Ko soto gari an introduction

[judoka_uk]

This is intended to be a brief introduction to Ko soto gari. It is not in any way a masterclass or in depth exploration of throw, for the simple reason that I’m not very good at it.


I personally feel that Ko soto gari is a much underappreciated ashi waza. It tends to lose out in popularity to De ashi barai and in glamour to Okuri ashi barai. However, for those who can master it, much like Sasae tsurikomi ashi it can be a devastating lone attack and also wonderful opener of opportunities.



Positioning

The ideal canonical situation for a Ko soto gari is with uke and tori in the kenka yotsu situation





This is why Ko soto gari is most often used in randori or shiai against left handers or by left handers against right handers as it allows them to resolve the kenka yotsu situation and T-up








Ko soto gari can be used outside of the kenka yotsu situation, however, it usually requires, in the canonical form, for tori to position themselves in the kenka yotsu situation relative to uke.


Footwork

When in the kenka yotsu situation, outlined above, the footwork is relatively simple. A skip is all that’s needed to position yourself for the Ko soto gari











However, when in ai yotsu the footwork is more complex, requiring tori to manoeuvre much more to position himself correctly.























As seen in demonstrated in full here



When performing Ko soto gari in a straight line drilling situation a similar foot pattern to the O soto gari chasse step can be used to position yourself correctly





Note this version is less dynamic due to an older tori, however, the basic movement and principle of off setting is the same.





Use of the hands

As with all Judo throws, often the biggest issue for beginners is using the hands correctly and using the hands together.



I have written, previously, about the use of the hands in Kari waza.


As in all other kari waza, in Ko soto gari tori must attack uke’s chest and seek to off balance uke so that the majority of uke’s weight is concentrated in the rear corner of the heel of the foot that is going to be reaped.


When attacking with a sleever/hikite side Ko soto gari, the action of the hands to off balance uke can look very much like the action for O soto gari.





However, for tsurite/ lapel side Ko soto gari the action looks quite different.


Tori pulls down firmly with the lapel, weighting uke’s heel





And in a manner similar to lapel side Sasae tsurikomi ashi drives strongly into the noblet of uke’s elbow





Reaping action

Although most contest examples of Ko soto gari will show tori lifting uke’s foot from the mat. For practice purposes and to ensure proper form it is important to practice reaping uke’s foot whilst keeping it as close to the mat as possible.


As when the throw is timed perfectly there will be very little separation between uke’s foot and the mat.


Creating opportunities

All ashiwaza are ippon scoring techniques in their own right.



However, it is often difficult to sweep, trip or block an experienced opponent sufficiently well to score ippon.


So ashiwaza allow a Judoka to disrupt an opponent’s movement patterns and create opportunities for other techniques and the ippon scoring throw.


Ko soto gari’s function as an opportunity creator is that it allows tori to T-up relative to uke.


As demonstrated in this video





Tori attacks with Ko soto gari, which creates movement and allows tori to T-up relative to uke.


Combinations

Although Ko soto gari on its own can be a devastating attack





It is often used in combination and most especially to resolve the kenka yotsu situation to create opportunities for a major forward throw.


Ko soto gari to Tai otoshi




Ko soto gari into (Ni dan) Ko soto gari





O soto gari into Ko soto gari





As always comments, critiques and questions are welcome.

[BKR]

Nice work, once again. We were working and have been working on Kosoto Gari a lot lately. Once they got De Ashi Barai down, I introduced Kosoto Gari and Gake.

Kosoto is useful as well when combined with gripping sequences to distract uke.

I love Kosoto Gari, and had not practiced it much for a long time, and rediscovered how much I like it and how versatile a throw it is.

As a word of warning to you guys, be very careful attacking the lead foot of uke from the outside in a kenka yotsu (opposite stances) situation. Especially if uke is good at Uchi Mata. You have to have a very good Kosoto Gari to pull that off. I teach to attack the lead/outside leg from the inside (Ouchi Gari) before moving to Kosoto Gari or Gake.

I also reccomend focusing more on Kouchi and Ouchi at first plus De Ashi Barai before moving to Kosoto Gari.

Ben

[Res Judicata]

Thanks. Kenka yotsu ko soto gari/gake is actually one of my tokui waza. I get dan grades with this more than anything else, believe it or not.

A few random observations (some are more for ko soto gake; ko soto gari's ugly sibling:

• If you do this technique poorly against an uchi mata specialist, you're going for a ride.

• Sukuki can leave his foot on his opponent's calf; only Suzuki is Suzuki.

• It's very easy to end up with your opponent T'd up against you; ouchi is right there for your opponent. On other hand, it's an option when your opponent is T'd up.

• Like ko uchi, you can get a surprising distance out of this technique if you drive off of the back foot.

• People rarely expect a low, hard ko soto gake with hard chest contact.

• Ko soto is good tai otoshi counter if you hop over the blocking leg.

• Hands are very important.

[judoka_uk]

Nice work, once again.

Cheers old boy.

We were working and have been working on Kosoto Gari a lot lately. Once they got De Ashi Barai down, I introduced Kosoto Gari and Gake.

Kosoto is useful as well when combined with gripping sequences to distract uke.

I love Kosoto Gari, and had not practiced it much for a long time, and rediscovered how much I like it and how versatile a throw it is.

As a word of warning to you guys, be very careful attacking the lead foot of uke from the outside in a kenka yotsu (opposite stances) situation. Especially if uke is good at Uchi Mata. You have to have a very good Kosoto Gari to pull that off. I teach to attack the lead/outside leg from the inside (Ouchi Gari) before moving to Kosoto Gari or Gake.

I also reccomend focusing more on Kouchi and Ouchi at first plus De Ashi Barai before moving to Kosoto Gari.

Ben

I have a love for Ko soto gari too. Although the ni dan variety not the normal kind. I usually only catch it as a counter.

Thanks. Kenka yotsu ko soto gari/gake is actually one of my tokui waza. I get dan grades with this more than anything else, believe it or not.

A few random observations (some are more for ko soto gake; ko soto gari's ugly sibling:

• If you do this technique poorly against an uchi mata specialist, you're going for a ride.

• Sukuki can leave his foot on his opponent's calf; only Suzuki is Suzuki.

• It's very easy to end up with your opponent T'd up against you; ouchi is right there for your opponent. On other hand, it's an option when your opponent is T'd up.

• Like ko uchi, you can get a surprising distance out of this technique if you drive off of the back foot.

• People rarely expect a low, hard ko soto gake with hard chest contact.

• Ko soto is good tai otoshi counter if you hop over the blocking leg.

• Hands are very important.

Lol, very true, the last time I did a half arsed Ko soto against a left hander I got launched, lol.

I've personally never been able to counter Tai otoshi with Ko soto gari as the people that try Tai otoshi against me are my coach and other Neil Adams students and so when they try Tai otoshi I go over and there is no hope of me resisting it, lol!

[Hedgehogey]

This illustrates the point you made on judoforum about kuzushi not being separate from footwork and tai sabaki pretty well.

[judoka_uk]

This illustrates the point you made on judoforum about kuzushi not being separate from footwork and tai sabaki pretty well.

I have a thread on that in the works.

When I was starting out, I thought 'kuzushi' and 'tai sabaki' were these big insurmountable things, but once I was more experienced and after lots of chats and beers with my coach I realised what was behind them.

[BKR]

Cheers old boy.


I have a love for Ko soto gari too. Although the ni dan variety not the normal kind. I usually only catch it as a counter.

I like nidan as well, it is usually what happens,the first attack then a skip or chasse step to catch them. The nidan is directly related to certain types of tai sabaki that is useful in other techniques, ash waza and otherwise. The principle/concept is useful in Kouchi Gari, Ouchi Gari, Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi, Osoto Gari, etc.

I used to throw guys for ippon in shiai in kenka yotsu, but it was almost always at the edge, and under the old pre-dynamic edge rules the throw never counted. I threw a guy for ippon at collegiate nationals that way, he was 6' tall but fighting at -65 kg, akward bastard indeed. Needless to say, I lost the match, which sucked, because everybody else I could have beaten.

Lol, very true, the last time I did a half arsed Ko soto against a left hander I got launched, lol.

We are all righties in our dojo, so no chance for me. Half of the guys in one kids division are lefties, as their Japanese-Canadian coach is a lefty.

I've personally never been able to counter Tai otoshi with Ko soto gari as the people that try Tai otoshi against me are my coach and other Neil Adams students and so when they try Tai otoshi I go over and there is no hope of me resisting it, lol!

LOL, I've done it in randori but never in shiai. Guys who do Tai Otoshi in shiai tend to be VERY good at it and I'm lucky to dodge or block somehow and avoid a score, let alone counter throw.

[BKR]

I have a thread on that in the works.

When I was starting out, I thought 'kuzushi' and 'tai sabaki' were these big insurmountable things, but once I was more experienced and after lots of chats and beers with my coach I realised what was behind them.

Yeah, so many teach Judo like some sort of intellectual exercise, showing happo no kuzushi, and generally confusing everyone.

I was telling my students last night, (while working on Kosoto Gari), that tai sabaki creates the kuzushi for the opportunity (debana), and that tai sabaki, kuzushi, tsukuri, etc are not separate discrete entities, and that thinking about them that was is the road to perdition. Then I had to tell them what "road to perdition" meant. But I did feel very intelligent as a result!

Anyway, that's a pet peeve of mine in Judo, same as all the idiots on JF that whine about how horrible "grip fighting" is and how to just "take a grip you get" and work with that.

Ben

[BKR]

I have a thread on that in the works.

When I was starting out, I thought 'kuzushi' and 'tai sabaki' were these big insurmountable things, but once I was more experienced and after lots of chats and beers with my coach I realised what was behind them.

No, no, you don't understand! Kuzushi MUST happen first, dammit! It says so in "Kodokan Judo", right there, no mention of this "tai sabaki" stuff being related. Kuzushi is all in the hands, and separate from anything else.

Damned shodan, trying to explain kuzushi..

[Lindz]

Yeah, so many teach Judo like some sort of intellectual exercise, showing happo no kuzushi, and generally confusing everyone.

Of course it's intellectual. It's a PEDAGOGY dammit.

Never heard of happo no kuzushi. These are the first 3 results when searching youtube. Are any of them what you're talking about?