Learning how to “take the back” or get behind a bad guy is a crucial skill. In this video, Stephan Kesting will show you one of the most effective ways to do it.
Remember Stephan? Stephan is the founder of Grapplearts.com and Self Defense Tutorials.com. He was also kind enough to make a video with me on how to escape the rear naked choke.
So, let’s get to it! If the video won’t play, there’s a cheat sheet below. Happy training! 🙂
How to Take the Back in a Fight
One of the most effective ways to get behind a bad guy is a good, old-fashioned arm drag. Found in wrestling, it’s a move that every martial arts style should practice. Here’s the set-up…
- When an attacker uses his right hand to poke, push, or grab you, use your left hand to clear it away, like “wax on, wax off”.
- Next, use your right hand to cross-grab the arm above the elbow. If you grab below the elbow, you’ll give the bad guy a chance to pull his arm back or wriggle free.
- Last, pull the arm past you as you step to the side.
Please note… depending on the size and weight of your attacker, you may have to take a big step, a little step, or no step. In general, the larger they are, the more you’ll have to do the moving!
Once you move to the side and gain positional advantage, here are four options for a follow-up…
1- RUN. Always the safest choice in a self-defense situation. But if you can’t run…
2- CONTROL. Throw the arm past you and immediately grab hold of your attacker’s waist, like a bear hug. You may trap one or both arms.
Now drive your weight forward to break their balance and keep your head tight to their back. If you don’t, they’ll have room to head butt you or swing some reverse elbows. Not okay!
Even though you can easily drop someone to the ground from the body lock position, it’s also a great option when you don’t want to hurt someone. Maybe a friend or family member has lost their cool and you just want to keep them from hurting you or themselves. Taking the back is a safe spot to ride out the storm.
3- CHOKE. For more serious situations, wrapping up the head may give you the additional pressure you need to stop an attacker. This is a classic grappling one-two combo… arm drag > rear choke.
Heads up! If someone pulls YOU into a choke, don’t forget to check out Rear Naked Choke Defense. You’re welcome!
4- STRIKE. If you don’t have the time to hold and control, or even enough time to sink a choke, a quick strike may give you the chance to stun and run.
The arm drag pulls your opponent forward, which means he’ll naturally turn back around to face you. If you’re prepared, he’ll turn straight into your punch or kick. Attacking form the blind side is every martial artist’s goal… or at least it should be!
In short, the arm drag is a must if you want to know how to take the back of an attacker. Give it a try!
