In amateur wrestling, a “butt drag” is a technique used to control or take down an opponent by grabbing their leg and pulling or dragging them down to the mat. It involves grabbing the back of the opponent’s leg or thigh, usually near the buttocks, and using that grip to manipulate their balance and bring them down to the ground.
The butt drag can be used as part of a takedown or as a way to counter an opponent’s attack. It is a common technique employed in folkstyle wrestling, which is the style of wrestling practiced in high schools and colleges in the United States.
One wrestler previously faced criminal charges for using the move on 6 teammates – however that particular case featured a wrestler who was using the move on the team’s bus – outside of training and competition settings.
The move can also be used in BJJ, and isn’t outlawed by any major competition. Butt drags are commonly referred to as ‘oil checks’ in BJJ and they’re not commonly seen in training though the topic does come up occasionally.
Unified MMA rules also allow for it despite the fact that there is a rule in MMA that forbids insertion of a digit in any opening..
A while ago a video of a grappler tapping to the move as if it was a submission surfaced online. It’s unclear if he was familiar with the move prior to the film. It’s generally not a technique that’s taught in BJJ classes.
Joe Rogan talked about the move a while ago – and had no qualms about it being used in BJJ, wrestling or MMA.
“You can’t kick the butt hole, but you can grab it. It is weird. Like you can grab. Yeah, guys do what they call oil check. An oil check is sometimes in the middle of the grappling, the guy will literally have his fingers deep in a guy’s a**hole just digging in there.”
“And, you know, it forces the guy to move, forces the guy to move in a way to get away from that grip. And I don’t I don’t think it’s in I don’t think it’s illegal. It’s not I don’t think it’s illegal in wrestling either.”
