The Power of the Arm Drag
I was watching the latest Sumo basho and witnessed a beautiful arm drag that I thought would provide a nice lesson. The artist is called Midorifuji (which means Green Wisteria in Japanese). He has the distinction of being one of the smallest wrestlers in Sumo's top division.
He is listed at five-feet-seven on the card, but, yeah, sure.
Below is a video of him performing an arm drag to perfection against an opponent who is 125 pounds heavier and at least five inches taller:
I've told this story over at ILLINOISmatmen.com, but it deserves repeating. The proudest day of my life involved a number of arm drags. You see, my boy was a wee tyke back in the day, and he had joined the local wrestling club.
I enjoyed the practices, sitting against the wall, watching him roll around. In his first practice match, he was told to shake hands with his opponent, and he did so, saying, "Nice to meet you."
Well, the novice tournaments were something. He lost more than he won. Nothing, even Dairy Queen and Chicken McNuggets, could stop the tears. I had resolved not to interfere, but the bawling, those red eyes and the sniffles!
So, I taught him the arm drag.
This was just in time for the last tournament of the season. During his first match, he hit the arm drag, and I started jumping up and down and screaming like a crazy person. He kept hitting it all day until he took home the biggest trophy.
That smile has never left my face.
So, my friends, take my advice and the example of Midorifuji and put the arm drag into your arsenal. Perhaps teach it to your boy or girl.
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