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WOW! What a fantastic kouchigari! He knocked that joker clean out!
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My yellow belt students begin working on the inside (uchi) footsweeps, including ouchigari and kouchigari, in preparation for green belt. Kouchigari is not really my tokuiwaza, Usher-san is much better at this one and catches me with it often in randori. Here are some of the things I keep in mind when I practice kouchigari.
- Get in synch with the other guy It is difficult to learn this thing and darn-near impossible to get it in randori unless you can get your feet moving in synch with the other guy's feet.
- Put a feeler under the elbow on the side you want to sweep. I use an open, cupped palm under uke's elbow. This feeler lets you know when this side of his body is dropping. It also slightly slows down the descent of his moving foot, helping you to skate his foot
- Step as close to your standing foot as you can with your moving foot - if you can replace your standing foot, that's even better. Make sure that the new standing foot is pointed the direction of your sweep.
- Step in behind uke's descending foot and stride forward to sweep instead of sweeping sideways. At the end, just before the foot lands, hook it back toward you a little.
- This throw often places you between uke's legs in the guard, so begin working your way toward the side position on the way down. Both players have to learn how to keep knees out of groins as they fall.
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