Key Takeaways
- Tight, system-based approach to arm drags that links setups, finishes, and counters into one roadmap.
- Strong focus on hand fighting and positional discipline that transfers well to wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu stand-up.
- Clean progression from basics to advanced chains; the defensive volume makes the system feel complete.
- Production and structure are straightforward and easy to navigate, though some sections rush past finer details.
- Best for grapplers who already have basic stance and motion; true beginners may need to pause and drill a lot.
- Rating: 9/10
ARM DRAG ATTACK SYSTEM DAN VALLIMONT DVD DOWNLOAD
The Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD is all about turning one of wrestling’s most reliable ties into a full-blown gameplan. Rather than treating the arm drag as a single move, Vallimont uses this instructional to show how it can become the centre of your neutral strategy, from first contact all the way to scoring and finishing.
You get three volumes that move in a logical sequence: first, earning the drag and controlling ties; second, converting those positions into takedowns; and third, dealing with opponents who try to drag you or counter your entries. It’s presented as a wrestling instructional, but a lot of what’s here is directly useful for Jiu-Jitsu and No-Gi takedown work, especially if you favour back takes or chain wrestling into leg attacks.
This Dan Vallimont DVD Review walks through the structure of the series, looks at how it fits into modern grappling, and helps you decide if it deserves a spot in your training rotation.
The Art of Kuzushi Using the Torso
Arm drags live in that sweet spot between safety and aggression. You’re not diving underneath someone or giving up position; you’re off-balancing them, opening angles, and forcing reactions without overcommitting.
In broad BJJ terms, you can think of the drag as a standing kuzushi tool. From collar ties, wrist control, or 2-on-1s, you’re constantly trying to move the other person out of their stance, expose their back, or create a path to the hips.
A good drag doesn’t just “pull the arm”; it shifts their weight, turns their shoulders, and puts you on the better angle—exactly what you want before a takedown or back take. An instructional like the Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD shines because it doesn’t just show isolated moves.
It digs into how to earn the position in the first place, how to manage wrist control battles, and how to connect your drags to doubles, singles, fireman’s carries, ankle picks, and more. For Jiu-Jitsu athletes used to collar ties and over-unders, that kind of structured neutral game can be a big upgrade over “just shoot a double”.
Penn State Captain Dan Vallimont
Dan Vallimont isn’t just a coach who likes arm drags—he has the competitive résumé to back up a system-heavy approach. He was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American for Penn State, taking third in 2008 and making the NCAA finals in 2010 at 165 pounds, and across four NCAA Championship appearances, he never finished lower than the round of 12.
Before that, he was a standout at Jefferson Township High School in New Jersey, where he became a two-time state champion and posted a 134–9 high-school record while also serving as a multi-year team captain.
At Penn State, Dan Vallimont captained the Nittany Lions for two seasons, graduating with a degree in architectural engineering—so you’re getting a system from someone who literally thinks in structures.
After college, Vallimont stayed on the competitive path, making Team USA’s World Cup freestyle squad in 2014 and collecting solid results at senior-level events like the US Open and international tournaments.
Alongside competing, he built a serious coaching résumé, spending years as an assistant and head assistant coach at Hofstra before taking on roles with programs like Penn and the Pennsylvania RTC.
The emphasis on fundamentals, positional discipline, and clear drilling sequences is very much in line with his other instructionals, and it’s easy to see how the lessons in the Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD have been pressure-tested at NCAA and international levels.
Complete Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD Review
The Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD is structured as three volumes that move from foundations, to offensive conversions, to defensive drags and counters. Each volume covers a specific phase of the game, but they’re clearly designed to feed into each other so that the arm drag never exists in isolation.
Volume 1 – Getting to the Arm Drag
Volume 1 is all about earning the arm drag and getting comfortable living in those ties. Vallimont opens with an introduction and then goes straight into the basics of positioning and entries, which is exactly what you’d hope for: stance, distance, and the mechanics of how to control an arm rather than just grabbing and yanking.
From there, he layers in various drills that help you feel how to move an opponent’s weight without blowing your own base. The wrist-control chapters are a big highlight. They show how to navigate those mini-battles that happen before any big move—how to recover when your opponent has your wrist, how to use their grip against them, and how to re-establish your own preferred ties.
The Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD really leans on these details, because if you can’t win the wrist fight, you’ll rarely earn a clean drag in live resistance. From there, Vallimont moves into variations like the “Underhook Drag”, “Over-Tie Drag”, and 2-on-1 options to both the near and far side.
Volume 2 – Arm Drag Attacks
If Volume 1 builds the frame, Volume 2 is where you start cashing it in for points. It kicks off with arm drag takedowns, immediately connecting your drag to a scoring position where you’re behind your opponent with your hips close. A couple of hip drags show different ways to finish when your partner is trying to stay upright or lean away.
As the volume progresses, Vallimont mixes classic finishes with drag-based entries: back finishes off the sag, ankle picks, outside-step fakes into drags, doubles, traditional fireman’s carries, and sweep singles.
There’s a nice sense of chain wrestling here—if they post, you go one way; if they square up, you have another option; if they try to limp arm out, you’re already transitioning to a different finish.
The later chapters continue this theme with sequences like drag to 2-on-1, the Sag Head Lock, and arm spin, along with far-side options including ankle picks, fireman’s carries, and sweep singles. This middle portion of the Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD feels the most directly “plug and play” for competitive grapplers.
Volume 3 – Drag Defense
The final part flips the script: instead of being the one doing all the dragging, you’re often the one being dragged—or at least being attacked from the front headlock and similar positions. It opens with headlock defense, immediately addressing a common fear in both wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu: getting stuck underneath after a failed attack or being yanked into a front headlock.
Volume 3 of the Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD shows how to use those situations to create your own drags and takedowns instead of just defending. It covers a series of defensive drag” chapters that answer specific scenarios: front headlock escapes, counters to failed fireman’s carries, and high-crotch counters.
The idea is that whenever someone tries to run you into a bad position, you’re ready with a drag of your own. The Re-Drag material closes the loop nicely, reinforcing the idea that arm drags are a two-way weapon: if they drag, you drag back and reclaim the initiative. I
Early Back Exposure in Grappling
From a practical standpoint, the system is very drill-friendly. Volume 1 gives you specific partner drills for earning the drag, winning wrist control, and feeling how to pull someone out of stance without chasing.
You can plug those reps into warm-ups or specific training rounds, especially if you’re trying to build better hand fighting into your Jiu-Jitsu stand-up or wrestling classes.
Volume 2 is ideal for sparring scenarios: pick one or two finishes—say, drag to double and drag to ankle pick—and run constrained rounds where you’re only allowed to score from those options. Over time, you start to feel how to steer ties so that those finishes naturally present themselves, rather than forcing them from bad angles.
The Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD gives you a focused blueprint for turning collar ties, wrist grabs, and 2-on-1s into back exposure or leg attacks. Grapplers who like to play guard can also benefit by using the same concepts when coming up on singles or chasing the back from seated guard, since the off-balancing and angle changes are essentially the same.
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Who Is This For?
The Arm Drag System Dan Vallimont DVD is best suited to grapplers who already understand basic stance, motion, and level changes, and who want a more organised neutral game. If you’ve been hand-fighting for years but mostly looking for single doubles without a clear tie-up strategy, this series can give you a solid backbone for your stand-up.
Intermediate and advanced grapplers will probably get the most out of it, since the pace assumes you’re comfortable with common finishes and can visualise how they plug into live matches. For experienced Jiu-Jitsu players who cross-train wrestling or No-Gi, it’s a great way to sharpen the tie-up phases that often get neglected in typical Jiu-Jitsu warm-ups.
Beginners can still use it, but they’ll need to pause frequently and spend extra time on the fundamentals shown in Volume 1 before trying to run the full chains from Volume 2 and 3. For absolute newcomers, the Dan Vallimont Arm Drag DVD is more of a roadmap for where you want your neutral game to end up rather than a true “day one” starting point.
Pros & Potential Drawbacks
Pros:
- Clear, logical structure from basics to advanced chains, making it easy to build a full arm drag game.
- Strong emphasis on hand fighting, wrist control, and positioning that translates well to both wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
- Wide variety of finishes from the same core tie, including doubles, singles, fireman’s carries, ankle picks, and inside trips.
- Defensive volume rounds out the system by covering front headlocks, failed attacks, and re-drags.
- Production quality is straightforward and functional: the chapter list is detailed, navigation is simple, and the pacing keeps you engaged.
Potential Drawbacks:
- True beginners may find the volume of material overwhelming without a coach to guide which pieces to prioritise.
- Some sections move quickly over fine grip details that more methodical learners might want broken down even further.
- If you’re looking for extensive mat-wrestling or par terre work, this series stays firmly focused on the neutral game.
Snap ‘N’ Drag
Dan Vallimont has put together a well-structured look at one of grappling’s most versatile tools. The series takes you from earning the drag to converting it into high-percentage takedowns, to surviving and countering when opponents try to drag you instead. For wrestlers and Jiu-Jitsu athletes who want a clear, repeatable plan from neutral, it offers a lot of value.
Overall, the Arm Drag Attack System Dan Vallimont DVD earns its place as a specialized tool in a grappler’s library—especially if you care about building a reliable, angle-based stand-up game that works in both wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu contexts.
