Kesa Gatame

Position
Also known as:
Scarf Hold Position Kesagatame Scarf Hold Kesa

Kesa Gatame is a dominant pinning position derived from side control where the top player sits beside the opponent, wrapping one arm around their head and controlling the near-side arm, with hips low and legs splayed for base. It is used in both gi and no-gi to immobilize the bottom player while setting up submissions such as arm locks and neck cranks.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Heavy hip pressure against the opponent's ribcage restricts their breathing and movement.
  • · The head-wrapping arm must cinch tightly to prevent the opponent from turning into you or creating frames.
  • · Wide leg base with the lead leg forward and rear leg back prevents bridging and rolling escapes.
  • · Controlling the opponent's near-side arm eliminates their primary framing and escape tool.
  • · Keeping your center of gravity low and slightly forward anticipates the most common bridge-and-roll escape attempts.

Execution

  1. 1 From side control, slide your near-side arm under the opponent's head and grip around their neck or grab your own thigh for a tight clamp.
  2. 2 Secure the opponent's near-side arm by trapping it under your armpit or hugging it tightly against your body.
  3. 3 Shift your hips out and sit through so your hip drops tightly against the opponent's ribs on the near side.
  4. 4 Splay your legs wide with your front leg extended forward and back leg posted behind you for maximum base.
  5. 5 Keep your weight driving laterally into the opponent while maintaining chest-to-chest contact to flatten them.

Common mistakes

  • × Sitting too upright with hips off the opponent's body, which reduces pinning pressure and allows them to create space for escapes.
  • × Failing to control the near-side arm, giving the bottom player a frame to push off and recover guard or execute a bridge-and-roll.
  • × Keeping legs too narrow or crossed, which destroys your base and makes you vulnerable to being rolled over the top.

From the bottom

What the bottom grappler is working toward from Kesa Gatame.

Bridge And Roll escape Elbow Escape escape Frame And Shrimp escape Ghost Escape escape Hip Escape escape

On top

The top grappler's options against Kesa Gatame.

Americana Lock submission Arm Triangle Choke submission Kesa Gatame To Mount transition
11 less common
Americana From Side Control submission Kesa Gatame To North-South transition Kimura From Side Control submission Paper Cutter Choke submission Short Choke submission Side Control Armbar submission Turtle Transition transition Baseball Bat Choke submission Japanese Necktie submission Loop Choke submission Mir Lock submission

In the family

Named branches of Kesa Gatame in the graph.

Kuzure Kesa Gatame

Side Control Family

Side Control

100 Kilos

Shoulder Of Justice

Reverse Kesa Gatame

Reverse Side Control