IMAC Dojo Judo Curriculum · Level 1

Judo Level 1: Kesa Gatame — Control the shoulder with an adaptable base

Name: Kesa Gatame — Video lesson 1
Uploaded: 2020-05-11T02:59:22-07:00
Description: An IMAC Dojo clip accompanying Kesa Gatame. Use the observations and distinctions in this article to guide your viewing.

Kesa Gatame is a side hold controlling the partner’s arm and shoulder region. Body weight and the leg base cooperate; a tight grip around the neck alone does not explain it.

Compiled by Phoenix — Co-founder of IMAC Dojo

Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix)Co-founder of IMAC Dojo

Updated 29 Sept 2026

Author: Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix)
Published: 29 Sept 2026
Last updated: 29 Sept 2026
Sources: 2
Reading time: 3 min

Short Answer

Kesa Gatame is a side hold controlling the partner’s arm and shoulder region. Body weight and the leg base cooperate; a tight grip around the neck alone does not explain it.

Key Takeaways

Track whether the near arm remains controlled or slips free.
Watch how the legs maintain a base as the bodies move.
Observe chest contact with the upper body without neck twisting.

Instead of asking how hard the hold presses, ask whether its base survives the partner’s movement. This makes the legs and torso easier to notice.

In this article

What the name tells us

袈裟固, kesa-gatame, is a holding technique. Kesa refers to a diagonally worn robe, offering an image for the oblique side control across the body.

How the technique works

Kodokan describes controlling the near arm, gripping the rear collar and using the side of the chest against the upper body. Stability connects arm control, torso and base rather than pulling the head alone.

Kesa-gatame connects arm control with the side of tori's torso rather than relying only on weight over the chest. Watch whether uke can turn a shoulder towards tori and how tori's legs support the direction of the torso. Once uke moves, preserving that connection matters more than reproducing the starting pose.

What to watch in the clips

Track whether the near arm remains controlled or slips free.
Watch how the legs maintain a base as the bodies move.
Observe chest contact with the upper body without neck twisting.

A distinction worth noticing

Kuzure Kesa Gatame changes one arm to an underhook beneath the far armpit. Similar names do not mean identical grips. Squeezing while leaving the legs unable to adjust can still lose the base.

The other arm distinguishes it from kuzure-kesa-gatame: Kodokan's kesa-gatame definition uses a rear-collar grip, whereas kuzure reaches beneath the far armpit. Not every seated position alongside the torso is the same hold. Tightening around the neck is not a substitute for closing a positional gap.

Taking the lesson back to practice

Ask an instructor to check arm control before adding partner movement. Use agreed resistance to review the base and stop at the partner’s signal. Increasing static pressure is not the only answer to an escape.

The Level here refers to the IMAC Dojo curriculum. Use the article and clips to prepare questions and review them with your instructor. Practical training needs a suitable partner, space and controlled conditions.

Nippon Budokan's teaching materials pair kesa-gatame with leg-switching and groundwork movement. The learning point is that the base adapts when the partner moves; the hold is not just a still image. Ask your instructor how to adjust that base while controlling the arm without pressing the neck.