Butterfly Arm Drag to Back

Student Objectives:

1. The student will apply the Arm Drag from Butterfly Guard with good technique on a compliant partner.
2. The student will develop lateral movement while applying the Arm Drag from the Butterfly Guard Position.

Teaching Cues:

• Power C and Sloth
• Guide and Slide (guide the arm and slide the hips)
• Take the Back

Lesson: Arm Drag to Back Control from Butterfly Guard

The practicing student will start in the Butterfly Guard by sitting flat on their buttocks with their legs gently bent and their heels close to their groin.  While learning this movement the practicing student may place their hands comfortably on the floor.  Keep in mind this is only to facilitate a training situation and the practicing student would normally be using their hands to defend the grips on their legs. The assisting student will Triangle Sit with one Knee on each side of the practicing student’s ankles.  They will then place their hands on the knees of the practicing student.  

To execute the Arm Drag the practicing student will use a Power C Grip on the same side wrist.  The second hand will be made into a Sloth Grip and will be inserted at the cross side armpit with the hand/wrist curling around the back of the assisting students tricep.    

To allow a focused practice on the hip movement, the practicing student should remove the Butterfly Hook on the same side as the Arm Drag is being performed.  The foot can be posted comfortably on the floor and will be used in conjunction with the following steps to help facilitate a smoother transition to the back.  The practicing student’s other hook should be left in between the legs as it will be used for Back Control upon completion of the movement.  

The practicing student will then use the Power C grip to guide the assisting partners wrist and arm across their body to the hip.  It is important that the arm is pulled across the body otherwise the arm will become a barrier and prevent a smooth transition to back.    

As the arm is being guided across the body the Sloth Grip will reinforce the movement by quickly and firmly pulling on the arm.  Simultaneously, the practicing student will slide their hips across the mat in the direction of the assisting students back.  This dynamic movement requires practice to generate enough force to overcome the friction of the buttocks on the floor and smoothly move the hips towards the back.    

As the hips make progress towards the back, the Power C Grip will be released and the hand will reach around the back of the assisting student hips and make a cupping grip on the far hip. The foot that was left between the legs of the assisting student will hook around the inside of the knee pit of the assisting student and can be used as one of the hooks in Back Control.  

The practicing student should then flare their knee of the hooking leg out to provide base and elevate to the best of their ability. To finish taking the back the practicing student will push off their non-hooking leg and set the second hook on the far side.  This should be combined with a positive hand positioning on the back, either the Seatbelt, Double Unders or various different collar grips.  

Possible Extensions:

• The hand positioning upon completion of the Arm Drag leaves an arm in place to set up chokes.  Commonly this technique is paired with the Rear Naked Choke as an effective combination attack of positional advancement and threatening with a submission.
• If the student is successful in dragging the arm across the body, but can not slide their hips towards the back, this leaves them in the perfect position to execute the Pocket Sweep.  Make sure to reference the appropriate lesson plan to understand the dynamics of that sweep.
• Against an opponent that tries to elevate their hips to avoid their back being taken, the Arm Drag can feed right into a Single Leg or Koala.  Have the student use the leg that was previously a hook between the legs to hug the assisting student's ankle while also using the free hand to hug around the outside of the Knee Pit.  Make sure to reference the Koala lesson plan to understand the technique before applying it from the Arm Drag.

Possible Refinements:

• The amount of force needed to slide the hips towards the back can be overwhelming for the assisting student if they are not prepared.  Make sure the assisting student knows they should keep a rigid body, and in some cases slightly pull back to resist the pulling of the arm to give a realistic feel to the movement.  Reinforce, this is not sparring, and they are only providing tension on the arm.
• Guiding the arm is important before violently pulling on the tricep.  If the hand is caught on the body, not only will it prevent a transition to the back, it can, against a non-resisting partner, hurt the elbow.  Make sure the arm has a clear pathway across the body before applying any dynamic force to the tricep with the Sloth Grip.
• Using the posted, non-hooking leg, will become important in a successful Arm Drag.  There are many methods to use including a light bridge, a modified shrimp and a leg hike (dramatic swinging of the leg from pointing at the ceiling to parallel with the floor).  Allow students to explore this part of the transition as I have found it depends greatly on the size of the student and the length of their legs.

Reference materials:

Teaching Reflections:

• How did I do teaching?
• What could I do better next time?
• Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?

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