponent, in which one of the easy and famous ones is the back take, which can lead to submissions if used correctly.

An arm drag is so effective that it can help you in performing a number of techniques and moves against your opponent:

• You get instant inside control. In inside control, you have your arms or legs within the space of your opponent’s arms and limbs. It gives a greater range of control over your opponent’s body, particularly their limbs. So you can protect your body from their attacks and submissions.

• The first and most clearly visible control is the back control. When you attempt an arm drag on your opponent, they get flattened out, and their back suddenly becomes visible to you. You can take their back, apply, or execute any technique relevant to their back.

• Another opportunity you get through the arm drag is the transitions. You are able to do a transition from the arm drag position to any other position. There are a number of positions you can transition your opponent to from the arm drag positions. Some of these can be done in both Gi and No Gi, whereas others are only limited to the Gi. Some common and easy transitions from arm drag include leg locks, single legs, and collar drags or chokes. Collar chokes and collar drags can only be done in the Gi BJJ.

• Keeping your balance is very important as it serves both ways. It helps you defend yourself against your opponent’s attacks, and you are also able to attack your opponent. So, disrupting the balance of your opponent is a very good way to gain dominance. But how do you do that? The answer is arm drag. Arm drag is a way to unbalance your opponent.

As for now, you might know how important arm drag is in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But the real question arises now. If you want to do it in the BJJ match, how can you do it, making sure you have followed all the required steps, keeping in view the required situations and positions of the match for executing the arm drag? Let's discuss this. The following are all the steps you need to perform to successfully execute the arm drag in BJJ:

The first important step you need to take is to acquire control over their arm. You can take any arm you want, but it is preferable to take the one that is nearest to you so that you can easily grab it. Make sure you are grabbing their arm near their wrist or elbow. The most important thing people often don’t focus on is the strong grip. If you do not have a strong grip on them, then you cannot perform the arm drag. They can easily get their arm back to them. So always make sure you have a strong grip on them.

Once you have grabbed your opponent’s arm near the wrist or elbow with a stronger grip, the next step is to pull them across their body. Don’t pull their arm slowly because if you do this, they will have the opportunity to defend themselves against your drag because they will find sufficient time to do this. So don’t give them time and pull them towards you or across their body to get them in a submissive mode.

The next step is to go to the side of your opponent. You need to do this step at the same time as you do the previous one. Pull them across their body and go to their side. You are going to their side to make sure you have their back. Because after pulling or dragging their arm across their centre line, their back becomes exposed, and you can take that by moving to the side where their back is accessible. For this, you need to create an angle. Create space and move through it.

Now the time has come to get the real benefit from the arm drag. You have successfully dragged their arm across their body, and you have also created the angle and moved to their side. Their back is now accessible to you. Now there are a number of options to choose from here. You have their back, you can take and control their back for various attack and submission options. Moreover, you can transition to various other positions to make them even more submissive and yourself even more dominant. This will help you submit them and force them to tap out.

You have to make sure you are following all the steps given above in the order as discussed here. But this is not enough to execute the perfect arm drag in BJJ. Besides following the steps given above, you have to make sure of the following things:

You should distract your opponent. Distraction is very important. For example, if you are already telling your opponent by signaling with your moves and actions that you are going to execute the arm drag on them, then they will certainly develop some defensive strategies or position against that. So distract them by showing them to execute the move you are not going to execute, and then suddenly come up with the arm drag. This will make your arm drag easy for you to execute.

You should have a plan about what you are going to do next once you have achieved the arm drag on your opponent. This is not the thing that you should think about at the end or just at the time you execute. Instead, you should already have some of the best options that you can execute better after the arm drag.

Most grapplers, while executing the arm drag, think that only their arms are important. They forget the role their hips and legs can play in effective execution. So you should practically involve your legs and hips in the execution. Generate the power and force with both your legs and hips, which you can utilize to improve your arm drag execution to make it perfect.

The arm drag in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is very effective for anyone who executes it against their opponent. It is so effective that you can utilize it as a game changer for you without even noticing by your opponent because it is like a slow trap that baits the opponent. So you can call it a silent game changer technique of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But it is so effective, and what are the features and benefits that make it so effective? Let’s discuss. The following are the benefits of arm drag, which highlights its importance in BJJ and justify its name: the silent game changer.

Are you worrying about how you can tackle opponents who are stronger than you and taller than you? Don’t worry because you have no arm drag. Unlike many other techniques in martial arts, the arm drag excels in its benefits. It is the technique that will help you gain an advantage over your bigger and stronger opponents. You will not feel helpless against them as you can execute the game changer technique. The reason why it is applicable and effective against larger opponents who are also stronger because it relies on the technique, skill, timing, and precision. If you have all that and you are perfectly implementing all these elements into your game, then you are able to dominate the larger and stronger opponents and lead the game.

The arm drag is versatile in its nature. It applies in both ways. It means that it can be applied from a lot of positions and situations in a BJJ match, so it's versatile in its execution. Moreover, it is a technique that, after its execution, allows you to transition to a number of different positions, giving you the opportunity to submit your opponent in various ways. So it is versatile even after its execution for transition to other positions.

While grappling in a BJJ match, it is necessary that you have openings, spaces, or angles so you can attack your opponent. If you don’t have such spaces, then it becomes difficult for you to attack your opponent. The BJJ arm drag can be handy for you to create angles, so you have some opportunities for attacks. It allows many ways to submit or attack your opponent.

Arm drag is a technique that is not an extraordinary or very effective technique in the eyes of many grapplers. So they don’t learn it as they learn other techniques. This gives you an opportunity. You should learn them and try them against your opponents. They don’t learn, so they will find it very difficult to defend against them. So it acts as a silent game changer for you.

The arm drag is one of the most effective techniques in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is like some other techniques that provide extraordinary effectiveness but always go untouched. So if you are a beginner in BJJ or an experienced one, then you should definitely learn this technique. Implement this in professional BJJ matches, whether it's the bigger opponent or smaller opponent or stronger or weaker one, you are free to execute it without seeing your opponent.

The BJJ arm drag, as the name indicates, is the technique in which the grappler drags the arm of their opponent. In this technique, the grappler pulls the arms of their opponent towards themselves across their center line. This makes the opponent flat in a way that their back gets exposed. It gives opportunities for many attacks on their opponent.

The following are the benefits of arm drag, which highlights its importance in BJJ and justify its name: the silent game changer.

• Perfect against the stronger and bigger opponents

• Versatility

• Creates many angles for attack

• Silent game changer

You have to make sure of the following things while executing the BJJ arm drag:

• Distract your opponent

• Have a clear plan to do after the arm drag

• Utilize your legs and hips to generate power and force

The following are all the steps you need to perform to successfully execute the arm drag in BJJ:

• Acquire control over their arm

• Pull their arm across their body

• Go to the side of your opponent

• Transition to various submission positions