O-soto-gari

Osotogari stands for "Major Outside Reaping." It is part of the 1st Kyo of throws and is considered a leg throw

Although I came into the class at a time when Tomoenage was being taught, the next class featured randori practice and Park sensei took me aside and worked on kuzushi and this throw--Osotogari--and another--Ippon seioinage.

The basic Osotogari involves breaking your opponent's balance, stepping in with your left leg just past your opponent's right leg, then sweeping your opponent's right leg with your own while pressing backward on his upper body with your arm.

Several key points:

• Don't lean back as you move in.  Keep your body slightly tilted forward, leading with head and shoulder.
• The direction of the throw is a line perpendicular to your opponent's feet.  That's the direction it's easiest to throw them.
• It seemed odd, but Park sensei said to break the opponent's balance by pulling, even though the direction of the throw will be away from you.  It seemed odd, but it seems to work.
• Make sure you get in far enough.  Your hip should be close to your opponent's hip before you start to sweep.
• Bring you hand holding your opponent's collar up and forward as you sweep.  If you can push against the jawline you'll get better leverage and your opponent will go over easier.
• Direction, direction, direction.  Make sure your sweep is coming back in the same line but reversed direction with the push of your hands and body.
• When you swing your leg forward, point the toe, then keep it pointed as you sweep.  That way your heel makes a little "hook" that makes it more difficult for your opponent to slip out of the sweep.

In other classes, we dealt with continuing action from a failed Osotogari.  Two main continuations were considered.

• First, if the opponent steps back with their left foot when you come in for Osotogari, you can still do the Osotogari but the direction is changed.  Since the feet are in a new position you need to redirect the throw so it is again perpendicular to a line between your opponent's feet.
• Second, if the opponent steps back with their right foot you can shift  to a different throw.  In this case we did Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi, which involves placing your right foot on the instep of your opponent's left foot and pulling to the right so that they turn over the foot you have just trapped.

Osotogari can also be done while moving.  In fact, this is probably how you will do it in randori or shiai.  When you are moving toward your opponent and he is moving away from you, take a double-quick step with your left foot just as your opponent has completed stepping back with his left foot.  This should bring your left foot up alongside his before he can move it back.  If you time it right, you will be making your sweep just as your opponent is shifting his weight to his back foot.  The push, sweep, and his own backward momentum combine to put him on his back.  Over he goes.

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