Game Description

This is the integrated expression of the leg entanglement system for the Advanced practitioner. Earlier games isolated components — the entry, the retention, the 50/50 exchange. This game removes positional constraints and requires both practitioners to use the full entanglement toolkit continuously: entering from guard, maintaining through partner transitions, converting to dominant entanglements, and finishing when the opportunity is available.

The elevated safety tier reflects the inclusion of cross ashi (saddle) in the permitted positions and the proximity to heel hook finish geometry. Practitioners running this game must have trained the tap-release mechanics explicitly before inclusion.

The role-rotating structure creates competitive symmetry — both players develop both the attack and the defence of the full system within each session.

How to Run This Game

Setup: Both players seated in butterfly guard, facing each other. No pre-established entanglement — the first entanglement must be earned during the game. Coach signals start.

Both players manage the full system:

Entry decision: Which entry is available from the current guard position — shin-on-shin to ashi, K-guard (a seated leg entanglement position) to ashi, standing reap, or direct sit-in? Choose based on what the partner’s posture allows.
Transition decisions: Once in an entanglement, recognise when the partner’s rotation or counter-entanglement opens a transition — ashi to outside ashi, ashi to cross ashi, ashi to 50/50.
Finish selection: Choose finish based on position — ankle lock from ashi or outside ashi; toe hold from ashi or 50/50; cross ashi reserved for the explicit inside heel hook decision by both players.

Heel hook protocol: Inside heel hook from cross ashi (saddle) is only available if both players have explicitly agreed before the round begins. This agreement should be made at the coach’s discretion based on the practitioners’ demonstrated tap-release reliability. Default: no heel hooks.

Rotation rule: After each score, the scoring player takes the guard position. The player who was just attacked starts in the kneeling/standing position. This creates the same competitive structure as the kimura system full game — every practitioner experiences both roles continuously.

Score: Five points per side.

Coaching Notes

The full system game reveals the practitioner’s dominant entry and their ability (or inability) to adapt when it is shut down. Most Advanced practitioners have one or two primary entries and may be passive when those entries are unavailable. The role-rotating structure over multiple rounds will expose this pattern — the practitioner who can only enter from shin-on-shin will be shut down by a partner who understands that one entry.

Coaches should observe the transition decision layer specifically. Practitioners who can enter ashi garami but cannot follow the partner’s rotation to outside ashi are operating in a position-limited way — they have the entry but not the system. The system includes the transitions, not just the initial entry.

The 30-second continuous hold as a win condition (alongside submissions) teaches that positional quality is itself valuable — practitioners learn that maintaining a dominant entanglement without finishing is a scoring event. This trains durability and patience alongside the finish mechanics.

Progressions

Heel hooks included: With explicit consent and established tap-release reliability, add inside and outside heel hooks as permitted finishes. This is the full competitive leg entanglement environment.
Standing start: Both players begin standing. The game includes establishing the first entanglement from a standing context — the standing reap entry becomes necessary.
Full open rounds: Remove the role-rotating rule. Both players play continuous live rounds with no positional constraints. This is competition-equivalent leg entanglement training.