Leg Drag

What it is

The leg drag is a guard pass where you pull one leg across your body and pin it against your hip, so their knees point away from you and their guard is shut off. Their leg is their guard, so when it is dragged and pinned the pass is almost done. From there you win the far underhook and move to side control or the back.

When to use it

• They play open guard with a foot on your hip or bicep.
• You have cleared a de la Riva or spider hook and the leg is in your hands.
• They turn to their side and give you a leg to pull across.

How to do it

1. Stand or kneel with a grip on one trouser leg at the shin and the other on the knee or hip.
2. Pull the leg across your body and toward your hip, so their hips turn away from you.
3. Step in and pin the shin against your hip with your knee pressing their thigh to the mat.
4. Drop your weight onto their hip with your chest so they cannot turn back toward you.
5. Win the far underhook or a crossface with your free arm.
6. Slide your knee over the leg and settle into side control, or step over to the back if they turn.

Key details

• The dragged leg goes to your hip, not just across. Your hip is what pins it.
• Their knees must point away from you. If they point at you, the guard is still alive.
• Chest on hip stops the shrimp and turn that rebuilds the guard.
• Control the far arm. Without it they turn in to you and get an underhook.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: dragging the leg across without pinning it, so it comes straight back.
• Mistake: staying high after the drag, so they turn in and recover half guard.
• Mistake: putting your weight on the legs instead of the hip, so they roll away and sit up.

What they will try

• They turn in toward you fast, win the underhook and come up to their knees.
• They turn away before you pin the hip and go to turtle.

Gi and no-gi

Grip the ankle and the knee rather than the trousers, and pin the leg with your hip quickly because the drag slips.