Knee on belly is the top position where you kneel on your partner's stomach with one knee while your other leg posts out wide. In judo it is uki gatame (浮固), the floating hold, one of the Kodokan osaekomi-waza.
- Japanese name: uki gatame, 浮固.
- Kodokan classification: osaekomi-waza, a pinning technique.
- In BJJ: a transition position. You pass through it from side control on the way to mount, to the far side, or into an armbar.
What is knee on belly?
The Kodokan defines uki gatame as holding down the opponent's upper body with the right leg, holding their right arm with one or both arms from their right side while they lie on their back, and stretching the left leg backward.
In BJJ the position is mobile by design. You hold it long enough to make the bottom player react, then take whatever they give: the mount when they turn away, the far side when they push the knee, the armbar when they push with a straight arm.
How do you hold knee on belly?
The steps follow the Kodokan definition, with the BJJ details a coach adds.
- From side control, slide your near knee onto their belly, the shin across the stomach and the foot hooked at their hip.
- Post your other leg out wide and back, foot flat on the mat, as the Kodokan describes with the left leg stretched backward.
- Hold their near arm with one or both arms. In the gi, one hand on the collar and one on the belt or trousers keeps them flat.
- Stay upright with your hips over your knee so your weight goes down through the shin.
- When they push the knee or turn, follow the movement into mount, the other side or a submission.
The most common mistake is leaning forward with your hands on the mat. That takes the weight off your knee and gives the bottom player an easy shrimp. Your hands are for grips; your weight belongs on the shin.
Video: KODOKAN official channel
How many points is knee on belly worth?
Two. The IBJJF Rules Book requires the knee or shin nearest the hips on the belly, chest or ribs, the other knee off the mat, and the opponent on their back or side, held for three seconds. With the other knee down it is only an advantage.
How do you escape knee on belly?
The bottom player shrimps away from the knee, pushes it to the mat and recovers guard, or turns into you to reach their knees. Both are faster than from side control, which is why knee on belly is a place you pass through on the way to something else. Positional rounds from here build the timing; our BJJ training gear has the kit for them.
Sources
- Kodokan defines uki gatame, Kodokan Judo Institute
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
Related terms
Side control, Mount, Armbar, Shrimp / hip escape, Guard passing.