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    Ushiro-kesa-gatame

    後袈裟固 · うしろけさがため · reverse scarf hold · said oo-SHEE-roh KEH-sah gah-TAH-meh

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    Demonstrations

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    Ushiro-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

    The scarf hold facing the other way: tori sits at uke's right shoulder facing their feet, uke's arm trapped, weight through the chest. A natural landing after some turnovers and armlock entries.

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

    Key points

    1. Face their feet, hip tight against their shoulder
    2. Trap their right arm under your right armpit
    3. Legs wide and braced; ride their bridge with your hips

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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
    603 (UKG).
    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; sit beside their right shoulder facing towards their feet, your right hip against their shoulder.
    2. Trap their right arm under your right armpit and pin it against your side, gripping cloth at their sleeve or shoulder.
    3. Lay your left forearm across their body or grip their belt, and lower your chest onto their chest from this reversed angle.
    4. Spread your legs wide along the mat, one forward and one back, soles ready to post.
    5. Hold with heaviness through the chest; when they bridge towards you, sink your hip, and when they turn away, follow around with your legs.

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    Receiving it

    The weight arrives facing the wrong way: their hip is at your shoulder and their legs are up past your head, which makes the usual bridge-and-turn feel unfamiliar. Work your trapped arm and turn towards the gap under their chest; keep your breathing low, and tap clearly if you are held and need to stop.

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    VI judo notes

    The reversed angle is disorienting without sight, so use a landmark: their shoulder against your hip with their arm trapped under your armpit means you are facing their feet. Read a bridge through your hip and a turn through your chest, and answer both with your legs. The weight stays down while you travel around them.

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    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

    , 1 recorded, 5 awaiting review

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    Reference pages elsewhere

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