Teaching My Teammates: Judo Terms & Concepts (5): All About O-Soto

This Week’s Quiz

New Terms

O-soto-gari (大外刈), big outside reap

  • O (大): big

  • Soto (外): outside

  • Gari (刈):  cut, shear, reap

O-soto-gaeshi (大外返し), big outside reversal

  • O (大): big

  • Soto (外): outside

  • Kaeshi or gaeshi (返し):  reversal, return

O-soto-gake (大外掛), big outside hook

  • O (大): big

  • Soto (外): outside

  • Gake (掛): hook

O-soto-otoshi (大外落), big outside drop

  • O (大): big

  • Soto (外): outside

  • Otoshi (落): drop

O-soto-makikomi (大外巻込), big outside wind-up

  • O (大): big

  • Soto (外): outside

  • Maki (巻): roll-up, wind-up, coiling

  • Komi (込): crowding, bundling together

Happo-no-kuzushi (八方の崩し), eight directions of un-balancing

  • Ha(p) (八): 8

  • Hou or pou (方): direction

  • No (の): possessive article, not a “word” per se

  • Kuzushi (崩し): to collapse, demolish, or break down

Kaeshi-waza (返し技), counter technique

  • Kaeshi (返し): reversal, return

  • Waza (技): technique

Happo-no-kuzushi (八方の崩し)

Kuzushi (un-balancing) can occur in any direction. Remember: kuzushi is the process of moving a target’s center of mass outside of its base of support. Traditionally, there are eight directions from which Tori (the person throwing) can destabilize Uke (the person being thrown). The direction of kuzushi will lend itself to different nagewaza (throwing techniques). In the video below, observe the direction of kuzushi and the throw that is executed. 

  • To Uke’s right rear corner: osoto-gari

  • To Uke’s rear: ouchi-gari

  • To Uke’s left rear corner: ko-soto-gari

  • To Uke’s left: okuri-ashi-barai

  • To Uke’s left front corner: sode-tsurikomi-goshi

  • To Uke’s front: seoi-nage

  • To Uke’s right front corner: tai-otoshi

  • To Uke’s right: yoko-otoshi

O-soto-gari (大外刈)

  • English name: big outside reap

  • Classification: ashi-waza (leg/foot technique)

  • Kuzushi direction: rearward & diagonal

This is one of the earliest throws introduced in Judo, but one of the toughest to master. The kuzushi for o-soto-gari is for one express purpose: to move Uke’s center of mass over a single target leg. This attack is commonly taught from aiyotsu (symmetrical grips/stances). The target leg is generally the leg closest to Tori’s sleeve hand.

To execute o-soto-gari, Tori steps to the outside while operating both the sleeve and lapel to push Uke’s center of mass to the rear diagonal direction. This displaces a significant percentage of Uke’s mass onto the target leg, making it heavier. The other leg is often lighter. If Uke really screwed up, it’s already off of the ground. Tori’s inside leg (the one closer to Uke) is swung like a pendulum, powerfully cutting Uke’s base out from underneath them.

Though o-soto-gari is currently taught as with a rear-diagonal kuzushi, it wasn’t always taught that way. In Japanese jujutsu, o-soto-gari often has a sideward-diagonal kuzushi from aiyotsu and attacks the ligament integrity of Uke’s lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the knee. An old video was posted to Reddit in December 2024 here.

O-soto-gaeshi (大外返し)

  • English name: big outside reversal

  • Classification: ashi-waza

  • Kuzushi direction: rearward

The most common kaeshi-waza (counter technique) against o-soto-gari is another o-soto-gari. It’s like an UNO Reverse Card or the ancient “NO U” meme. This is known as o-soto-gaeshi (big outside reversal).

It is important to displace Uke’s head and face in the direction of kuzushi during o-soto-gari. If this fails, Uke’s center of mass remains stationary. With their base intact and the attacker’s base disrupted by attempting o-soto-gari, the defender has the opportunity to counter with their own o-soto-gari (a.k.a. o-soto-gaeshi).

Pinning the lapel hand down with your chin will preserve the center of mass over the base of support and instead destabilize the attacker. This is the opportunity to execute o-soto-gaeshi.

If you’ve ever watched the kid’s class at a judo dojo, you’ll notice it’s a bunch of toddlers spamming o-soto techniques against other o-soto techniques. This is, accidentally, the -gari variation against the -gaeshi version of o-soto–repeatedly.

O-soto-gake (大外掛)

  • English name: big outside hook

  • Classification: ashi-waza

  • Kuzushi direction: diagonal & rearward

In kenkayotsu (asymmetrical grips/stances), an o-soto variation can be executed: o-soto-gake (big outside hook). It appears as a large shoulder turn, with the reaping leg hooking Uke’s far leg. This halts Uke’s base in position. Thereafter, Tori applies more kuzushi by shoving Uke backward with their arms and charging their own center of mass forward by hopping with their rear leg. In this case, Uke’s center of mass is pushed over a hard-to-move base of support. As Uke begins to fall, Tori cuts Uke’s support leg into the air.

It is important to note that Tori’s leg is not swung like it is in o-soto-gari but hooked behind Uke’s knee to prevent them from re-establishing their base as their center of mass is pushed backward.

O-soto-gake can also be executed from aiyotsu. This movement often resembles a heel strike or calf strike to the back of the knee to buckle Uke’s support leg. Once the leg's structure is bent, pushing Uke’s center of mass backward over the base to create a fall is easier.

O-soto-otoshi (大外落)

  • English name: big outside drop

  • Classification: ashi-waza

  • Kuzushi direction: rearward & downward

If you are familiar with karate or jujutsu stances, you may have seen the deep front stance known as zen-kutsu-dachi (shown below).

O-soto-otoshi is an o-soto variation that stomps into this position in combination with the o-soto footwork to lock Uke’s base in position before applying downward kuzushi to drop Uke onto their back.

Colloquially, it is sometimes referred to as “stomp o-soto.” It differs from o-soto-gari in that the leg Tori attacks with is not swung, but stomped into position from behind Uke’s outside leg.

O-soto-otoshi can be combined with switching of grips to the belt for a Sambo-style belt-lift if you happen to hate your Uke.

O-soto-makikomi (大外巻込)

  • English name: big outside drop

  • Classification: yoko-sutemi-waza (side sacrifice throw)

  • Kuzushi direction: rearward & downward

Please use o-soto-makikomi if you hate having friends.

Tori’s kuzushi and tsukuri (entry, “shape” of the throw) are precisely as described for o-soto-gari but the kake (execution) is slightly different. Instead of swinging the attacking leg to cut Uke’s base alone, Tori also takes an overhook of the Uke’s sleeve arm and winds their body onto Uke. This connects their bodies together and Tori commits to falling with Uke. In this instance, Uke not only receives the impact of their fall, but the crushing impact of Tori’s bodyweight on top of them, creating a “gravitational sandwich” of misery. 

Think back to high school physics class. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, right? When you hit the ground with force, the ground also hits you with equal force (unless the floor caves in). Makikomi throws add two people’s bodyweight into the equation but only Uke takes the impact. Tori is cushioned by Uke. Taking makikomi throws really fuckin’ sucks.

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