by Y-Chromosome Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:05 am
Stiffness of the gi is not really a factor.
I've tried it and it's a bit tricky to pull off if you're not used to it.
I don't think it's illegal as it doesn't really breach any of the rules concerning chokes.
I think the main reasons you don't see it much in judo are as follows:
Not a standard Kodokan choke, so doesn't automatically get taught.
Would usually be applied as a follow-on to Kami-shiho-gatame, but there is little incentive to make the transition under judo rules because 1. You are already less than 20 seconds away from winning; and 2. You need to relax your control on the body to focus on the choke which can result in an escape.
I think very few competitors would give up a solid Kami-shiho to attempt this choke, especially on a strong opponent. In BJJ there's an incentive because you can't win with a pin, so you need to keep working for some sort of sub.
I visited a local BJJ club for kicks and this was the instructor's lesson of the night.
In randori (or sparring I guess) I got paired with a 280 lb beast (maybe 300?... huge guy) and I managed to get him into kami-shiho. From there I thought I'd give this choke a try since we'd just worked on it. As I shifted to the choke position, he immediately rolled me and I was thoroughly stuck.
I'd have to work this one a lot in randori before I'd attempt in a competition. I would need to have it honed to the point, where I could get a tap within a second or two, with little or no risk of an escape or reversal, otherwise I'd have no reason to give up the kami shiho.