How to do the Soto Makikomi Judo throw

The Soto Makikomi is also known as the ‘outer wrap around throw’ as it involves wrapping your arm across the arm of the opponent. With this in place, you can then begin to throw your opponent onto the floor. It is one of the original throws created by master Kano and is fairly unique in its style.

This is because the throw relies on using both of your arms to control the arm of the opponent. With this said, it can be considered a two vs one grip which isolates the arm. Because of its unusual nature, the Soto Makikomi should be considered an advanced move that may not be suitable for beginners. Having said this, like all things in life with the right amount of practice, you will eventually overcome the technical difficulties.

Visually, the Soto Makikomi looks cross between a hip throw and finishes with a reap or Uchi Mata back-kick. However, in traditional Judo terms it belongs to the Yonkyo group.

Setting up the Soto Makikomi

The Soto Makikomi begins by establishing your typical Judo grips which means one hand on the collar and the other on the opposite elbow. The next part of the throw involves stepping into your opponent and pivoting at the same time. So, you may twist and turn away from the opponent to create an attacking angle. This pivot has similar footwork as if going for an inside reap, however you stop once you turn your back on the opponent. Once you are facing away from the opponent, you can then begin to finish the throw.

Perhaps the hardest part of the initial entry is closing the distance and then turning in. In many ways, it has a lot of similarities with floating hip throws. With this in mind, if you are good at hip tosses, then you may find the Soto Makikomi naturally easy to set up. It is perhaps the second part of the throw where people sometimes struggle.

Finishing the Soto Makikomi

Although the opening has similarities to a hip throw, the ending is quite different. This involves trapping the arm that you are holding the elbow on. In other words, you will need to switch grips as soon as you are underneath the opponent. Once there, you should instantly let go of their collar and punch around to their other arm. Imagine you begin by gripping the right elbow or tricep with your one arm.

You then want to trap this same arm with your free arm that was previously gripping the lapel. The main point of this is for two reasons. Firstly, by covering the opponent’s arm with your far arm, they will find it hard to post and defend. Ideally, you should put the opponent’s arm under your armpit and it should be at least above their elbow.

For obvious reasons, if the arm is covered then they will struggle to use it. The second reason is that you should also use the momentum to enhance the throw. In other words, as you punch around, the force of this movement should help bring the person’s arm closer to the floor. The closer their hand reaches to the floor, the closer their body. If you can get them as close as possible, then they should eventually hit the floor.

Away from the gripping elements, the Soto Makikomi actually isn’t as much of a hip throw. Instead, it combines your hips with a trip from your leg. In other words, you want to drag the opponent’s arm over your body and use your leg to trip their leg on the way down. For instance, with most hip throws you will typically ‘bump’ your hips up a little to add power to the throw.

This isn’t needed with the Soto Makikomi as you are relying on them falling over your leg as they land. By removing their foot from the floor, you will have successfully removed all bases on the one side. To do this you can kick up like an Uchi Mata, or simply use your foot as an outside reap. This means the opponent will literally have no defense to counter the attack at this point. The result is a possible Ippon or pin, depending on how clean the throw actually is.

Problems with the Soto Makikomi

The main issue with the Soto Makikomi is your vulnerability when facing away from the opponent. Specifically, this is when you go to switch grips from the lapel to the arm-trap. During this transition, you will literally be holding the opponent with your elbow grip as you have to let go of the other, collar grip. Although this can be done in split seconds, it is still a moment that can cause trouble. For instance, if done too slow, then the opponent may realize the Soto Makikomi is near and defend it. They may quickly drop their body weight back and retreat, leaving you in a vulnerable position.

Similarly, you may accidentally get your hand caught in the opponent’s gi as you go to trap the arm. Once more, this would stop the throw and allow the opponent to attack. Remember, if ever you give your back and fail to throw, you are susceptible to getting choked or hit with a counter Tani Otoshi. This is something to be mindful of when hunting the Soto Makikomi. Of course, if your timing is good then these problems should not be an issue. As stated earlier, this move takes time to master and isn’t particularly easy. Because of this, you should expect to fail earlier on when using this throw in training.

Because of these problems, it could be argued that more conventional hip throws are a wiser choice to pursue. Instead of worrying about switching the grip, you could opt for an O Goshi or Uki Goshi which would be a safer option. Having said this, the Soto Makikomi works perfectly against aggressive opponents and is an ideal counter attack, whereas the previously mentioned hip throws are more proactive in nature. In brief, if the opponent lunges forward then they may be vulnerable to the Soto Makikomi, of course this is situational.

Concepts that make the Soto Makikomi easier to understand

Here are some basic concepts that will make the Soto Makikomi more simplistic. Firstly, you want to step forward and pivot. Imagine spinning to face the direction that your opponent is looking. Secondly, you want to trap the opponent’s arm with your own, shoving it under your armpit. Lastly, you want to throw them over your shoulder whilst tripping them onto the floor. As a brief, step-by-step guide you should: step and pivot, switch from the lapel grip to covering the arm, then throw the opponent over the side of their trapped arm. Although the throw is not as simple in reality, this is a basic way of doing it.