Hold-downs and escapes
IJF · 2026A valid osaekomi requires recognised control from above, the side or rear with the opponent's back or upper back on the mat. The holder's body or legs must not be trapped by the opponent's legs in the prohibited controlling manner. Merely sitting beside a grounded opponent does not establish a scoring hold.
The rule
A valid osaekomi requires recognised control from above, the side or rear with the opponent's back or upper back on the mat. The holder's body or legs must not be trapped by the opponent's legs in the prohibited controlling manner. Merely sitting beside a grounded opponent does not establish a scoring hold.
In practice
Timing starts with Osaekomi. A continuous hold scores yuko at 5 seconds, waza-ari at 10 seconds and ippon at 20 seconds. Changing between valid holds without losing control does not restart the clock. Toketa means the hold has broken; groundwork can still continue. Existing scores and golden-score rules can end the contest earlier.
Sources & approach ↗