How to finish the Ouchi Gari?

Matt Thornton

Matt Thornton

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To any Judoka or wrestlers who have used this:

I'm having trouble with my ouchi gari. I don't do Judo, I do wrestling (folkstyle, but I really appreciate all styles and consider Judo to be one of them), and I really want to incorporate the ouchi gari into wrestling, grappling, and MMA.

I can get the hook in, but I'm having trouble with the finish. Am I supposed to drive STRAIGHT forward, or a little bit off to the side that the hook is in? Also, should my hips be in close or should there be space?
 
Once you get past the basics Ouchi can be a very technical throw. There's a million ways to finish it and I'm not really a no gi expert.

Technically you're reaping not hooking the leg. Try to keep your foot straight with your toes pointed when making the connection (like a good osoto). Your foot should trace a sort of circular motion, catching/reaping the leg on the way out. Just jumping in and trying to hook the foot isn't that effective on more advanced guys as it's easy to counter/step out. Hooking will happen due to the contact, but you should try to prevent it as far as possible as a hooking leg is not as strong as a reaping one.

This is a decent example of the motion your foot should be making. http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/blue/ouchigari.htm . Note the semi circular motion with the foot

You should be throwing foward and slightly to the side of the leg of you're repaing.If you were standing square with him you'd want to be throwing the guy to about 1 or 2 o'clock.

I'd recommend trying to make body to contact when reaping the leg. This should take care of driving the guy backwards, letting you hands and feet the more specific directing.

It's very difficult to pick on the more subtle details without a (good) coach.
 
My ouchi is just starting to develop, but it's still average. But here's what works for me:

For clarity we're attacking the left leg of our opponent with our right leg.
When your hook is in your heel is to the sky and your toes to the floor. I used to try to paint a clockwise circle on the floor with my toes per an early judo instructor of mine. Although he excelled at that style of ouchi, I never really got the hang of it.

These days I just pull my right knee to my left knee. You can stand up right now without an uke and try the two styles. Paint a big circle with your toes, OR bring your right knee to your left knee will holding that toe down position.

As per driving in, it's a matter of what works for you. Yamashita and Inoue style players actually drive across to their left side and practically turn it into an uchimata. Some people drive straight through. Swain drives to his right (as you can see in his Ashiwaza II book), and drops his knee to the ground.

I'm liking the knee drop thing right now. I think maybe with a right overhook and left underhook in wrestling you could really develop a nice drop ouchi gari. Once your hook (foot) is in I'd think you'd have to pin their arm and pull down with your over hook and push upward and through with your underhook.
Then drop to your right knee while still hooking with your foot. It takes some muscle. Drive, drive drive.
Hope I was reasonably clear.
 
There should be no space between you and your opponent. And you should drive to the side just right where your hooked leg circles. The main thing in all throws is that you look exactly to the direction where the throw is supposed to be executed, no matter what kind of a position your body is in.
 
It helps to get real low while doing it, and make sure you're putting a lot of weight on their hip.

The takedown happens when they can't step back because your leg is blocking. They need to be going in a backward angle towards the reaped leg.

Like this but done with an arm drag instead of gi sleeve pull.
 
Soulfly said:
Like this but done with an arm drag instead of gi sleeve pull.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was trying to explain. Thanks for the link Soulfly. Perfect. Is that Jimmy Pedro?
He grabs the leg in the end, nice.
 
Bubble Boy said:
Exactly what I was trying to explain. Thanks for the link Soulfly. Perfect. Is that Jimmy Pedro?
Click to expand...


Yeap. Check out his site www.jimmypedro.com . He has some other techniques there, as well as ouchigare off different grips.
He's going to be coming out with a technique video soon.
 
If you go to your knee, don't forget to grab the leg to make sure the guy can't pull his foot out. There's a nice demonstration of the wrestling version of this technique in Darrel Gholar's instructional, I think.
 
Going to the side where the foot is hooked doesn't really work in competition. Maybe against low level guys in local tournies. Unless you're extremely fast, against anyone with any experience, that style of formalized o-uchi is only useful as kuzushi to set up a combination against the other leg.

If you're naturally someone who prefers to drive forward, and it sounds like the original poster is (coming from a wrestling background) you're much better off hooking high and driving away from the hooked leg. You should reach down with your opposite hand and grab the pant leg behind the supporting knee, if you're really dropping low. You can afford to have some space depending how good your gripping is. Sometimes, you want space to push/pull the same side shoulder.

Anyway, it really depends on the type of player you are and your relative builds. O-uchi is really versatile and can be done in a lot of different ways, but as a standalone, fully committed technique, regardless of whether you're driving straight back, up then down, or straight down, you're better off driving away from the hooked leg.
 
when sweeping the left foot pull the right sleeve/wrist and push the left side of the chest, keep your torso in close and square --not bladed to the sweeping side as might feel more natural.
 
(Excuse for my terrible english , but i'm italian ^^)

You can do ouchi gari in different way.
In every way u have to hook his feet and use ur arm like using a Bow
http://www.webdienste.at/judo/goodies/skript/techniken/stand/technik_O-uchi-gari2.gif

Now the difference:

First way is to move ur opponent in a circular movement around you and hook is feet when he's making the step, like this
http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/blue/ouchigari.htm
In this way u have a little of distance between u and him
Infact due to his movement u don't need a contact with ur body to take down him, but only hook his feet moving ur like in a circle and a correct use of the arms


Second Way, is if u want to use O uchi gari when ur arent moving ur opponent.
His "Shizentai" is probably stron so even if u hook him u'll not able to unbalance him.
To Unbalance him u have to use ur body (ur belly will hit his belly). It's seem like ur want to sobstitute his body with urs. Using ur body over him u'll cand throwing him with ur hook. (U'll probably fall over him )

http://judoinfo.com/images/nauta/ouchigari.htm

http://www.judo-praxis.de/Technik/Technik_Stand/TS_O_uchi_Phil/o_uchi_phil_09.jpg
 
Iceman5592 said:
To any Judoka or wrestlers who have used this:

I'm having trouble with my ouchi gari. I don't do Judo, I do wrestling (folkstyle, but I really appreciate all styles and consider Judo to be one of them), and I really want to incorporate the ouchi gari into wrestling, grappling, and MMA.

I can get the hook in, but I'm having trouble with the finish. Am I supposed to drive STRAIGHT forward, or a little bit off to the side that the hook is in? Also, should my hips be in close or should there be space?
Click to expand...

For wresting, it's easier to finish if you have double underhooks or a body lock. Knoxpk is the man to ask about this. He has a link in one of his threads with a good video of this.
 
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