If you are a taller judoku, your height and reach can be an advantage but it can also be a detriment if you don’t know how to use it properly. Certain techniques and throws will be more difficult for the taller judoku whereas others can potentially help you use your height to an advantage.
The Top 5 Judo Throws For Tall Guys Are:
- Osoto Gari
- Ouchi Gari
- Uchi Mata
- Kouchi Gari
- Harai Goshi
As with everything in judo, you want to throw your opponent off balance and this often requires a tailored approach for someone particularly tall. Long limbs and a long reach can help put your opponent off balance and give you an advantage, if you know what you’re doing. In this article, we break down the top 5 throws for tall guys.
Osoto Gari
The Osoto Gari (large outer reap) is a perfect throw for someone with a significant reach advantage. It is perhaps one of the most basic judo throws and often the first one new judokas are taught when they take up the sport.
The long legs of a taller judoka is going to be the main advantage here. For this throw, you want to get your opponent’s weight back on their heels to take them off balance. This is achieved by stepping next to your opponent with your left-leg (from a right-handed perspective) and pulling uke into your body. Once your opponent has shifted their weight, bring your right leg around and sweep uke’s right leg at the ankle. If you are doing this correctly, your face should be turned into your arm as if you are looking at your watch while you bring your leg around to sweep.
The idea is that the leg you are sweeping should be the main port of balance for the uke as a result of their weight shifting when you pulled them into your body. You’ll want to ensure you are sweeping at the ankle as well so uke has nothing left to shift their weight onto.
There are some taller judokus who have difficulty with these throws, however. This may come from the coordination it sometimes requires to move your longer legs or possibly because it is easier for your opponent to see the technique coming. Many other judokus find long legs to be an advantage for these throws, however. If you are a taller judoku, this very basic leg sweep is one that you should always have in your toolbelt. It’s easy and advantageous for someone with a size and reach advantage.
Ouchi Gari
An Ouchi Gari (or Great Inner Reap) is very similar to the above mentioned Osoto Gari but you are attacking the other leg. It is one of the more popular moves in judo but also one of the more basic. Much like the leg sweep mentioned above, it is one of the first throws new judokas are taught when they first start learning.
Instead of stepping to the side of your opponent, you want to position your lead leg in between their legs. You again want to pull your opponent into your body to cause them to shift their weight onto the leg you plan on sweeping. Remember with everything judo, if your opponent isn’t off balance when you attempt a throw, something has gone very wrong.
As you step in, pivot your body around so that your hip is pointed in to uke and your right foot (from a right-handed perspective) is inbetween uke’s feet. Your toes should be pointed to uke’s left foot. Then take your opponent over your leg at a 45 degree angle.
The one problem associated with this throw for taller fighters is that it can sometimes be easy for uke to see you coming with it. Longer limbs are easier to see in motion and because the throw is so common, uke likely knows to expect it and has practiced countering it. Still, because this throw is so basic and easy to execute for newer judokas, it has to be considered one of the go-to throws for taller competitors.
Uchi Mata
An Uchi Mata (or Inner-thigh reaping throw) is also an excellent throw for taller judokas with longer limbs.
In order to make this throw work you must first destabilize your opponent diagonally to the front and take them off balance. From a right-handed perspective, step in so that the toes on your right foot are coming towards the toes of uke’s right foot. Then feed your right hip into uke’s right hip. This takes uke off-balance and also creates contact between you and uke that you’ll use for your throw. Use your hands to pull uke upwards to take them further off-balance. This should be easier to do for a taller fighter and will help you to pull off this throw. You will know you have your opponent off balance if you see them come up on their toes. Your grip is important for this one as well. While some judoku like to grab onto the back of the lapel on the Gi, for taller fighters it is far better to grab onto the front of the lapel on the Gi. You want to elevate uke up and that can be hard to do if you’re holding onto them from the back.
Once uke is off balance and elevated up on their toes, bring your right leg in between uke’s legs, ride uke over on your hips and bring your left foot around to be lined up with your right to complete the throw.
For examples of successful Uchi Matas in MMA, Ronda Rousey frequently used such throws. In particular, Rousey’s fight with Meisha Tate at UFC 135 provides some excellent examples of well-executed Uchi Matas.
Kouchi Gari
Kouchi Gari (or small inner reap) is another leg sweep taller judokas will find advantageous given their size. For this throw, you want to take uke off-balance by pulling them forward, causing all of their weight to shift onto their front leg. As uke’s weight shifts forward you will then want to take a little step in so that you can bring your right leg in behind uke’s left leg (from a right-handed perspective). Then you will want to reap their heel in a scooping motion to take them down to the mat.
Causing uke to fall off-balance for this throw should be easier for taller fighters but it does depend on how your body is proportioned and how it lines up with your opponent’s, however.
As with all other judo throws, you really want to make sure of your timing for a Kouchi Gari. You will not be able to just muscle your opponent down with this throw but if you reap the leg at a time when it is the sole bearer of uke’s weight, your opponent is going to go to the mat no matter how skilled they are. You want to really be aware of when uke has shifted their weight so that you can attack at the most opportune time.
Harai Goshi
Another solid hip throw for taller judokas is the Harai Goshi. This is essentially a hip-throw with a sweep. For this throw, you want to first bring your right foot around so that it is coming toward your opponent’s right foot. As you do this pull uke into your body and elevate them up. You then want to bring your left leg around so that it lines up with your right, basically turning your back into your opponent. As you do this, use your right leg to reap uke’s right leg and bring them over your body from your hip and onto the mat. When you finish the throw you should be at a 180 degree from where you started with your reaping leg in the air and pointing behind you.
Attempting to execute this throw when uke is not off-balance can put you in a vulnerable position so it is important to time this throw correctly. Think of uke’s feet as a traffic light and them coming up on their toes as a green light and their feet remaining flat as a red light. Pull uke into your body and elevate them up and if you see them go up on their toes, the time is right to attack. If your opponent is not off-balance and you attempt this throw, you’ll likely have a very difficult time.