8. How to Practice Grappling

Classification of grappling techniques

The term grappling is often inaccurately called ne-ivaza, which refers only to techniques of grappling performed in a sitting or lying position. The correct word is katame-waza, which refers to the execution of grappling techniques in a standing position (that is, locks and strangles) as well as in a lying position. Grappling is classified into three forms: osaekomi-tvaza (holddowns), shime-waza (strangles), and kansetsu-waza (elbow locks and twists).

90.  Kesa-gatame (collar hold).

1.    Osaekomi-waza (holddowns)

These are techniques that are used to immobilize your op­ponent when he is lying on his back on the mat. They include kesagatame (collar hold), kata-gatame (single shoulder holddown), kami-shiho-gatame (four-quarter holddown), kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame (modified four-quarter holddown), and yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter holddown)

91. Okuri-eri-jime   (sliding collar strangle).

2.         Shime-waza (strangles)

These are techniques by which you strangle your opponent into submission. Both hands press against either the windpipe or the carotid arteries to stop the flow of blood to his head. If you do this, he will be forced to submit because of the lack of blood supply or else fall into unconsciousness. Shime-waza include such techniques as navni-juji-jime (normal cross strangle), gyaku-juji-jime (reverse cross strangle), kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle), okuri-eri-jime (sliding collar strangle), kata-ha-jime (single wing strangle), hada-ka-jime (bare-hand strangle), and ryote-jime (two-hand strangle).

3.         Kansetsu-waza (elbow locks and twists)

These are techniques by which you bend, twist, or lock the elbow joint of your opponent's arm in order to bring him to submis­sion. Kansetsu-waza include juji-gatame (cross armlock), hiza-gatame (knee-elbow lock), ude-gatame (straight armlock), and ude-garami (entangled armlock). Besides mentioning these pressure holds on the elbow joints, we may point out that even though locks on the other

92. Juji-gatame (cross armlock).

joints, such as the ankles or wrists, are effective, they are not allowed in the sport of judo. Because of the obvious danger if the other joints are involved, the rules of the Kodokan prohibit the locking of any joint except the elbow.

The relation between grappling and throwing

Suppose you are proficient in o-soto-gari (major external reaping—Figure 85) and not in other techniques. Look again at de-ashi-harai (advanced foot sweep) in Figure 83. Your opponent some­times steps forward a greater distance than usual. That is your best opportunity to apply de-ashi-harai. Nevertheless, you may lose your opportunity because you are not a master of this technique. To take advantage of as many chances for attack as possible, you should, of course, master as many techniques as possible. The same thing can be said about the relation between throwing and grappling tech­niques : you must be proficient in both.

If you master both grappling and throwing, you will be confident enough during a tournament to proceed into grappling after you have executed an incomplete throw. After an incomplete throw, your oppo­nent lies unbalanced on the mat. You are now conveniently set for attacking him by grappling. Without delay, you must seize this oppor­tunity, which will enable you to win with little effort. Therefore both throwing and grappling techniques must be used in a contest. In the next section let us consider how to attack in grappling.

93.  First method of inducing momentum in a holddown.

Attack methods in grappling

Look at Figure 27 in Chapter 3. In grappling, the funda­mental posture is a modification of the natural posture, which is the fundamental posture in throwing techniques. When you attack in accordance with the principle of this posture, you can produce the largest momentum possible and apply it at will. This is the basic reason for the discussion that follows.

1.    Force must precede speed and lightness of motion in grappling.

Generally, in grappling, force must precede speed and light­ness of motion more than in throwing. In throwing, as in boxing, quick and large motions can be made freely, since the competitors face each other in a standing posture. In grappling, however, motions are restricted, since the competitors are close together in a lying position on the mat. Therefore you must attack your opponent with as large a force as possible, at the same time making as much use as you can of quick and light movements.

Among the forces used, the most important is momentum. Look at Figure 95. You are advancing against your opponent as he lies on his back. You press against his chest region with your chest by grasping his trousers at the knees with your hands. What keeps your opponent down is the momentum produced when you press your body forward by pushing the mat with your legs.

94. Second method of inducing momentum in a holddown.

Now look at yoko-shiho-gatame in Figure 112. By shifting your chest to the right, you press against your opponent's lower extremi­ties with the right part of your chest as he tries to resist you by pushing up. When you shift your chest to the left, you press his chest down with the left part of your chest by means of the momentum produced when you shift your upper body sideways.

2.    First consider how to  produce the largest momentum possible and how to apply it effectively.

From the above illustrations you will note that two methods enable you to produce the largest momentum possible and induce it most effectively in your opponent. One of these methods is to shift your body forward; the other is to shift your chest sideways. There are actually five ways of producing momentum, as we shall see later.

Look at Figure 93. Suppose you wish to exert as large a force as possible on your opponent's chest with your chest. You then let your body fall forward with your legs spread wide apart and your hands placed on the mat, the distance between them being equal to that between your shoulders, as shown in Figure 93a. Then push off the mat with your feet, keeping your elbows bent. Next lift your body so as to take the posture shown in Figure 936. By this movement you can exert a large force, produced by the momentum mv on your opponent. You will notice that in this movement the point M of your chest describes the arc MM', while the gravity G that acts on you and the force P, with which you push the mat backwards, combine into the resultant R, as shown in Figure 93a. Thus you can push the ground backwards and bend your elbows so that the point M will pass the point N on the line of action of the force R. In actual contest, N is the point against which you direct your attack. You can induce in your opponent the momentum produced when you move your body forward. Then the m of mv represents the weight of your whole body.

Now look at Figure 94. Let us study a second way to produce the momentum mv and induce it in your opponent. Suppose you want to exert a large force on the point N' in the left front of your center of gravity. You then let your body fall forward with your right knee and right forearm on the mat. Rest almost the whole weight of your body on these points and make the big toe of your right foot stand on end. Push the mat with your right foot and right forearm while bending your left elbow. Just before your chest touches the floor, lift it so as to take the posture shown in Figure 94b.

In this motion, as in the one described above, the point M' of your chest will draw the arc M'M", and the gravity that acts on your upper body will combine with the force P', which displaces your upper body toward the left front, to form the force R', which produces the momentum m'v'. Let the point M' pass the point N' on the line of action of the force R', and take the point N' as the area against which you will direct your attack in an actual contest. Then the momentum mV will be induced in your opponent's chest. In this case, however, m' does not represent the weight of your whole body but only that of your upper body

95. First method of immobilizing opponent by inducing momentum.

In both of the foregoing cases, as soon as the motions are over, return to the postures shown in Figures 93a and 94a, respectively. Repeat these exercises daily so that your arms will grow strong and your motions become faster. In exercising, you can save your energy if you use a ball to represent your opponent, as shown in the lower half of Figures 93 and 94.

3.    Immobilize the  force  of your opponent's  lower  ex­tremities.

A man can walk and run easily when supported by his lower extremities, which he naturally takes for granted. In fact, the support­ing force of the lower extremities is very great, as can be seen in their ability to kick or to push an object. It is plain that if your opponent makes use of his lower extremities to defend himself from your attack, he will be able to push you off easily when you press your chest against his. Therefore you should naturally try to prevent the use of the defending force of his lower extremities. This is necessary in order for you to make free use of the momentum that is produced when you press your body against his. Let us study the methods of immobilizing the force of your opponent's lower extremities.

96. Second method of immobiliz­ing opponent by inducing momentum.

97. Third method of immobiliz­ing opponent by inducing momentum.

In Figure 95 your opponent is lying on his back. In the fundamental grappling posture, you grasp his trousers at the knees. Drop your hips forward as quickly as possible by making use of the force with which you are pulling his knees to your right back corner and of the force of your kicking the mat backward with your right leg. You can then displace your hips quickly to the front. This motion produces a large momentum. Try to induce it in your opponent's chest with your chest by taking the position shown in Figure 95b. The force applied to him is so large that his arms become too weak to oppose it. Now grasp his back collar with your left hand while putting the strongest possible pressure on his chest. Then hold his waist under your right arm. By taking this posture, you can apply yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter holddown—Figure 112).

Figure 96 demonstrates a second way of immobilizing the force of your opponent's lower extremities. You bring his left leg up to your right shoulder and by sliding your body to the same right side, you produce the momentum mv, as you do in carrying out the technique shown in Figure 95.

98. Fourth method of immobilizing opponent by inducing momentum.

a                                                               b

99. Fifth method of immobilizing opponent by inducing momentum.

Figure 97 illustrates the way to make your body advance to the left side of your opponent while keeping pressure on his left leg. You bend his body in the shape of a lobster by carrying his left leg against your right shoulder, as shown in Figure 97a. Next you suddenly push his immobilized leg against his chest. The momentum will then be produced by this motion. Your opponent cannot push his leg back toward your chest because it is in close contact with his own chest. Completing the posture as shown in Figure 97b, you allow his leg to slide to the left. Then hold him on the mat with yoko-shiho-gatame.

A fourth method of immobilizing your opponent's lower extremities is illustrated in Figure 98. Your opponent's body, as in Figure 97a, is bent in the form of a lobster under the pressure of the lower part of your abdomen. He cannot use the force of his lower extremities or his waist and abdominal region. You advance your body by taking advantage of his immobilized condition. When you advance from the posture shown in Figure 98a to that shown in Figure 98&, the momen­tum mv is produced. Although it is not large, this momentum is induced in your opponent.

The fifth method of immobilization, shown in Figure 99, differs from the other four. Move quickly and advance your body, avoiding the resistance of your opponent's lower extremities. Grasp his trousers at the knees, as shown in Figure 99a. Then, as Figure 99b illus­trates, you advance your body to the right side by putting your right knee on the right side of his abdomen and continue into the holddown.

Defense methods in grappling

Suppose you are placed in a disadvantageous position like the one shown in Figure 100. How can you then defend yourself from your opponent's attack ? Since a large force is necessary in grappling, you must first regain your balance in order to make use of the force of your lower extremities. Then you can use the force of the waist and abdominal region most effectively and make all parts of your body cooperate as one force against your opponent's attack. You must be careful in both offense and defense to keep the source of power in your waist and abdominal region, which produces both momentum and muscular force. The movements of this region are activated by the help of the lower extremities.

Look at Figures 101 and 102. In Figure 101 your opponent (B) can neither strangle you (A) by the neck nor hold you down on your back, because you hold him between your legs. On the other hand, you can use both legs to push him back, rise up, or turn over to either side by making use of the force of the waist and abdominal region.

In Figure 102 you (A) put your left foot against the lower part of your opponent's abdomen while pulling him forward by the sleeve and lapel. He cannot move freely to the right or left. On the other hand, you can attack him by pushing him down on his back or making him roll forward. The key to defense in grappling is to keep your posture so as to be able to use at least one leg whenever it is needed.

Let us make the experiment demonstrated in Figure 103. Put both your hands and knees on the mat in order to take the posture of A in Figure 103. In this posture you can use the waist and abdominal region at will to defend yourself from an attack from the rear. Now have someone straddle your back and attempt a strangle from the rear, as shown in Figure 103. He probably cannot succeed as long as you hold this posture, since all your muscles will cooperate to defend you from the back strangle. The force of the waist and ab­dominal region, which enables all your muscles to cooperate, comes from the power of your legs, which press against the mat. On the other hand, your opponent cannot use his whole force to choke you when he is in his present posture.

100. Disadvantageous position in uncompleted throw.

101. Strangle defense (1).    102. Strangle defense (2).     103. Strangle defense (3).

104. Disadvantageous position for defense.

Your defensive power is therefore larger than his offensive power. Never give him the opportunity to flatten your body against the mat, as shown in Figure 104, for in this posture you can use neither the force of your legs nor that of your waist and abdominal region.

The same thing can be said of all strangulation techniques. If only you are free to push the mat with one of your legs, it will be impossible for your opponent to strangle you. By pushing the mat effectively, you can set your body in a posture that will allow the power of the waist and abdominal region to operate in defense against the attack.

Explanation of osaekomi-waza (holddowns)

1.    Hon-kesa-gatame (side collar hold)

This technique literally means to hold the opponent down in the form of a slanting scarf. It is typical of techniques that take advantage of the moment of force.

You turn your opponent on his back as shown in Figure 105a. You press his chest with the right side of your chest while you hold his right arm tightly under your left arm and his neck under your right armpit, as shown in Figure 105b. This method of holding your oppo­nent down by making use of the law of reaction has already been discussed in Chapter 4.

Dynamic explanation : Your opponent must make all parts of his body work together to exert a stronger force to enable him to pull out his pinned arm. Therefore he must first pull the arm out from under your armpit and must next try to turn you over to the left with his left shoulder serving as a fulcrum. Two forces can be con­sidered to act on him. The first is GL, the moment of the gravity G that acts on your center of gravity C. The second is the force P, with which you immobilize his arm when he tries to draw it out. With both of these forces acting on him, it is difficult for him to escape.

Key points :

a.         You should not place your center of gravity too high on your opponent's chest.

b.         Without stiffening your body, be ready to exert a force on any part of his body whenever he may try to escape. (This is a key point in all grappling holddown techniques.)

c.         Be alert to the motion with which he tries to draw out his pinned arm; otherwise, he will eventually achieve a force strong enough to turn you over.

105.  Hon-kesa-gatame (side collar hold).

2.    Kuzure-kesa-gatame (modified side collar hold)

The difference between this technique and hon-kesa-gatame is that you do not hold your opponent's neck but slide your right hand under his left armpit and place it on the mat, as shown in Figure 106a. This form allows you to change your position easily. When it appears to be difficult for you to hold this posture, you must take advantage of its free mobility. Keep your body relaxed except at the waist and ab­dominal region, and use your right hand, which is placed flat on the mat, as a supporting force for your body in this holdown. It is impos­sible for your opponent to roll you over—for example, to your right side—because you are able to support your balance with your right hand.

Dynamic explanation : See hon-kesa-gatame above.

Key points :

a.         The resisting force created by your supporting right hand on the mat is superior to any force created by your opponent in his attempt to roll you over his body.

b.         Your entire body remains relaxed except that tremendous force must be placed in your abdominal region.

106. Kuzure-kesa-gatame (modified side collar hold).

3.    Kata-gatame  (single shoulder hold)

You turn your opponent on his back and hold him from the side by pinning both his neck and his right arm together between your right arm and neck, as shown in Figure 107b. Your right knee is pressed closely against his right hip. Consequently, he cannot roll his body either to the right or to the left to escape.

Dynamic explanation: There are two forces that act on your opponent. One is the force of your gravity that comes into action when he attempts to turn you over to the left with his left shoulder as the fulcrum 0. To succeed in this, he must overcome the moment LG that is produced by this force of gravity. Since he is too weak to overcome this moment, he cannot roll you to the left. The second force acting on him is the force P, with which you lock his right arm and his neck together between your right arm and neck. If the force P is strong enough, he will not be able to make all parts of his body work together. Thus he will not be able to exert a strong enough force upon you to allow him to escape.

Key points :

a.         Never release your hold, but keep your neck pressed strongly against his right upper arm. Otherwise you may allow him the chance to escape by rolling his body up to get free of your hold. (See Figure 107c.)

b.         Put your right knee close to his right hip with the foot balanced on the big toe.

107. Kata-gatame (single shoulder hold).

4.    Kami-shiho-gaiame (four-quarter hold)

You turn your opponent on his back and press your chest against his, grasping his belt from both sides with your hands, as shown in Figure 108. Rest the weight of your upper body on his chest. You hold him down by taking the posture shown in Figure 108a. The forms pictured in Figure 108b and c may be considered as modi­fied versions of this technique.

Dynamic explanation: There are two forces that act on your opponent. The first is the force F, with which both your chest and your arms put pressure against his when he moves to free his body. If he tries to get up from the right side by using his left shoulder 0 as a fulcrum, you push the right part of his chest with the right side of your chest and push the mat with your left foot. Thus he cannot suc­ceed in his effort because a strong moment will be produced about the fulcrum 0. This is the second of the two forces that act against him. When you shift your chest against his, momentum is produced to serve as you press. If you take the postures shown in Figure 1086 and c, you can produce a larger momentum and get more stability.

Key points :

a.         Without stiffening your body, be ready to exert a strong force with any part of it.

b.         Always put strength in both your big toes for power.

108. Kami-shiho-gatame (four-quarter hoid).

5.    Kami-shiho-gatame:   a slight modification

If your opponent is bigger than you, it may be difficult for you to continue holding him down with kami-shiho-gatame as it is described above. In this case a technique like the one shown in Figure 109 may be more effective for you. You turn your opponent on his back. Holding his right upper arm between your right upper arm and forearm, you grasp your own right lapel with your right hand, as illustrated in Figure 109a and, with your chest, press his upper arm against your forearm on the mat. Then thrust your left arm under his left upper arm, over it, and grasp the back of his collar, as illus­trated in Figure 109b. Execute the holddown by applying pressure with your chest against his, at the same time stabilizing your body balance by keeping your trunk parallel with his.

Dynamic explanation : This technique takes even more advantage of friction and moment than does the kami-shiho-gatame illustrated in Figure 108. The arm L is longer in Figure 109 than it is Figure 108. Suppose your opponent tries to make you turn over to the left by using his left shoulder O as a fulcrum. The moment he tries this, press his right upper arm down with your chest. A strong moment of force about the fulcrum O will be produced. Since he cannot overcome this moment of force, he cannot succeed in rolling you over. If he tries to pull out his locked arm while your chest presses it down against your wrist on the mat, friction will be produced to prevent him from escaping. Thus he cannot escape by rolling to the right.

Key points :

a.         Keep your trunk always parallel with your opponent's, keeping his head on the left side of your abdomen.

b.         The big toes of your feet stand on end for power and balance.

c.         His upper arm must be pressed against the radius; that is, the thumb side of the forearm.

709.  Kami-shiho-gatame: modified version.

6.    Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame (modified four-quarter hold)

The technique of kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame is one of the transformations of the kami-shiho-gatame illustrated in Figure 108. This holddown uses the moment more than it does momentum, as does the technique illustrated in Figure 109. It may be adequate to say that it is a transformation of kesa-gatame that allows you to make use chiefly of the moment of force by locking your opponent's arm under your armpit and thereby executing the holddown. Look at Figure 110. Sliding your right arm under your opponent's right upper arm and over it, you grasp the back part of his collar and hold his right arm tightly under your right armpit.

Dynamic explanation : There are two forces that hold your oppo­nent down. The first is the force P, with which you hold him by the right arm under your right armpit. As for his defensive power, wheth­er he can make all the parts of his body cooperate depends entirely on his right arm. Therefore he must first pull his right arm from under your armpit to regain its use. The second force that acts upon him is GL, the moment of the gravity G that acts on you. With his right arm he tries to make you turn over to the left, using his left shoulder 0 as a fulcrum. His right arm must conquer the resistance of your weight. Thus the distance between his left shoulder and the point that your weight rests on serves as the arm L of the moment. Since he cannot overcome this moment, he cannot make you turn over to the left and allow him to escape.

Key points :

a.         Your opponent's right arm must be held firmly with your right hand and arm, which is placed on your right thigh, and pinned tightly under your right armpit.

b.         Never place the center of your gravity on his chest, even if you push down his chest with yours.

7.    Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame:   another modification

This technique has been devised to make the arm of moment longer than that of the other kami-shiho-gatame techniques as well as to make it easy for you to apply momentum to your opponent. You hold your opponent by the neck under your left arm, and your hands grasp the left side of his belt, as shown in Figure 1116. Spread your legs as wide as possible to make your posture stable, so that it will be easy to apply momentum. Make both your big toes stand on end. Then grasp the right side of his belt or trousers with your right hand and press down on his chest. With your chest, put pressure upon his chest tightly by pulling your left elbow.

Dynamic explanation : There are two forces that act on your op­ponent. The first is the force F, which is produced by the momentum generated when you push your chest against him as he tries to roll his body to either side by pushing up your chest with both his arms. Suppose he tries to make you turn over to the left by using his shoulder 0 as a fulcrum. Your gravity makes a moment about the fulcrum 0, thus creating the second force. This is the moment GL, which is too strong for him to resist. Therefore he is unable to make you turn over to the left. If he uses his right arm in an effort to make you turn over, you must pin it to the mat with your abdominal force. (See Figure 111c.)

Key points :

a.         Hold your opponent tightly by the neck under your left armpit by putting pressure on his chest with your chest.

b.         Stand the big toes of both your feet on end for power and balance.

111. Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame: another modification.

8.    Yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter hold)

You turn your opponent on his back and hold him down from the side in a right-angled position as shown in Figure 112a. You grasp his left lapel with your left hand after sliding it under his neck and around to the lapel. Then put pressure on his chest with your chest and grasp the back part of his trousers with your right hand after reaching between his legs. Extend your left leg with the big toe standing on end. Place your right knee close to the right side of your opponent's waist in order to deprive him of the force of his waist and abdominal region.

DYNAMIC EXPLANATION: There are two forces that act on your opponent. The first is the force F produced by the momentum with which your chest puts pressure on his arms and chest. Look at Figure 1126. In order to make all parts of his body work together, your opponent will try to roll to either side by pushing you up with both his hands and his left leg cooperating, as shown in the figure. Never­theless, he cannot succeed in this, once the force F works against them to press them down. If he tries to turn you over to the left by using his left shoulder as a fulcrum and pushing up your abdomen with his right hand, your gravity creates the moment GL about the fulcrum O to overcome his turning force. In this case, however, you should press your abdomen against his right arm on the mat. (See Figure 112c.)

Key points :

a.         In order that your waist and abdominal region may function to the maximum, it is necessary that you stand both your big toes on end, thus stabilizing the balance and power of your body.

b.         Press your right knee against your opponent's right side to prevent him from using the forces of his lower extremities.

c.         Remember to press his right arm down with your abdomen whenever he tries to push you up with the arm.

112. Yoko-shiho-gatarne (side four-quarter hold); Practice with rubber ball.

Explanation of shime-waza (strangles)

1.    Nami-juji-jime (normal cross strangle)

As your opponent lies on his back, you straddle his abdomen in front and place both your knees on the mat. Grasp his left collar with your left hand and his right collar with your right hand in the regular hold as deeply as possible. (See Figure 113.) Strike your upper body towards his face, simultaneously pulling both your elbows outwards to create the proper pressure for the strangle.

Dynamic explanation: There are four forces that act on your opponent. The first is P, with which you pull your right hand to his left. Thus the little-finger edge of your right hand presses against his right carotid artery from the right side. The second is the force F produced by the momentum mv, which is created when you quickly press your upper body toward your opponent's face. This results in the creation of the moment FL about the fulcrum O with the effect that his neck is easily pressed from the left front side to complete the strangle. The other two forces are those duplicated on the left side of your opponent's neck. The combination of these forces results in the execution of the normal cross strangle.

Key points :

a.         The movement of your arms must be a smooth movement paral­lel with the pressing forward of your chest against your opponent.

b.         Your hands must be placed deep inside your opponent's collar.

c.         When you apply nami-juji-jime from underneath, you must prevent your opponent from using the defensive power of his waist and abdominal region by breaking the posture of that region.

113. Nami-juji-jime (normal cross strangle).

2.    Kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle)

If it is difficult for you to grasp both of your opponent's lapels as shown in Figure 113, then you may apply kata-juji-jime on him. Straddle him with one or both of your knees on the mat. Then grasp his left lapel as far back as possible with your right hand in the regular palm-down hold and with your left hand in the palm-up hold, as shown in Figure 114. Carry your right arm up and around his head toward your left and press the right side of his neck. (See Figure 114b.) Push down both your elbows while pulling them to the outside. Your right hand presses against his neck with its little-finger edge while your left hand presses with its thumb edge to execute the strangle. Kata-juji-jime can be applied from underneath too, as in nami-juji-jime. (Figure 113.)

Dynamic explanation : There are four forces that work on your opponent. The first is the force P, with which you pull your right hand to the left. Thus the little-finger edge of your right hand presses against his right carotid artery from the right side. The second force is F, which acts on your right elbow to push it down. This force is pro­duced by the momentum mv, which is created when you make your upper body press forward toward your opponent's face. Therefore there is created about the fulcrum O the moment FL, which results in the pressing and strangling of his neck from the right front side. The third force, P', is produced when the thum-edge of your left hand presses his left carotid artery from the left side. The fourth is the force F'', which brings your left elbow downward to press against his windpipe from the left front side. F' is generated by the above-men­tioned momentum mv.

Key point: If you fall sideways while strangling your opponent, you must fall to the right side because your right hand is above the left; otherwise, your hold for the strangle will be broken.

114. Kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle)*

3.    Kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle):   a modification

Let us study a modification of kaia-juji-jime in which we attack the opponent from the side. He is lying on his side on the mat, and you are standing by him on his left side. Lower your waist and place your left knee on the mat. You then grasp his left lapel as far around to the back as possible with your left hand, palm upward. With your right hand you grasp his right collar in the regular (palm down) hold. You then push him down with your right elbow while pulling your left hand to the left.

Dynamic explanation : See kata-juji-jime (Figure 114) above.

Key point : In this technique your left hand cannot make use of the momentum that is produced when you press your body toward your opponent's face, since you sit at his left side. Therefore, in order to induce the whole of the momentum of your body into your right elbow, you should press your body toward your right elbow rather than to­ward your opponent's face.

115. Kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle): a modification.

4.    Okuri-eri-jime (sliding collar strangle)

In both nami-juji-jime and kata-juji-jime you attack your opponent from' the front. There are, however, some techniques in which you attack him from behind. Whenever he turns his back to you, you have a good opportunity to attack him. Okuri-eri-jime is one of the techniques of attack from the rear.

From behind, you grasp your opponent's left collar deeply with your right hand in the regular palm-down hold, placing your wrist under his chin. Grasp his right lapel with your left hand, which is in­serted under and through his left armpit. (See Figure 1166.) Pull your right hand to the right and your left hand downwards to execute the strangle properly.

Dynamic explanation: There are two forces that you exert on your opponent's neck. The first is the force R, with which the thumb edge of your right hand presses against his left carotid artery from the left side toward the right or his windpipe from the front. The second is the force P, with which your left hand pulls his right lapel in a downward direction. When the force P acts on him, the reaction Q is produced. The two forces result in the force R', which presses against his right carotid artery from the right side. As the two forces R and R' press against his neck from three sides, the execution of the strangle is completed.

Key points :

a.         You must first deprive your opponent of the force of his waist and abdominal region, as shown in Figure 116c and d, in order to immobilize the harmonious movement of all parts of his body.

b.         With your right hand, grasp the farthest possible part of his left collar, and with your left hand, grasp his right front lapel. Pull his right lapel downward and his left collar toward the right side of his neck.

116. Okuri-eri-jime (sliding collar strangle).

5.    Yoko-okuri-eri-jime (side sliding collar strangle)

Let us study a modification of okuri-eri-jime in which you attack the opponent from the side. Your opponent is on all fours on the mat as shown in Figure 117a. From his left side you grasp his right collar as deeply as possible with your left hand and press your left forearm against the right side of his neck. With your right hand, grasp his left lapel, as in okuri-eri-jime. Slide your right hip along the left side of his neck and shoulder, as shown in Figure 117b. Press your weight against his neck and pull him down forward to complete the strangle, using your right hand to draw down his left lapel while your left hand pulls and circles to the left side of his neck.

Dynamic explanation : There are three forces that act on your opponent. The first is the force F, which deprives him of the force of his waist and abdominal region. Force F is produced by the momentum mv, which is created when you pull him downward by taking advan­tage of your gravity. This force breaks his posture forward. The second force, P, is produced when you draw your left forearm from right to left. The third force, Q, is produced when your right hand pulls down on his left lapel. The combination of these three forces results in a completed strangle.

Key points :

a.         You must grasp your opponent's right lapel first and place pressure on his neck before you attempt to reach across his right side and under it to grasp his left lapel. Otherwise, he is in a position to lock your right arm and roll you over to his right side for a counter holddown like kesa-gatame.

b.         When his posture is broken as he is pulled forward and down, he loses the use of the defensive power in his abdominal region.

117.  Yoko-okuri-eri-jime (side sliding collar strangle)

6.    Kata-ha-jime (single wing strangle)

Kata~ha-jime is another technique used in strangling an oppo­nent from behind. The approach for this strangle is almost the same as in okuri-eri-jime in Figure 116. With your left hand, grasp your opponent's right collar deeply, using a regular palm-down hold and pressing your forearm against and under his chin. Slide your right forearm under his right arm and carry his arm up and over the nape of his neck (Figure 118b) while drawing your left hand from the right to the left side to strangle him into submission.

Dynamic explanation: There are three forces that act on your opponent. The first is the force P, with which your opponent's right collar presses against his own right carotid artery. The second is the force Q, with which the thumb edge of your left hand presses against both his windpipe and his left carotid artery from the front. The third is the force R, with which your opponent's own left shoulder presses the right side of his neck when his right arm is pulled around and behind his neck. The meeting of these three forces results in his being strangled.

Key points :

a.         Keep your posture erect so that you can draw power from your waist and abdominal region.

b.         Synchronize the movement of your right arm, which pushes his right arm up and backward, with that of your left hand, which moves horizontally from the right to the left.

c.         Pull your opponent's body back in order to slant his upper body backward a little to the left. This will cause him to lose the resisting power of his waist and abdominal region.

118. Kata-ka-jime (single wing strangle).

7.    Hadaka-jime (bare-hand strangle)

It has been mentioned that in the techniques of strangulation you press both your opponent's windpipe and the carotid arteries on either side of his neck. In hadaka-jime you place your left forearm against the right side of his neck and your left arm across the front of his neck. Your left palm is placed downward on the inner elbow fold of your right arm. Now bend your right arm backward and place your right palm against the back of your opponent's head. Your left arm rests on top of his left shoulder. In the technique of hadaka-jime you apply pressure with the left radius part of your wrist against the front of his neck. Then you push his head forward with the palm of your right hand while you draw your left forearm backward to complete the strangle.

Dynamic explanation: There are two forces that work on your opponent's neck. The first is the force Q, with which your left fore­arm draws his neck backwards. The other is the force P, with which your right hand presses his head forward from the back. The synchro­nized operation of these two forces results in simultaneous pressure against the carotid arteries and the windpipe.

Key points :

a.         Keep your posture erect.

b.         Break your opponent's posture backwards  (Figure 119c)  to overcome his defensive power.

c.         Your left forearm is drawn back—not pulled around—with the same pressure as that exerted by your right hand in pressing for ward.

119. Hadaka-jime (bare-hand strangle).

8.    Ryote-jime (two-hand strangle)

You grasp your opponent by both sides of his collar in the front with your hands in the regular hold (hands clenched, thumbs up), as shown in Figure 120. The little finger of your left hand is placed on his right carotid, and that of your right hand presses his left carotid. Now, with both your hands, press both sides of his neck at the same time, twisting your wrists inwards until the palms of both hands are turned upwards. The force applied to his neck is produced with the pressure of the front of your clenched fist or the lower part of your fingers. You can also strangle him from underneath.

Dynamic explanation: There are two forces that act on your opponent's neck. The first is the force P, which presses his windpipe and left carotid artery with your right little finger and the front of your fist. The other is the force Q, which presses his right carotid artery with your left little finger and the front of your fist. Since the two forces press both sides of his neck, both the supply of blood to his brain and his breath are stopped. The result is that your opponent is placed under complete submission by the strangle.

Key points :

a.         Prevent your opponent's use of the defensive power of his abdominal region by pulling him down and forward, thereby breaking his posture. Complete the movement by pressing the weight of your hip region against the side of his neck. When you apply ryote-jime from underneath, you must break his waist posture by kicking his right thigh away with your foot.

b.         Turn both your wrists simultaneously until pressure is created against both sides of his neck when the front of the fists of both your hands (palm up) twist into both sides of his neck to complete the strangle.

120. Ryote-jime (two-hand strangle);

Explanation   of  kansetsu-waza  (twists, bends, or locks applied on the elbow joint only)

1.    Hiza-gatame (knee-elbow lock)

To produce a positive effect in locking, bending, or twisting your opponent's elbow joint, it is necessary to break his posture to prevent him from using the force of his waist and abdominal region before you apply the lock. Let us study the dynamic sphere of the elbow joint. Look again at the operation of the elbow joint as illus­trated in Figure 37. When you lift a weight in your hand by bending the elbow joint, the head O of the radius (the bone on the same side of the forearm as the thumb) serves as a fulcrum. The head 0' of the ulna (the bone on the same side of the forearm as the little finger), to which the biceps is attached, is the point of application. The hand G, which is carrying the weight, is the point of exertion. The lever arm of the pulling force P of the biceps is 00', and that of the weight is OG. Since OG is far longer than 00', the force P must be in­versely larger than the weight in order to lift it. In locking, twisting, or bending the elbow joint of your opponent in judo, the resisting force of your opponent's arm is P, whose moment is POO'. Therefore you have an advantage over your opponent's moment POO' because you can easily apply a larger moment than POO' on the point G.

Now let us study the technique of hiza-gatame. You are lying on your back with the body of your opponent set between your legs. When he extends his right arm carelessly toward your chest, you quickly grasp the wrist tightly under your left armpit. At the same time you break his posture, as shown in Figure 121b, by pushing back his left thigh with your right foot while pulling his left lapel with your right hand. Now with your left knee press his right elbow joint from the outside while bending your body upward. He must give a signal for defeat because of the intense pressure on his elbow joint.

Dynamic explanation : You bend your body upward. Suppose the elbow joint 0 is the fulcrum. Then the moment of the force P, which lifts up the wrist, comes to be LP. On the other side, the resisting force R of the right elbow is not stronger than P, since P is the bend­ing force of your upper body.

121. Hiza-gatame (knee-elbow lock).

Therefore you can create extreme pain in your opponent's right elbow joint. Also, if you press down on the elbow joint with your left knee, the result will be an even more un­bearable pressure that will cause your opponent to submit quickly. Key points :

a.         Hold your opponent's right wrist firmly under your left armpit; otherwise, he may escape by pulling it away.

b.         Push away at his left hip with your right foot in order to break his posture. He will then be unable to use the defensive power of his waist and abdominal region.

2.    Juji-gatame (cross armlock)

This technique locks the opponent in the form of a cross. His upper arm is locked between your thighs, and pressure is applied upward against his elbow joint. As your opponent lies on his back, you sit at his right side, as shown in Figure 122a. When he carelessly extends his right arm toward your chest, you quickly grasp the arm and hold it in your arms. Now you turn your body to the right to sit at the right side of his right shoulder, as shown in Figure 122b. At the same time place your left leg over his neck and face to prevent him from rising. Your right leg is planted against his right side. While pinning his upper arm tightly between your thighs, you press it against your abdomen. Now pull his wrist with your hands so that the little-finger edge is pressed against your chest. At the same time raise your abdomen and place pressure against his elbow joint for the completion of the lock.

Dynamic Explanation : Take your opponent's elbow joint as O and his hand as A. If you pull the hand toward you with the force P, then the moment of P about the fulcrum O will be produced. The moment PL can easily overcome the defensive power of your opponent's elbow joint.

Key points :

a.         You must pull your opponent's right hand so that his little finger will touch your chest. Thus the inside of his arm is turned up.

b.         Push your hips as close as possible to his shoulder for leverage support.

c.         With the lower part of your left leg, pull his head against your hips to prevent him from raising his body.

d.         Pin his upper arm by pressing your knees together.

e.         Apply the final pressure by raising your abdomen.

122. Juji-gatame (cross armloek).

3.    Ude-garami (entangled armlock)

In the above-described techniques you reverse the natural bend of your opponent's elbow joint. In ude-garami, however, you twist to apply pressure on your opponent. He lies on his back, and you sit at his right side. If he carelessly extends his right arm, you quickly grasp the wrist with your right hand, as shown in Figure 123a. Then you lean across his chest, bringing your left hand under his right arm and up to grasp your own right arm—left wrist on top. If you lift up his right elbow a little with your left forearm while pushing down his right wrist with your right hand, you will exert enough pressure on his elbow joint to bring about his submission.

Dynamic explanation : Your opponent's elbow joint can be taken as 0 and his wrist as A. When you push down on his wrist with the force P, the moment PL will easily overcome the resistance of his arm. Thus the extreme pressure placed on his elbow joint will cause him to submit to the lock.

Key points :

a.         Lift your opponent's elbow and push down on his right wrist as he is lying on his back. The resulting moment PL will create a
twisting of his elbow joint.

b.         Apply the entangled elbow lock only when your opponent's arm is in a bent position.

c.         Keep your body posture correct and lower your body in order to create a low center of gravity and thereby prevent your opponent from escaping.

123.  Ude-garami (entangled armlock).