VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 4
Kesa-gatame (sash hold). In Kesa-gatame, you try to hold your partner on
their back in such a way that you lie across them like a sash, from their shoulder to
their hip. Check which variations offer the best control for the person holding and
which ones give the person being held the least opportunity to break free:
• Vary your upper body position: Try to vary the body weight with which
you press down on your partner's upper body by lying more or less on top
of them with your upper body.
• Vary your hip position: Lie on top of your partner so that you are putting
weight on their upper body, but your hips are at different distances from
their torso. Which distance is best?
• Vary your leg position: Alternate between legs wide apart, shoulder-width
apart, and close together. Which position is the most stable?
Learning how to apply holds should also be accompanied by learning how to
escape from them. Even though kesa-gatame is a relatively secure hold, there are
still ways to escape from it. To help students reliably discover these solutions for
themselves, here are some proven tips for escaping.
Tips for escaping from Kesa-gatame.
• Unbalance your partner by turning abruptly from one side to the other.
First feint in one direction and then turn dynamically in the other.
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