Kosoto Gake (minor outer reaping) is a fundamental judo throw that has become a staple in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s standing game. This technique involves reaping your opponent’s supporting leg from the outside while simultaneously pulling their upper body backward, causing them to fall directly into your side control position. The beauty of Kosoto Gake lies in its simplicity and relatively low physical demands compared to explosive throws like Uchi Mata or Harai Goshi. It excels when your opponent has their weight distributed on their rear leg, making it an excellent counter to defensive stances and backward movement. The throw creates a seamless transition from standing to dominant groundwork, with the thrower maintaining control throughout the entire movement and landing directly in a scoring position. This makes it particularly valuable in both gi and no-gi competition contexts where takedown points and top position are strategically critical.
Starting Position: Standing Position Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Break opponent’s base by attacking their weighted rear leg
- Coordinate upper body pull with leg reap timing
- Maintain close distance throughout the throw
- Control opponent’s posture by pulling them backward and off-balance
- Land in advantageous top position with immediate control
- Use minimal strength by exploiting opponent’s weight distribution
- Time the throw when opponent’s weight commits to their rear leg
Prerequisites
- Establish strong collar and sleeve grips in gi, or collar tie and underhook in no-gi
- Close the distance to eliminate space between you and opponent
- Identify opponent’s weight distribution on their rear leg
- Position your body close to opponent’s side at approximately 45-degree angle
- Establish balance on your front leg while preparing rear leg for reap
- Break opponent’s upright posture by pulling them slightly forward then backward
Execution Steps
- Establish grips and close distance: Secure a dominant collar grip with your lead hand and sleeve or elbow control with your rear hand in gi (or collar tie and underhook in no-gi). Step in close to eliminate space between your chest and opponent’s upper body, positioning yourself at a 45-degree angle to their stance. (Timing: Initial setup phase)
- Break opponent’s posture: Pull your opponent’s upper body backward and slightly downward using your collar grip, forcing them to shift their weight onto their rear leg. Their natural reaction is to resist by pushing back or stepping backward, which loads their rear leg perfectly for the reap. (Timing: As opponent resists forward pressure)
- Position your reaping leg: Step your rear leg (same side as your collar grip) behind opponent’s weighted rear leg. Your calf should make contact with the back of their calf/Achilles area. Keep your knee slightly bent and your weight balanced on your supporting leg. (Timing: Immediately after breaking posture)
- Execute the reap: Reap opponent’s rear leg forward by driving your calf through the back of their lower leg while simultaneously pulling their upper body backward and down with both grips. The reaping action should feel like sweeping their leg out from under them rather than a hard kick. (Timing: Explosive but controlled motion)
- Drive through with upper body: As their leg is reaped, continue driving their upper body backward and downward in a circular motion. Your chest should follow their falling trajectory, maintaining pressure and connection throughout. Turn your hips to face toward the mat as they fall. (Timing: Continuous with reaping motion)
- Land in side control: Follow opponent to the ground, landing with your chest across their torso in side control position. Your reaping leg naturally transitions to block their hip, while your grips convert to controlling their far shoulder and near hip. Immediately establish crossface pressure and distribute your weight to prevent their escape. (Timing: As opponent impacts the mat)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent steps back with their rear leg to avoid having weight on it (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Follow their backward movement and switch to Kosoto Gari (attacking their front leg instead) or chain to Osoto Gari if they overcommit to backward motion
- Opponent sprawls and drops their hips backward when they feel the reap (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain upper body control and transition to Front Headlock position, using their sprawl momentum to secure the dominant position on the ground
- Opponent turns in and attacks with their own throw or guillotine (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Immediately release the attempted throw, establish strong posture, and defend the submission or counter-throw by creating distance with your hips
- Opponent hops on their supporting leg to maintain balance (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Increase upper body pulling pressure and timing, or switch to attacking the hopping leg with a different technique like ankle pick or single leg
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the most important factor in timing Kosoto Gake effectively? A: The most critical timing factor is recognizing when your opponent’s weight is committed to their rear leg. This typically occurs when they are moving backward, resisting forward pressure, or adopting a defensive stance with their weight distributed rearward. Attempting the throw when weight is on the front leg will fail because the rear leg can easily step away.
Q2: How does the upper body action differ from the lower body action in Kosoto Gake? A: The upper body pulls backward and downward in a circular arc to break opponent’s posture and drive them toward the mat, while the lower body reaps forward and upward through the back of opponent’s leg. These opposing directions create a scissoring action that rotates opponent around their center of gravity. Both must be coordinated simultaneously for the throw to work effectively.
Q3: Why is Kosoto Gake considered a higher percentage throw for BJJ practitioners compared to explosive throws like Uchi Mata? A: Kosoto Gake requires less explosive power, flexibility, and athletic ability than dynamic throws. It relies primarily on timing, positioning, and coordination rather than strength or speed. The close-distance requirement and direct transition to top control also make it more suited to the BJJ context where controlling position is prioritized. Additionally, the technique is safer to attempt because you maintain close contact and can defend counters more easily.
Q4: What adjustment should you make if your opponent consistently defends Kosoto Gake by stepping their rear leg backward? A: Chain to Kosoto Gari (targeting their front leg instead) or Osoto Gari (larger outer reap) to attack the leg they’ve stepped onto. This creates a takedown system where defending one attack opens vulnerability to another. You can also use feints of Kosoto Gake to create backward movement, then switch to techniques that exploit their motion like ankle picks or rear trips.
Q5: How should you modify your landing strategy based on whether you’re competing under IBJJF rules versus submission-only rules? A: Under IBJJF rules with point scoring, prioritize landing in a clearly defined scoring position (side control or mount) with immediate control to secure takedown points and position points. In submission-only, you can be more aggressive with the landing, potentially accepting scrambles or less stable positions if they lead to faster submission opportunities. The IBJJF context rewards the cleaner, more controlled completion, while submission-only allows for more dynamic transitional finishes.
Q6: What is the mechanical reason why pulling opponent’s upper body backward is essential to completing the throw? A: Pulling the upper body backward shifts opponent’s center of gravity behind their base of support (their feet), creating rotational momentum around the horizontal axis. The leg reap removes their supporting structure at the same moment their weight is moving backward, eliminating their ability to recover balance. Without the upper body pull, the leg reap alone only creates annoyance rather than actual off-balancing. The combination creates a force couple that rotates opponent efficiently to the ground.
Safety Considerations
Kosoto Gake is generally one of the safest takedowns to practice and execute. The primary safety concerns involve controlled landing for both participants. The person being thrown should practice breakfall technique (slapping the mat with their arm to disperse impact) to prevent head or shoulder injury. The thrower must be careful not to land with excessive weight directly on opponent’s ribs or head, instead distributing pressure across the torso. When drilling at beginner levels, both partners should practice on soft mats and communicate about execution speed. In competition, be aware that aggressive execution can result in the thrown person’s head impacting the mat if their posture is severely broken—control the upper body pull to ensure safe landing.
Position Integration
Kosoto Gake occupies a critical role in the BJJ standing game as a fundamental, high-percentage entry to groundwork. It integrates seamlessly with the broader takedown system, particularly as a chain option from failed single leg or double leg attempts, or as a counter when opponent defends other throws by moving backward. The technique serves as an excellent bridge between judo-style standup and BJJ groundwork because it naturally transitions into side control with maintained grips and pressure. In the larger positional hierarchy, Kosoto Gake is often taught as part of the beginner curriculum alongside basic guard pulls and single leg entries because of its relatively simple mechanics and high success rate. Advanced practitioners use it within combination attacks, setting up opponent’s defensive reactions to create openings for other techniques.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: Kosoto Gake exemplifies the fundamental principle of attacking an opponent’s base by removing support structure at the precise moment their center of gravity is displaced. The biomechanical efficiency of this throw comes from the force couple created between upper body pulling and lower body reaping—two opposing forces that create rotational momentum around opponent’s center of mass. What makes Kosoto Gake particularly valuable in the BJJ context is the seamless transition from vertical to horizontal control. Unlike explosive throws that create separation during execution, Kosoto Gake maintains close contact throughout, allowing you to follow opponent to the mat with immediate dominant position. The technique demonstrates that off-balancing (kuzushi in judo terminology) is more important than strength or speed—properly timed execution against a balanced opponent is infinitely more effective than powerful execution against a well-balanced opponent. When teaching this throw, I emphasize that students must develop sensitivity to weight distribution, recognizing the subtle postural cues that indicate which leg bears opponent’s weight. This diagnostic skill—reading opponent’s base and balance—is what separates functional takedown ability from mere knowledge of throw mechanics.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, Kosoto Gake is one of my highest percentage standing techniques because it scores takedown points while immediately establishing a scoring position with minimal risk of being countered. The beauty of this throw from a strategic standpoint is that it punishes the defensive stance most competitors adopt—weight shifted backward to defend single and double leg attacks. When opponents are defending aggressive wrestling attacks, they naturally load their rear leg, creating the perfect setup for Kosoto Gake. I’ve successfully used this in ADCC and IBJJF competition because it requires minimal athletic commitment compared to blast double legs or flying techniques, meaning I can attempt it without exhausting myself if it fails. The key competitive adaptation I’ve developed is using feints—threatening other takedowns to create the backward weight shift, then capitalizing with the reap. Against elite opponents who recognize the setup, I chain Kosoto Gake attempts into ankle picks or single legs, creating a takedown system where defending one attack opens vulnerability to another. In no-gi especially, the collar tie to underhook version is incredibly reliable because you maintain strong control even if the initial throw attempt doesn’t land perfectly—you can scramble into front headlock or keep working for the takedown without giving up position.
- Eddie Bravo: Kosoto Gake fits perfectly into the 10th Planet game plan because it’s a low-risk entry to our groundwork system that doesn’t require explosive athleticism or traditional judo training. What I love about this throw is that you can hit it from the same collar tie and underhook control we use for everything else—it’s not a separate specialized grip that requires different setups. The technique works beautifully in the transition game, especially when you’re working for takedowns but your opponent is defending by backing up or sprawling. Instead of fighting through their defensive structure, you use their backward momentum against them with the reap. I teach my students to think of Kosoto Gake as part of a flow rather than an isolated technique—if they defend the throw, you’re already in position for front headlock attacks, guillotines, or Darce setups. The innovation I’ve brought to this technique is emphasizing the immediate transition to submission hunting rather than just settling for side control. When you land the throw, you already have the collar tie in position to threaten a guillotine or Darce, which keeps opponent thinking about submission defense instead of escaping position. This creates the dilemma-based game plan that makes 10th Planet so effective—opponent has to choose between defending position or defending the submission, and either choice opens up the other.