27: Holding kesa gatame
Kesa gatame is the quintessential judo hold. It is a real pleasure to get and to hold.
Note that tori's head should be lower and beside uke's right ear
A great deal of the appeal of martial arts once came from the application of style to the messy business of fighting. Bruce Lee was striking (if you’ll pardon the pun) because his style was beautiful, the antithesis of the puffing, perspiring western boxer or wrestler. Aikido holds appeal even to this day for the same reason; it is a beautiful (if totally unrealistic) systematizing of the very ugly matter of combat. Aikido appeals because is bloodless and elegant.
Kesa gatame is as elegant as judo gets. It is effortless for tori. It is even a quite pretty position, and rather unlikely looking. But best, it is practically inescapable for uke.
There are a few tricks to holding kesa gatame. Oddly, the primary movement is not holding uke down; it is lifting her up.
As with all holds, it is crucial that you don’t allow uke to roll his shoulders under. Uke would love very dearly to roll his near-side shoulder past vertical so that she can roll to her knees and escape. To hold her down, you will need--somewhat counterintuitively--to hold her up. Keep a strong grip on her sleeve to stop her from pulling her near-side arm under and away from you.
She will also try to escape by rolling you over her chest. To startle you into making an error, she might attempt to bang your head on the ground or push your face with her forearm. Prevent this by maintaining good form and by committing to what I consider to be the most beautiful movement in all of judo: pressing your forehead to the floor beside her. Lowering your head prevents her from getting an arm underneath your face, and tightens the hold on her arm.
Unless your opponent is dramatically larger than you, you could hold her on a rolling sea in this position.
While kesa gatame is a fabulous hold, it doesn’t offer the variety of submissions that other positions do. There is really only one that works well. If uke straightens her right arm, grab her wrist with your left hand. Force it down and over your right leg, with your thigh above her elbow. Put your left thigh on her forearm. Now--gently!--push down with your left thigh. This is a beautiful elbow lock.