Kani Basami
Takedown · Standing
A flying scissor from collar and sleeve that puts them on their back and leads to a leg entanglement or top position. The moment is when they stand side-on with their weight on the near leg, which then cannot step away. Post a hand and jump beside them, level with their hips, not in front: one leg goes across the front of their waist, the other behind their knees, high on the calves and never across the joint. Scissor: the front leg pushes the waist back while the back leg chops the knees forward. Half a jump lands you under them. If they step toward you, pull guard; if they lower the hips and stiffen the legs, go to ashi garami. Banned at every belt in IBJJF and in judo because of serious knee injuries.
How to do it
- From collar and sleeve, move so they stand side-on with the weight on the near leg. With that leg loaded, they cannot step it away from the scissor.
- Put your hand on the mat and jump beside them, level with their hips, not in front of them. Commit fully: half a jump lands you under them.
- Place the front leg across the front of their waist and the back leg behind their knees, high on the calves, never across the knee joint.
- Scissor: the front leg pushes their waist back while the back leg chops the knees forward, so their upper body goes back and their legs come out from under them.
- They fall backward; go straight to a leg entanglement or top position.
Key details
- It is banned in IBJJF and in judo: only for submission-only rules or self-defense study.
- The back leg chops behind the knees, never at the knee joint: the knee bends forward safely, but not sideways.
- Commit to the jump: half a jump lands you under them.
- Banned in judo since 1980, after it broke Yasuhiro Yamashita's leg.
- Keep your hips tight to their side and your front leg just under the belt: from too far away the legs land too low and the scissor has no power. The collar hand pulls their shoulders back as the back leg lifts their legs off the mat.
Common mistakes
- Scissoring across the knee joint. — The joint is caught between your legs and their knee bends sideways under your weight. — Chop behind both knees, high on the calves.
- Jumping in front of them. — From the front the scissor cannot take the legs, and they land on you with their full weight. — Jump beside them, level with their hips.
- Doing it on a partner who cannot fall backward. — They try to catch themselves on the trapped leg, and the knee gives way. — Only with trained partners who sit into the fall.
How to drill it
Only as a slow, cooperative drill with a coach: the partner sits back into the fall on your touch, 3 each side.
Safety
Kani basami has caused serious knee injuries, so it is banned at every belt in IBJJF and in judo. Never do it in training rolls without agreement.
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