Reverse Kesa Gatame
Reverse kesa gatame — kesa rotated 180 degrees, top player facing the feet. Near arm and leg controlled from the reverse side.
Adapted from InGrappling, Reverse Kesa Gatame. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
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Reverse kesa gatame is a hip-seated control position in which the top player sits beside the opponent facing the feet. The top player’s hip is on the mat, their body angled across the opponent’s torso from the opposite direction compared to standard kesa gatame. The near arm — the opponent’s arm closest to the top player — is typically trapped between the top player’s body and near arm, and the top player’s far arm controls around the opponent’s near hip or leg.
The bottom player has successfully framed against the kesa-side hip, making standard kesa unstable
The bottom player has bridged toward the top player, and the top player follows the rotation to end up facing the feet
The octopus butterfly sweep or similar body-lock sweep has been completed and the top player lands in a leg-side orientation
The primary distinction from side control is the hip-seated position: the top player’s hip is on the mat beside the opponent, not chest-to-chest above them. The control angle is also different — the top player’s weight comes from the leg-side rather than the head-side.
Reverse kesa creates a different submission and transition set from standard kesa. The near-arm attack angle changes — the kimura and near-side armbar become the primary submissions — and the transition to north-south and leg attacks is more direct.
Ruleset context This technique is legal in all major competitive formats.