Juji-garami (Crossed-Arms Entanglement)
十字絡み
Both of the attacker's arms are crossed over each other and lock one another. There is no twisting out of it and no stepping back.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Common mistakes: crossing below the elbow instead of above it, leading one arm before the other, and trying to close the cross by gripping rather than by body position.
💡 Key Tip
Both arms must come into the cross at the same moment. Lead one earlier and the attacker pulls the other free.
About
Juji-garami, the crossed-arms entanglement, is named after the character for the number ten, which is shaped like a cross and in Japanese technique names denotes exactly that crossing. The defender leads the attacker's arms so that they cross over one another above the elbow; each then locks the other and the attacker has no free hand with which to work loose. From that locked position a small forward movement by the defender is enough to break the balance. In aikido the technique counts as advanced, because it requires leading both arms exactly at once; if one lags, the cross does not close. Judo knows the same principle as juji-gatame, but uses it there as an elbow lock on the ground. In aikido juji-garami is practised above all from situations where the attacker holds with both hands, and it serves among other things as preparation for defence against several attackers — the locked arms can be used as a shield against the second of them.