Leg Drag Pass: The Angle-Based Pass That Completes Your System

Leg Drag Pass: The Angle-Based Pass That Completes Your System

By BJJ Sportswear Editorial Team
Reviewed by competitive black belts specializing in angle-based passing systems | Last Updated: January 11, 2026

The Leg Drag Pass is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s most angle-based and technical guard passing technique. While the knee slice pass dominates through pressure and the toreando pass wins through speed, the leg drag succeeds through angles, misdirection, and hip control.​

According to Evolve MMA’s leg drag analysis, this passing position controls the opponent’s hip by dragging the leg to one side, using misdirection as its central concept. Early variants appeared in competitions since the early 90s as an alternative to failed toreando and stack pass attempts.​

BJJ Fanatics emphasizes that the Mendes brothers brought this iconic passing system back after its hiatus from competitive grappling, revolutionizing how modern athletes approach guard passing. The leg drag creates a bad position where the opponent’s hips face away, opening multiple submission opportunities.​

After coaching hundreds of students and using leg drag in competition, I’ve found it’s the perfect third piece of a complete passing system. Pressure passing (knee slice) + Speed passing (toreando) + Angle passing (leg drag) = unstoppable combinations that keep opponents guessing.

Whether you’re a blue belt building technical skills or a brown belt refining championship strategies, learning leg drag mechanics gives you the angle-based foundation that works against modern guard systems, particularly those covered in previous articles.

What Is the Leg Drag Pass?

The leg drag pass happens when the standing passer controls the opponent’s leg, drags it across their centerline to one side, then steps to the opposite side to pass around their guard.​

Core Leg Drag Parts:

• Standing position above opponent’s open guard
• Grip control on ankle, knee, or pants/shin
• Dragging leg across opponent’s centerline
• Stepping to opposite side (misdirection)
• Pinning dragged leg with knee
• Finish in side control or back position

The technique uses misdirection—you move the legs one direction while your body goes the opposite way. This creates the angle that makes guard retention nearly impossible.​

Understanding what is guard in BJJ helps you see why angle-based passing differs from pressure and speed approaches—it’s about creating positional problems opponents can’t solve.

Why the Leg Drag Works

The Three Passing Philosophies

Modern BJJ has three main passing approaches:

1. Pressure-Based (Knee Slice)

• Pins hips and controls with weight
• Slowly moves past legs
• Favors bigger, heavier grapplers

2. Speed-Based (Toreando)

• Quick misdirection and explosiveness
• Blows past guard rapidly
• Favors smaller, agile grapplers

3. Angle-Based (Leg Drag)

• Controls hip position through leg manipulation
• Creates passing angles opponents can’t defend
• Works for all body types and styles

The leg drag completes your system—when pressure and speed fail, angles succeed.​

Universal Applicability

The leg drag works everywhere:​

Gi Competition:

• Pant/ankle grips enhance control
• Works against all modern guards
• Scores 3 points for pass
• Creates side control opportunities

No-Gi and Submission-Only:

• Trickier without gi grips but still effective
• Ankle control replaces pant grips
• Works in ADCC and all formats
• Creates leg lock entries

MMA Use:

• Standing position defends strikes
• Quick angle change limits damage
• Creates top control rapidly
• Better than static passing under strikes

Beating Modern Guards

The leg drag specifically defeats positions covered in previous articles:

Against De La Riva Guard

• Standing position weakens DLR hook
• Dragging leg forces them off DLR
• Angle prevents berimbolo entries
• Misdirection beats hook’s off-balancing

Against Reverse De La Riva

• Leg drag bypasses inside hook control
• Angle eliminates RDLR effectiveness
• Hip control stops guard retention
• Speed of pass prevents recovery

Against Single Leg X Guard

• Dragging leg removes SLX control
• Angle prevents sweeps
• Hip pinning stops technical standup
• Going around avoids leg entanglements

Understanding half guard helps because leg drag sometimes creates half guard situations you must finish.

Core Leg Drag Mechanics

Starting Position

The foundation starts from standing:

Standing Guard Position

• Both feet planted, balanced stance
• Hips back (don’t lean over opponent)
• Hands ready to control legs
• Weight on balls of feet (mobile)
• Posture maintained throughout

Critical Preparation: You must be standing to execute leg drag effectively. From combat base, stand up first.​

Grip Options

Different grips create different effectiveness:

Ankle Grips (Simplest)

• Both hands control ankles
• Easy to learn for beginners
• Allows throwing legs to side
• Less technical but functional

Knee/Shin Grips (Modern)

• Control below knees or on shins
• Better leg control throughout
• Closer to opponent’s body
• Preferred by advanced practitioners

Evolve MMA notes: Control legs using grips throughout all ranges—start controlling feet, then block knee and hip as you come closer.​

In my experience, blue belts should start with simple ankle grips, then progress to more technical knee/shin control.

The Misdirection Principle

Misdirection is the central concept of leg drag:​

Key Ideas:

• Move legs one direction
• Your body goes opposite direction
• Creates angle they can’t defend
• Hip control prevents recovery
• Timing more important than strength

I tell students: “The leg drag is chess, not checkers. You’re creating angles they can’t solve.”

Step-by-Step Leg Drag Execution

Basic Leg Drag (Traditional Method)

The fundamental version everyone should learn first:​

Execution Steps

1. Establish Standing Position

• Stand in opponent’s open guard
• Posture maintained, balanced stance
• Hands ready to control

2. Secure Grips

• Grip both ankles firmly
• Or grip pant legs near knees (gi)
• Establish strong control

3. Throw Legs to One Side

• Use misdirection—throw legs to your right
• Simultaneously step left foot to opposite side
• This creates the passing angle

4. Step Around

• Step to opposite side of thrown legs
• Your body goes left while legs went right
• Creates misdirection effect

5. Drop to Side Control

• Pin dragged leg with your knee
• Drop into knee on belly or side control
• Secure position immediately

Why It Works: You’re using their legs’ momentum against them. Simple but effective at all levels.​

Technical Leg Drag (Advanced Method)

More sophisticated approach used by Mendes brothers:​

Advanced Execution

1. Control and Redirect

• Grip target leg at ankle/knee
• Push opponent’s ankles down
• Wait for them to lift up (reaction)
• Use that lift to execute drag

2. Drag Across Centerline

• Pull target leg across their centerline
• This disrupts their guard alignment
• Their hips now face single direction

3. Step and Pin

• Step forward with lead leg
• Place knee near their hip
• Pin dragged leg in place with knee pressure

4. Clear Second Leg

• Push other leg down with hand/elbow
• Clear your passing path
• Don’t let it block your progress

5. Secure Position

• Drop hips low for pressure
• Slide torso past defenses
• Settle into side control or back
• Prevent guard recovery

Critical Detail: Pin dragged leg with your knee to prevent them from recovering guard. Without pinning, they can re-establish.​

Push-Pull Variation

Creating back exposure:​

Mechanics

• Grab knee with inside grips
• Push opponent’s hips to one side
• Simultaneously push far leg down
• Forces hips and body to turn
• Exposes back when this happens
• Take back position if available

Understanding rear naked choke helps when back exposure occurs during leg drag.

Key Technical Details

Hip Control Is Everything

The leg drag succeeds through hip control:

Why Hips Matter:

• Hips facing away = can’t recover guard
• Hip control prevents shrimping
• Dragged leg creates hip misalignment
• They can’t square up to you

Without controlling their hip position, the leg drag fails.

Knee Pinning

Your knee pins their dragged leg:​

Pinning Mechanics:

• Knee near their hip (not on it)
• Pins dragged leg across their body
• Prevents them pulling knee back
• Critical checkpoint in pass

Many blue belts skip this step and wonder why opponents recover guard easily.

Timing Over Strength

Leg drag is technical, not strength-based:​

Timing Principles:

• Wait for their reactions
• Use their push/pull against them
• Don’t force—flow with momentum
• Smaller grapplers excel at this

Evolve MMA emphasizes: You don’t need super speed, just proper technique and good timing.​

Common Leg Drag Mistakes

Not Dragging Across Centerline

The #1 technical error:

The Problem

• Dragging leg but not across centerline
• Doesn’t create hip misalignment
• Easy for them to recover
• Wastes energy

The Solution

• Pull leg ACROSS their centerline
• Their knee should point away from you
• Creates hip position problem
• Makes recovery nearly impossible

Skipping the Knee Pin

Rushing past critical step:

Issue

• Going straight to side control
• Not pinning dragged leg first
• They pull knee back and recover
• Pass fails at final moment

Correction

• Always pin with knee first
• Then secure side control
• Checkpoint ensures pass completion
• Prevents last-second escapes

Poor Grip Management

Losing grips during execution:

Problem

• Grips break during drag
• Can’t maintain leg control
• Pass falls apart mid-execution

Fix

• Secure strong grips before starting
• Maintain throughout drag
• Adjust grips as needed
• Don’t death grip—flow with movement

Fighting Lost Positions

Forcing leg drag when clearly defended:

Issue

• Opponent has perfect defensive grips
• Better options available
• Wastes time and energy

Better Approach

• Recognize when leg drag is blocked (2-3 seconds)
• Transition to knee slice or toreando
• Chain passes fluidly
• Complete passing system beats single technique

Elite passers flow between all three passing types—this keeps opponents unable to settle into defensive patterns.

Defending the Leg Drag

Core Defense: Center Your Hips

The most important defensive concept:

Hip Positioning:

• Keep hips centered (not angled)
• If hips angle sideways, easy to drag
• When dragged, use other foot
• Cross over and plant on their hips
• Free your leg and square up

Centered hips make leg drag much harder.

​

Reverse De La Riva Counter

Offensive defense option:​

Setup:

• As they close off your knee
• Secure collar grip
• Push their shoulder backward
• Open your knee outward
• Free other leg
• Pummel shin inside their leg
• Create RDLR hook
• Attack foot lock or sweep

I teach students: Against good leg draggers, passive defense fails. Create offensive counters.

Training Leg Drag by Belt Level

For Blue Belts: Building Basics

Start with fundamental mechanics:

Priorities:

• Master basic ankle grip version first
• Practice misdirection concept
• Drill on both sides equally
• Learn one direction first, then switch
• Develop timing (not speed)

Resources about first BJJ class expectations help beginners understand passing progression.

Training Tip: Evolve MMA recommends isolating the movement into drills—get grips, slowly drag leg, go to opposite side. Build muscle memory before adding resistance.​

For Purple/Brown Belts: Advanced Details

Develop complete systems:

Development:

• Master technical knee/shin grip version
• Study Mendes brothers footage
• Chain leg drag with other passes
• Learn to read opponent reactions
• Practice gi and no-gi variations
• Develop submission entries from leg drag

Exploring blue belt development goals helps structure leg drag integration.

For Black Belts: System Integration

Perfect the complete passing system:

Master Level:

• Seamlessly flow between knee slice, toreando, and leg drag
• Create signature variations
• Perfect invisible technique (looks effortless)
• Teach mechanics effectively
• Adapt to opponent’s specific game

Competition Strategy

IBJJF Gi Competition

Leg drag thrives in points-based gi:

Strategic Advantages:

• Guard pass = 3 points
• Often leads to side control (stable position)
• Creates submission opportunities
• Technical execution scores well
• Works at all weight classes

Competition Reality: Champions like Mendes brothers, Mikey Musumeci, and Lucas Lepri built careers using leg drag.​

ADCC and No-Gi

Works in no-gi with modifications:

No-Gi Applications:

• Trickier without gi grips​
• Ankle control becomes critical
• Creates leg lock entries
• Works in overtime situations
• Requires better timing

Complete Passing System

Leg drag completes the trilogy:

The System:

1. Knee Slice (pressure) – When they defend speed/angles
2. Toreando (speed) – When they defend pressure/angles
3. Leg Drag (angles) – When they defend pressure/speed

Alternating between these three keeps opponents guessing and unable to settle defensive patterns. This is how world champions pass world-class guards.

The Leg Drag Legacy

From early 1990s innovations by Leo Vieira and Vitor Shaolin to the Mendes brothers’ revolutionary systematization in the 2010s, the leg drag represents BJJ’s most angle-based and technical passing approach.​

What makes it special isn’t complexity—it’s the simple concept of misdirection and hip control that works for everyone willing to develop timing and precision. The leg drag proves that angles often beat strength and speed.

Rafael and Gui Mendes used it to win multiple world championships. Mikey Musumeci, Lucas Lepri, and the Miyao brothers built championship games around it. And forty years from now, grapplers will still be using it because the angle-based mechanics are timeless.​

Whether you’re a blue belt learning technical passing or a black belt competing at world championships, the leg drag provides the angle-based foundation that completes your passing system. Combined with knee slice pressure and toreando speed, you have unstoppable passing combinations that work against any guard.

Mastering leg drag fundamentals creates the complete modern passing system—pressure, speed, and angles working together to defeat De La Riva guard, Reverse De La Riva, and Single Leg X variations that define modern competition.

How We Reviewed This Article

Editorial Standards: Technical information verified through Mendes brothers instructional content, Lucas Lepri competition footage, and contemporary leg drag specialists. Mechanical analysis reviewed by competitive black belts using leg drag in tournament settings. Strategic applications based on IBJJF, ADCC, and modern competition footage (1990-2025).

Sources Referenced:

• Mendes brothers (Rafael and Gui) leg drag systems
• Lucas Lepri, Mikey Musumeci competition analysis
• Evolve MMA leg drag technical breakdown
• BJJ Fanatics leg drag evolution and applications
• Historical footage (Leo Vieira, Vitor Shaolin)

Last Updated: January 11, 2026