COMBAT JUDO: KANI BASAMI

Sensei T. Tucker demonstrating Kani Basami on me (Winter Haven News Chief 1997)

In my last article I talked about SSG Robert Carlin’s inclusion of the drop kick in his classic WWII Combatives manual Combat Judo and how his drop kick more than likely come from a technique called Kani Basami, the scissor takedown or crab scissor. Both techniques are executed in much the same way. 

For me personally, Kani Basami was one of the throws that really caught my imagination in my study and practice of judo. It wasn’t a technique that is shown to beginners, that was for sure and I recall not being taught Kani Basami until after I was at a more advanced level. I learned kani basami as a leaping technique as opposed to the posting a hand on the mat version. I remember thinking when I saw the execution of the throw that it was indeed very advanced as well as very athletic. It remains the one throw that my instructor taught that stands out the most in my mind. Often when we would randori my teacher would surprise me with this technique. 

Tactically, Kani Basami had many advantages. Mainly it was/is a high percentage takedown with a very low risk of getting countered. It can also be used as a counter. It is one of the best dynamic entries one can use to surprise their opponent. 

With Kani Basami my instructor was particularly careful when executing it. A point of fact, he was extremely careful in our practice of it. It is a technique that has caused a number of injuries over the years in competition and practice and as a result it has been banned from competition. Even when Kani Basami is EXECUTED by a well-trained Judoka, the slightest misjudgment of distance and height on a moving opponent can result in a serious and even career ending injury. The injuries most often occur when the technique is executed too low and the thrower’s shoots his far side leg in first. With the leg furthest from your opponent going in first the thrower’s body weight is driven into the side of uke’s leg (much like a baseball player sliding into home base).  This has the potential to cause serious injury to knee (the ACL can blow easily) and ankle. 

To execute the throw safely and effectively the thrower has to place one leg across the opponent’s abdomen right at or just above the waist and the other leg is placed much lower down behind the knee or shin. To avoid injuring your opponent, the thrower should leap upward and throw the leg that is going to the front of the opponent’s abdomen/waist first, slightly ahead of the thrower’s other leg, that goes behind the opponent’s knee. 

RIGHT SIDE EXECUTION OF KANI BASAMI

Generally, this throw is executed when you are to the opponent’s left side and both of your feet are in line with both of his feet.  While gripping on the opponent’s shoulder, around the neck or the lapel with the right hand, the thrower launches off both feet and jumps up with his body facing to the left placing his right leg on uke‘s lower abdomen at the waist or just above. The thrower’s left leg then goes to the back of uke's knees. The thrower executes a scissor-like movement, from both the front and the rear, on the lower half of uke's body. The thrower twists his waist back towards the right, pulls back with the right hand while reaping so that uke falls towards his rear.

Now some may be used to seeing a lot of vids on you tube with the throw being executed by posting a hand on the mat and then executing the take down. However, as mentioned before, I was taught it as more of a leaping/jumping technique. Another point one may need to keep in mind is that I wouldn't leap directly into uke but rather the leap was directed more toward the rear as to further off balance uke rocking him back on his heels.