Kesa Gatame – Kōdōkan Jūdō

Kesa Gatame, or "scarf hold," is a Jūdō osaekomi-waza in which Uke lies on the back while Tori pins from a side position, oriented roughly perpendicular to Uke’s body. Tori controls the nearest arm of Uke under the armpit, securing it by gripping the Gi at the triceps, while the other arm wraps around Uke’s head and grips the collar near the closest shoulder to tighten upper-body control. Tori lowers the head and chest toward the mat, placing weight through Uke’s torso, while keeping the hips low and the legs extended for base and stability. The control focuses on immobilizing Uke’s shoulder line and head, preventing rotation or bridging escapes, and maintaining continuous pressure.