Seated Guard | Basic Arm Drag

Executing a basic arm drag from the seated guard begins with the correct posture: knees wide, feet close, back straight and hinged forward, with shoulders in front of the hips. Hands should be ready to defend against grips, covering the area from in front of the feet to the top of the head.

1. Start with feet flexed, not together like a butterfly, to plant and project weight forward.
2. Prepare for hand fighting and be alert to the opponent's reactions.
3. Initiate the arm drag by moving the opponent's arm out of the way to access their back, which is possible as long as they are not flat on the mat with their weight.
4. Focus on moving your own weight to move the opponent's weight, connecting and chaining your movements together.
5. From the inside track, pass the opponent's arm around and push their wrist to their belly button, creating tension and a hook to access their weight.
6. Remove one leg and the opposite arm from the equation, then lift your hips to capture your own weight and turn it to move the opponent.
7. Drag the opponent past you, aiming to project them behind you to create less space and a cleaner path to their back.
8. Surface before the opponent, releasing any hooks that may pin your hip to the mat, preventing alignment.
9. Sit up, glue yourself to the opponent, and secure a handhold, preferably in the armpit, avoiding reliance on gi grips.
10. Cover the opponent's back with your chest and secure a tight seatbelt grip.
11. Depending on the opponent's base, either tip them over, insert a hook if their base is wide, or if they roll away, cover the hip to deny mat contact and prevent their escape.

The key takeaway is to focus on the weight and timing, ensuring they are seamless. When connected to the opponent's weight, move to secure the position.