Escape from Kesa Gatame/Scarf Hold?

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Mattt

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I've been doing BJJ for just over two years and Judo for a while less... my game is coming along pretty good and i'm confidence from nearly every position except this one.

When i am pinned in Kesa Gatame (Scarf Hold), i just can't seem to get out.

Any advice? Strategies? Videos? Links?

(Note: This is Gi, rather than no Gi)
 
walk your legs in along the mat until you're basically spooning your opponent, then plant your feet soles down on the ground. At this point your opponent should be more or less touching your side. Then, pop your hips and bridge, while rolling over to the opposite side that your opponent had the kesa gatame secured on. If done properly, you can land in kesa gatame with your opponent on bottom.
 
edit

sometimes depending on their positioning I can throw my leg over and armbar
 
Thers like 5 ways to escape it.
 
There are four basic escapes ever grappler must know:
  1. Arm pullout should be tried immediately.
  2. Leg-over-head if his head is low on you. You can switch to an armbar or choke from here sometimes.
  3. Leg hook if his hips are close to your hips.
  4. Bridge and roll if his hips are high on you.
Combine the leg hook and bridge and roll escapes. Go for the leg hook, and he will try to circle toward your head to prevent it. Keep going for it. When the time is right, then use his momentum to bridge and roll him.

The bridge and roll is a good technique when you use your opponent's momentum against him. Sometimes I'll purposely let my opponent pass my guard, but not without a fight. He will be trying to fly pass, and I'll finally let go of his leg and let him. I use the sudden whip to bridge and roll many grapplers. I use their own momentum against them before they can put on the breaks.

There are more escapes, but these four are pretty good ones.
 
Bridge and roll is the standard escape.
If you go the other way (toward the opponent), you can turtle, slip out, or take the back like Frodo did in his video.
Cross facing keeps them a bit distracted.
Entangle one of his legs and get half guard.
Those are some options.

It's not impossible to get out of at all, but it can be tough.

The big thing with any pin is to create some space, which means popping your hips up and positioning your arms well.

Maybe have a training partner pin you with kesa and just keep trying to escape over and over again. That'll move you along faster than anything.

Your mind set should be: "It's possible to get out of this pin."

I've seen small guys get out from under big, strong, experienced opponents before (for example).

Go ape shit and get your bad ass self out of it.
Capeesh? (That's Turkish for "man up and escape").
 
Cheers guys.

I think my major problem with it is that i seem to let them get a secure hold on before i attempt to do anything, and by then i am in a difficult position to move at all.
 
Scarf hold (headlock) is not that bad.
The modified scarf hold...where the guy on top of you has his arm wrapped NOT around your head in a headlock, but underneath your far armpit...
Now THAT'S a bitch to get out of...
 
DMcKayBJJ said:
Scarf hold (headlock) is not that bad.
The modified scarf hold...where the guy on top of you has his arm wrapped NOT around your head in a headlock, but underneath your far armpit...
Now THAT'S a bitch to get out of...
Click to expand...

Just do the same escapes. The leg-over-head escape is even easier, but you got to watch out for wakigatame. Bridge and roll is harder, but the leg-pendulum escape is easier too.
 
the above spoon-and-bridge works for me but theres two details i like that make all the difference to me.

1/ you need the grip him with both arms around the body but not just anywhere, right under the ribs, which gives you more power when lifting him. *edit* best analogy for this i can think of is like you're doing the heimleich (sp?) manouvere, when someone is choking on food. get under his ribcage and squeeze his air out. watch the kimura when you're getting the grip though.
2/when you "spoon"get real close and just try and lift him a little to get your body actually under his a little. Then bridge hard and roll with your arms.

works for me.
 
Judo_Ka said:
walk your legs in along the mat until you're basically spooning your opponent, then plant your feet soles down on the ground. At this point your opponent should be more or less touching your side. Then, pop your hips and bridge, while rolling over to the opposite side that your opponent had the kesa gatame secured on. If done properly, you can land in kesa gatame with your opponent on bottom.
Click to expand...

a variation if they counter that:
shrimp, then come back the "spoon" position with your hip dug in as much as possible as in the above method.

bridge, pulling from their armpit and pushing on their legs, scissor legs when you get them over the top.

*edit* what you do with your hands is situation dependent, but if they lock your hands between their legs, you're NOT screwed, you just need to use their legs as the lever instead of the heimlich hold around their ribs as earlier described.
 
alphamale said:
the above spoon-and-bridge works for me but theres two details i like that make all the difference to me.

2/when you "spoon"get real close and just try and lift him a little to get your body actually under his a little. Then bridge hard and roll with your arms.

works for me.
Click to expand...

specifically, you're using your hips to get leverage.
 
DMcKayBJJ said:
Scarf hold (headlock) is not that bad.
The modified scarf hold...where the guy on top of you has his arm wrapped NOT around your head in a headlock, but underneath your far armpit...
Now THAT'S a bitch to get out of...
Click to expand...


Not sure I agree with that. You get a guy who knows how to lay his weight on that position and it is very difficult to get out of it.
 
There are approximately 4 things that make the hold down work. 1. secure hold of the arm, 2. lift opponents head off the ground, 3. wide base, 4. head down to opponents face region. When trying to escape check these 4 key points. If you find one of them is lacking, then plan your escape using their holding weakness. Ex. if there head isnt down you can whip your leg up and put your shin into their neck
 
Circle your hips toward theirs like you want to step over and trap the leg. Many times your opponent will counter by walking towards your head so that you start going in a circle. If he walks too far so that he's no longer perpendicular to you it will be easier to pull out the arm that he has trapped. Once you get that elbow down to the mat you're almost out. Just come to your knees, pop your head out, and now you have his back.
 
The key to making any of those escapes work is to get some space. Some (poorer quality) guys will give it to you automatically and sometimes you have to fight for it. You can try to wedge your free arm in to crossface the guy and get his head (and posture) pushed up or you can swing your legs up in the air (like a leg raise) and then bring them down while pumping your hips away.

Once you get some space, leg over, bridge and roll, etc. all will work. Without it, none of those escapes will,
 
here is an escape i used last night, say you are on your back and he is to your right with kesa, you bring your left leg up over their back and plant it on the ground in front of their left shoulder, you should be able to pull your head out then... i improvised this last night and it worked a treat... did i mention that you have to be super-flexible :-P
 
Sambo234 said:
edit

sometimes depending on their positioning I can throw my leg over and armbar
Click to expand...

I LOVE that one. Apparently it's also used as a transition to the reverse triangle, though I haven't learned it yet.
 
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