Grandmaster Kai Uwe explains that a good way to pin down an opponent is after throwing him onto the ground

How do you apply a pin-down on an opponent? Firstly, you have to throw him onto the ground. The movement, especially the connection between the throw and the pin-down, should be smooth. Course participants have a lot of fun practicing the various pin-downs and their counters. In our school, gender is not a problem in countering a pin-down. It is heartening to see elegant ladies overthrowing hefty men who have successfully pinned them down.