Judo Kumikata Fundamentals: How to counter the High Grip

The power of the High Grip

The High Grip is one of the most dominant grips in Judo. It allows very powerful attacks and make it very hard for the opponent to attack or to defend himself:

The critical moment for the High Grip

For a good High Grip, a player needs free access to the collar of his opponent:

How to counter the High Grip

One of the most effective ways to counter a High Grip is to control the opponent’s lapel of his High Grip. This creates space and prevents his High Grip from being powerful.

The following pattern shows how Tori prevents Uke’s High Grip by controlling Uke’s lapel: