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    Kuzure-kesa-gatame

    崩袈裟固 · くずれけさがため · modified scarf hold · said koo-ZOO-reh KEH-sah gah-TAH-meh

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    Demonstrations

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    Kuzure-kesa-gatame illustration

    The osaekomi clock

    Scores yuko at five seconds, waza-ari at ten and ippon at twenty, which ends the contest.

    Sport and Organisation Rules of the International Judo Federation: refereeing rules, 2026 edition, Article 7.

    About this technique

    Kesa-gatame with the arm under uke's shoulder instead of around the neck: harder to escape from and the version most used in contest.

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    A technique to hold down the opponent’s upper body under the right side of the chest region by holding his right arm in the left arm from the right side of the opponent lying on his back and inserting the right arm through his left armpit.
    The Kodokan's definition

    Key points

    1. Drive your arm under uke's far shoulder, not around the neck
    2. Stay chest-to-chest with your weight through uke
    3. Adjust your base constantly as uke bridges and turns

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    grappling techniques

    At a glance

    , classification, Gokyo set, Kodokan number, contest rules, grades that require it
    What it is
    Katame-waza (grappling techniques).
    Kodokan number
    602 (KKE).
    Contest rules
    No rule singles it out.
    Osaekomi clock
    Scores yuko at five seconds, waza-ari at ten and ippon at twenty, which ends the contest.
    Required for

    Step by step

    These steps describe the standard right-handed form without relying on the video.

    1. Your partner lies on their back; take the scarf-hold position at their right side, hip to their ribs, facing their head.
    2. Instead of wrapping their neck, drive your right arm underneath their left armpit and grip cloth at the shoulder, or reach the mat beyond, so your arm threads under their far shoulder.
    3. With your left hand, trap their right arm under your left armpit and pin it to your side.
    4. Spread your legs wide, one forward and one back, and keep your chest heavy on theirs.
    5. This version frees their head but controls the shoulder line; as they turn towards you or away, shift your hips around the compass while the chest pressure never lifts.

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    Receiving it

    The weight is the same as the scarf hold but your head is free and their arm is threaded under your far shoulder, which makes the shoulder line feel nailed down. Escapes go through your hips: bridge, turn towards them, work an elbow inside. Keep breathing low and steady; the hold defeats panic before it defeats strength. Tap clearly if you are stuck and need to stop.

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    VI judo notes

    Threading your arm under the far shoulder gives you a contact that reports which way they are turning, which is why this version holds better than the neck wrap. Their arm pinned at your side is the second reading: when it starts to slide, the bridge is coming. Travel your hips around the compass to meet it and never let the chest lift.

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    Named variations

    Kashira-kesa-gatame

    Also called: Kashira-gesa-gatame.

    A head-side form of the modified scarf hold, drawn in Bongard's aide-memoire with the makura and ushiro forms as the three variations of kuzure-kesa-gatame. Not a Kodokan name.

    In competition

    , how often it scores at IJF level, and two contests where it worked

    Senior IJF competition, 2020 to 2026, from 73,099 contests. Counts scores, not attempts.

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    In combinations, counters and transitions

    , 2 recorded, 19 awaiting review

    19 more pairs involving it are recorded and awaiting review before they get a page. A video that shows one of them is what gets it reviewed: suggest one.

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    Escapes from it

    Reference pages elsewhere

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