Osoto Gari

The Osoto Gari (Large Outer Reap) is a fundamental judo throw that is also widely used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other grappling arts. It involves off-balancing your opponent and reaping their leg to sweep them backward to the ground. This powerful and versatile technique relies on proper grip fighting, angles, and momentum to disrupt the opponent's base and force them into a controlled fall, often transitioning into a dominant position like Side Control.

Key Principles

Breaking balance

  • The first step of Osoto Gari involves off-balancing your opponent (kuzushi) by pulling them backward or to the side.

Creating Angles

  • Position yourself at an optimal angle to control their body and generate the leverage needed for the reap.

Leg Reaping

  • Use your reaping leg to sweep your opponent’s leg outward, targeting the back of their thigh or knee.

Upper Body Control

  • Use grips on their collar, sleeve, or shoulder to control their posture and direct the throw.

Steps to Perform Osoto Gari

Set Up Grips

  • Secure a grip on their collar or lapel with one hand and their sleeve or upper arm with the other hand.
  • In no-gi, use a Collar Tie and wrist grip or overhook and underhook.

Break Their Balance

  • Pull their upper body slightly backward or to the side to disrupt their center of gravity.
  • Step your lead foot close to their base, aligning it with their rear leg.

Position Yourself

  • Pivot your body perpendicular to your opponent’s stance, stepping your outside leg slightly past their body.

Reap Their Leg

  • Sweep your back leg in a wide, arcing motion toward their far leg, targeting their thigh or knee.
  • Keep your reaping leg straight and generate power from your hips and torso.

Control the Fall

  • Push down and backward with your grips while reaping to direct their fall.
  • Follow them to the ground, maintaining control to secure a dominant position like Side Control.

Variations of Osoto Gari

Classical Osoto Gari

  • Focus on reaping their far leg with a deep grip on their collar and sleeve.

Osoto Gari with Overhook

  • Use an Overhooks to control their arm and create leverage for the throw.

No-Gi Osoto Gari

  • Use a Collar Tie and wrist grip or overhook and underhook in no-gi contexts to secure control.

Osoto Gari Counter to Takedowns

Common Applications

Against a Standing Opponent

  • Use Osoto Gari in neutral standing exchanges to take them to the ground and secure control.

In Grip Fighting

  • Execute the throw when you achieve dominant grips on their collar and sleeve or wrist.

Countering Forward Pressure

  • Use the throw when your opponent drives forward aggressively, exploiting their momentum for the sweep.

In Scrambles

  • Apply the throw during dynamic exchanges to capitalize on an opponent’s compromised base.

Defensive Strategies

Countering Osoto Gari

  • Maintain a strong base and posture by keeping your weight evenly distributed.
  • Step back or circle to avoid the reaping leg.

Posting or Blocking

  • Use your hand or arm to post on their shoulder or block their leg to prevent the throw.

Follow-Ups and Transitions

Submission Opportunities

  • Transition to submissions like the Arm Triangle or Kimura after completing the throw and securing control.

Guard Passing

  • If your opponent recovers guard after the throw, work to pass into a dominant position.

Positional Control

  • Secure Side Control or Mount immediately after the throw to consolidate your dominance.
Tip

The Osoto Gari relies on precise timing, proper grip fighting, and maintaining control of your opponent’s balance. Focus on smooth hip movement and maintaining tight connections for maximum effectiveness.

Positioning

The Osoto Gari can be executed from a variety of positions and scenarios where you can off-balance your opponent and create leverage for the throw. Below is a breakdown of the positions and situations where the Osoto Gari is most effectively applied:

Neutral Standing Positions

Engaged Neutral Stance

  • From a neutral standing position, engage in grip fighting to establish control over your opponent’s collar, sleeve, or body, setting up the throw.

Collar-and-Sleeve Control

  • Using a collar grip with one hand and a sleeve grip with the other provides excellent control for executing the throw.

Double Lapel Grips (Gi)

  • Secure grips on both lapels to control your opponent’s posture and manipulate their center of gravity for the throw.

No-Gi Standing Position

  • In no-gi situations, use a Collar Tie combined with wrist control or underhook grips to set up the Osoto Gari.

Dynamic Takedown Scenarios

Counter to Forward Pressure

  • If your opponent pressures forward aggressively, use their momentum to initiate the throw by stepping to the side and reaping their leg.

Countering takedown

During Scrambles

  • Apply the throw when your opponent’s base is compromised or they are off-balance during a scramble.

Grip-Controlled Positions

Overhooks Control

  • From an Overhook, step into position and use the leverage of the whizzer to execute the throw.

Underhook and Collar Grip

  • Use an underhook on one side and a collar grip on the other to control your opponent’s upper body and set up the Osoto Gari.

Two-on-One Grip

  • Control your opponent’s arm with a Two-on-One Grip to off-balance them and transition into the throw.

Defensive and Counter Positions

Against a Defensive Opponent

  • When your opponent maintains a strong defensive posture, break their balance by pulling their upper body backward and reaping their leg.

Off-Balance Opponents

  • Use the Osoto Gari when your opponent is leaning backward or to the side, as their weight is already compromised.

Combat Base Counter

  • If your opponent kneels in Combat Base (one knee up and one knee down), use grips to pull them up and transition into the throw.

Transitions from Other Techniques

Failed Hip Toss

  • If a Hip Toss attempt is blocked, transition to Osoto Gari by stepping behind their leg and reaping it.

From Snap-Downs

  • After snapping your opponent down to break their posture, follow up with Osoto Gari to capitalize on their off-balance state.

Grip Fighting Exchanges

  • During grip exchanges, pull your opponent forward or sideways to set up the throw.

Common Applications

Tournaments

  • Use Osoto Gari in competitions to score points and transition directly to a dominant position.

Against Taller Opponents

  • The throw is particularly effective against taller opponents, as their height often makes them vulnerable to being off-balanced.

No-Gi Grappling

  • In no-gi settings, adjust grips to Collar Tie, wrist control, or underhook grips to execute the throw.

Submission and Positional Transitions

Submission Opportunities

Positional Control

Guard Passing

  • If your opponent recovers guard after the throw, transition into guard-passing sequences.
Tip

The Osoto Gari works best when you combine precise grip fighting with proper angles and hip movement. Focus on breaking their balance before committing to the throw.

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