Foot Drag to Half Guard
Escape · Mount
The foot drag takes you from under mount to half guard. The moment is when he sits with knees low and feet wide beside your hips. Frame on his hips with both hands, elbows close to your ribs. Hook your foot over the top of his foot or ankle on one side, make a small bridge to take his weight off it, and in the same moment drag the foot between your legs. Lock half guard at once: cross your feet over his ankle and squeeze your knees, because until they cross he can step back over into full mount. A weighted foot cannot be dragged, so the bridge comes first. If he crossfaces you, you are in Half Guard: fight for the underhook and come to your side.
How to do it
- Under mount, frame on their hips with both hands, elbows close to your ribs, and see that their legs are spread low beside your hips.
- Hook one of their feet with your foot: bring your foot over the top of their foot or ankle on that side.
- Make a small bridge to take their weight off that foot, and in the same moment drag the foot between your legs.
- Keep the frames on their hips so they cannot drop their weight forward onto your chest while the foot comes in.
- Lock half guard on that leg at once: cross your feet over their ankle and squeeze your knees.
Key details
- A small bridge takes their weight off the foot: a weighted foot cannot be dragged.
- Frames keep their hips away from your chest: with their hips back you have room to move your legs.
- Lock the half guard right away: until the feet cross, they can step back over into full mount.
Common mistakes
- Hooking the foot with no bridge. — Their weight pins the foot and it will not move. — Bridge a little first to lighten the foot, then drag it.
- Extending the arms to push. — Straight arms stick out and they catch an armbar from mount. — Keep the elbows close to your body and use the hands only as frames.
- Locking the legs slowly. — They step back over into full mount. — Lock the half guard the instant the foot is in.
If they defend
- They climb to high mount. → Push the knee back down to low mount and restart.
How to drill it
Mount escapes: foot drag, 8 each side.
What comes next
Where it comes from