Hey Grappling Nerds! 👋 Welcome back to another blog post designed to level up your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. Today, we’re focusing on Kesa Gatame, also known as the Scarf Hold. This classic grappling position is renowned for its ability to provide strong ground control while offering a wide variety of submission opportunities.
If you’ve ever struggled to maintain control or finish submissions from a dominant position, mastering Kesa Gatame will give you a powerful edge. Let’s dive into how to get into this position, maintain control, and unleash 10 devastating submissions to dominate your opponents.
What is Kesa Gatame?
Kesa Gatame is a side-control variant where you control your opponent by wrapping your arm around their head while using your hips and legs to pin their body. This position is borrowed from Judo and adapted for BJJ to offer a balance between control and submission setups.
How to Transition into Kesa Gatame
To set up Kesa Gatame, you need to transition seamlessly from various positions while maintaining pressure and control:
- From Standard Side Control:
- Secure side control with a strong cross-face and underhook.
- Slide your arm from the cross-face to wrap around your opponent’s head.
- Pivot your hips, sitting out while maintaining chest-to-chest pressure.
- From a Takedown or Throw:
- After completing a throw (like a hip toss), land in Kesa Gatame by keeping your arm around their head and sitting your weight down immediately.
- From Mount or Knee-on-Belly:
- Drop to side control and transition into Kesa Gatame when your opponent begins to frame or turn into you.
Key Tip: Always keep your weight low and centered to maintain maximum pressure, making it difficult for your opponent to escape.
Maintaining Strong Ground Control in Kesa Gatame
A solid Kesa Gatame relies on understanding body mechanics:
- Hips Down, Weight Forward: Keep your hips close to the mat and distribute your weight forward onto your opponent’s chest.
- Head and Arm Control: Use your arm around their head for leverage and your other arm to control their far-side arm or body.
- Active Feet: Use your legs to stabilize your position and block their hips, preventing them from escaping or bridging.
10 Powerful Submissions from Kesa Gatame
Once you’ve established Kesa Gatame, the submission options are nearly endless. Here are 10 effective techniques to try:
1. Americana (Keylock):
Trap their far-side arm and use your free arm to secure the submission by isolating their shoulder.
2. Kimura:
Use their near-side arm, turning their wrist and elbow into a lock.
3. Straight Armlock:
Control their arm and hyperextend it using your hips as leverage.
4. Scarf Hold Choke:
Apply pressure to their neck with your arm while using your weight to pin them down.
5. Arm Triangle:
Transition your grip and pressure to isolate their neck and far-side arm, locking the choke with your own arm.
6. Ezekiel Choke:
Use your sleeve to apply a quick choke directly from the Scarf Hold position.
7. Wrist Lock:
Trap their hand against their own body or the mat, applying pressure to the wrist.
8. Reverse Armlock:
Leverage their near-side arm and turn it into a submission by pinning it and applying torque.
9. Neck Crank:
Use your arm control and body position to apply pressure to their neck and spine.
10. Belly-Down Armlock:
Transition to a belly-down position to isolate their arm and hyperextend it with powerful leverage.
Preventing Escapes and Counters
While Kesa Gatame is a strong position, your opponent will likely try to escape or counter. To stay ahead:
- Monitor Their Hips: Use your legs and weight to block their movement and prevent them from regaining guard.
- Control Their Frames: Break any frames they set up by re-adjusting your weight and hand positioning.
- Anticipate the Bridge-and-Roll: Maintain a wide base to counter their attempts to roll you over.
Why Master Kesa Gatame?
Kesa Gatame is not just about submissions—it’s about maintaining dominance and dictating the pace of the match. Mastering this position gives you:
- Superior Ground Control: Hold your opponent in place with minimal effort.
- Versatility: Transition smoothly between submissions based on your opponent’s reactions.
- Confidence Under Pressure: Even if your opponent escapes a submission, you remain in a dominant position.
Take Your Grappling to the Next Level
Adding Kesa Gatame to your arsenal will give you more control, submission options, and confidence in your grappling. Make sure to practice these transitions and submissions in drills, and start applying them in live rolls to see how effective they can be.
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See you on the mats! 🥋