Getting the other guy's back...

**judoist** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 2:19pm

Specifically, I am talking about the standing phase. When sparring in Judo, I have trouble getting behind the other guy, to perform a ko soto gari. The other guys in my club are really athletic and skilled, so if they don't stop me getting around them by brute force, they slam me down, one way or the other. Does any judoka here have a solution to my problem? Anything to keep them distracted for long enough to avoid them? If you are a judo competitor, please post about your favourite setups to the kosotogari. Advice from Greco Roman guys is also welcome. Thanks in advance.

**BackFistMonkey** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 2:29pm

Originally Posted by judoist

Specifically, I am talking about the standing phase. When sparring in Judo, I have trouble getting behind the other guy, to perform a ko soto gari. The other guys in my club are really athletic and skilled, so if they don't stop me getting around them by brute force, they slam me down, one way or the other. Does any judoka here have a solution to my problem? Anything to keep them distracted for long enough to avoid them? If you are a judo competitor, please post about your favourite setups to the kosotogari. Advice from Greco Roman guys is also welcome. Thanks in advance.

Taking the back? I wasn't aware you should be getting "behind" you opponent with the Ko soto gari .

**BackFistMonkey** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 2:35pm

These guys get as far "behind" as I have seen in a live setting. Each time they are capitalizing and exploiting their opponents bad positions .

YouTube- ko soto gari

**oplus** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 2:43pm

Isn't it nearly impossible to take someone's back? And if you did, wouldn't you just ura nage the poor bloke?

**Zapruder** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 3:40pm

YouTube- Gene Mills 2 on 1 Arm Drag

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 7/21/2010 5:23am

a bad habit that turned out ok for me is to encourage them to take a high grip and then just scoop under the arm and take their back.. I wouldn't recommend it because eventually I'll probably get slammed but that is probably one of the easiest ways

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 7/21/2010 5:46am

If right handed catch their left sleeve with your right hand, then secure the sleeve with both hands. Release the sleeve with your right hand and with your left pull their sleeve across their body and down towards the floor.

Now throw your right hand and grip them in your desired position on their back. Use your back and sleeve grip to pull them in close to you and then perform Ko soto gari.

**Rids** · Posted On: 7/24/2010 4:23am

Wait until they come in for something like harai goshi then use ko soto gari to counter.

**maofas** · Posted On: 7/25/2010 10:59am

Maybe I'm retarded, but I don't get what taking someone's back has to do with kosoto.

Most of the time I "take" someone's back in Judo it just sort-of happens as a result of both of us jockeying for position for a hip throw. If I give up the hip battle, I like tani otoshi from a body-lock best from this position, as it seems pretty easy/fairly low skill to pull off, but I'm not really qualified to give advice IMO.

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 7/25/2010 12:05pm

Originally Posted by maofas

Maybe I'm retarded, but I don't get what taking someone's back has to do with kosoto.

Most of the time I "take" someone's back in Judo it just sort-of happens as a result of both of us jockeying for position for a hip throw. If I give up the hip battle, I like tani otoshi from a body-lock best from this position, as it seems pretty easy/fairly low skill to pull off, but I'm not really qualified to give advice IMO.

I understood the question to be how to obtain a grip on uke's back. Taking the back with a wrestling style bodylock is slightly less common in Judo than achieving a grip on the back.

Ko soto gari with a grip on the back is pretty common:

YouTube- Kosoto Gari by Suzuki Keiji

YouTube- ko soto gari