Alias · Top Positions
Leg-side control
Also known as Reverse Kesa Gatame — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: descriptive — no-gi colloquial
Descriptive — top-position control facing the opponent's legs
Leg-side control is the descriptive no-gi name for reverse kesa gatame — the top-position pin in which the attacker faces toward the opponent’s legs rather than toward the head.
Etymology. The “leg-side” descriptor flags the orientation: the attacker’s torso and hips commit toward the opponent’s legs rather than toward the head as in standard kesa gatame. “Control” attaches the positional-hold category. The label predominates in no-gi vocabulary that prefers descriptive English to the Japanese ushiro kesa gatame or the literal “reverse scarf hold.” The descriptive framing emphasises the geometric distinction relative to the standard kesa gatame without invoking the religious-scarf metaphor.
Mechanics. The position destabilises the opponent’s escape mobility by controlling the near arm and the leg-line simultaneously — the reversed orientation closes off the standard kesa escape directions and forces the bottom player to work the legs and the hip line where the attacker’s weight commits.
Cross-reference. “Reverse scarf hold” and ushiro kesa gatame are alternate names. Full mechanical coverage on Reverse Kesa Gatame.