Kouchi Gari
Takedown · Judo Throws
A small inside foot reap from the grip fight standing to the top, beside his hips. The moment is when he steps toward you and his lead foot is coming down. Drive the collar hand into his chest, back over that stepping heel, which is the kuzushi, while you cup the inside of the heel with the sole of your same-side foot, sole turned inward, and reap it forward and slightly up in the direction of his toes. The top goes back and the base goes forward, so he falls straight backward. The details are timing, reaping as the foot touches down and the weight is only arriving, not after the foot is planted, and keeping it small: a lunge puts your weight on him and he steps over. If he steps over the reap, go to ouchi gari; if he lowers the hips and widens the stance, turn in for seoi nage.
How to do it
- Take collar and sleeve and move back or circle so they step toward you: you want their lead foot travelling, not planted.
- As their lead foot comes down, drive the collar hand into their chest and back over their heel. This is the kuzushi: their upper body goes straight back over the stepping heel.
- At the same moment, cup the inside of that heel with the sole of your foot of the same name (your right foot to their right heel), toes up and the sole turned inward so the heel sits in the arch of your foot.
- Reap the heel forward in the direction of their toes and slightly upward, so their toes come off the mat; do not drag the foot flat along the mat. The foot slides out in front while the hands drive the chest back, so they fall straight backward.
- Keep the grips, follow them down and land beside their hips, ready to pass the legs before they can raise a guard.
Key details
- Timing beats strength: reap the foot as it touches down, just before their weight settles on it, in the direction of their step. An unloaded heel slides away with almost no force.
- The hands push back while the foot pulls forward: two directions at once. The top goes back and the base goes forward, so they rotate around their own hips.
- Turn the sole inward as you reap and keep the move small: do not lunge. A lunge puts your weight forward onto them and they simply step over the foot.
- It works best as a set-up: they lift the foot to save it and open ouchi gari or seoi nage.
- If they stand still with the weight on the foot, push with one hand and pull with the other for a moment to shift their weight onto the other leg; as soon as the toes go light, reap.
Common mistakes
- Reaping after the weight has landed on the foot. — A loaded foot is glued to the mat and will not move, however hard you reap. — Reap on the step, while the heel is still in the air or just touching down.
- Kicking the leg with the toes or the shin. — A kick hurts and bounces off instead of carrying the foot along the mat. — Cup the heel with the sole, toes pointing up, and slide it forward.
- The arms stay passive while the foot reaps. — Without the push their weight stays over the swept foot and they just lift it and step. — Drive the collar into the chest and back over the heel as you reap.
- Dragging the foot flat along the mat. — A level pull presses their toes into the mat, and the friction holds the foot. — Reap forward and slightly up so the toes lift off.
How to drill it
Moving uchikomi: partner walks toward you and you reap every step, 20 reps. Then the partner steps at random and you only reap the right step.
Safety
Throw only on mats and with a partner who can breakfall backward. Keep the collar grip so they do not hit the head.
What comes next
Where it comes from