Kesa-gatame (scarf hold) is the most widely taught pin in judo. Tori sits tight against uke's side with one arm around his neck. The other arm traps uke's arm under the armpit, and tori's legs stay spread wide. It is the first osaekomi technique of the katame-no-kata.
Basic kesa-gatame position
Say tori is on the right side of uke, who lies on his back.
Tori's right arm goes around uke's neck, with the hand on the mat or gripping the collar behind his head. Tori's left arm clamps uke's right arm under the armpit, left hand on the sleeve near the elbow. That trapped arm is the key to the whole hold. As long as uke cannot get it back, he cannot turn toward tori.
His right hip touches uke's ribs. The legs spread wide, right leg bent forward and left leg stretched back. This compass-shaped base stops uke from rolling tori over the top.
As for the head, it stays low and close to uke's head. The weight of the upper body rests on uke's chest, not on tori's elbows.
What makes you lose the hold
- Legs too close together. The smallest bridge tips you over.
- Uke's arm slipping out. A few inches are enough for him to turn and grab your belt.
- Head too high. Uke can push your face or chin away.
- Staying still. A good pin adjusts constantly, with the legs following every move uke makes.
Kesa-gatame variations
Hon-kesa-gatame
This is the form described above, arm around the neck. It is often just called kesa-gatame.
Kuzure-kesa-gatame
Tori's right arm no longer goes around the neck. It goes under uke's left armpit instead, with the hand on the mat behind his shoulder or gripping the collar. This is the most common variation in competition. It is harder to roll because tori controls both of uke's shoulders, and it sets up faster in transitions.
Makura-kesa-gatame
"Makura" means pillow. Tori slides his right thigh under uke's head and passes his right arm under the neck to grab his own leg. The control is very tight and uke's head can no longer move.
All three forms are osaekomi-waza (pins) within katame-waza. Train them alongside kata-gatame, which often comes from a failed escape. Uke frees his arm and tori pins it against uke's neck with his head.
How to escape kesa-gatame
For uke, the work starts with the trapped arm. The rule is simple: win back some space before trying anything else.
Bridge and roll
Uke bends his legs with his feet near his hips. He pulls tori tight with his free arm, then bridges hard toward his left shoulder and rolls tori over the top. This escape works best when tori's legs are too close together.
Free the arm
Uke pulls his right elbow toward his own stomach while turning his back to the mat. Once the arm is free, he wraps it around tori's waist.
Turn in toward tori
Uke gets on his side facing tori and slides his right leg over tori's leg to hook it. That gets him back into a kind of guard.
Chain these escapes together. The bridge forces tori to widen his base, which opens space to free the arm.
Don't stop at the pin
Kesa-gatame opens up attacks. The arm trapped under your armpit is set up for an armlock. When uke pushes your face with his free arm, an ude-garami or a straight armlock on that arm becomes possible.
If uke turns in toward you, swivel your hips toward his head and you are in yoko-shiho-gatame. Switching pins during the count is allowed as long as control stays continuous, and it often decides matches. See judo scoring rules for how pins are scored.
Kesa-gatame in BJJ
In Brazilian jiu-jitsu it goes by scarf hold or kesa-gatame. The technique is identical, but the logic is not. Holding someone down does not win a BJJ match, so kesa-gatame becomes a base for a kimura, an armlock or a move to mount. A judoka learns to hold it. A BJJ player learns to attack from it.
How to train it
Run 20-second rounds where uke tries to escape at full intensity. Switch roles every round. After a few sessions, have uke stick to one escape only, then use all of them.
One opinion we hold firmly: don't spend too much time on kesa-gatame in a static start. Beginners get stuck there, while in randori the opponent never stops moving. Work the entry straight from a throw instead, right as uke hits the mat. That is where the pin is won.