How To Do The Yoko Wakare – Side Separation Sacrifice Throw
The Yoko Wakare is a sacrifice throw in which you will pull and control the sleeve of the opponent whilst thowing them to the floor. The yoko wakare translates as “side separation” in English, which means you are attacking the side of the opponent rather than the front and at the same time creating some distance between yourself and the uke.
Yoko wakare is also one of the original 40 judo throws created by the now immortalised founder of judo Kano Jigoro.
It should also be noted that yoko wakare is not a throw you can do at 50% speed or be uncertain about. You must fully commit to the entire movement, otherwise you will not get the full takedown and will finish in the bottom position.
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Entry To Yoko Wakare
The yoko wakare has a number of variations and entries, however, they are almost all entered in a similar way. First you must grab your opponents lapel fairly low. We are taught to grip high and always crush our opponents grips downards to make them weaker. However, with this throw you want to grip underneath your opponents arm and push their gi in to their armpit area.
The next step is to control the elbow of the opponent with the opposite side hand. So in effect, you will be reaching across your own body and having control of both your opponents inner elbow as well as having a shallow overhook on this sam gripping arm. You are set up for a 2v1 situation on a single arm of your opponent.
Throw Mechanics
The fundamental point behind the yoko wakare is that you must FULLY control at least the front arm of your opponent. This is the arm which is going to hit the ground first. The arm must be removed so that it is the body that hits the ground first and ideally an ippon is scored.
When the grips of the yoko wakare are secure you must drop your leading foot outside both of your opponents feet. This is not a throw where you want to remain parallel to your opponent. Instead you want to create an angle and drop to the outside. When your side hits the floor, your head should be in the middle of the opponents legs, with your face looking through them.
As you perform the throw, you want to turn your head, neck and body in unison 180 degrees to the opposite side. The force of your own weight dropping to the mat, in addition with the momentum of your spin will bring the opponent over the top of your body. As the arm of the opponent is full under your control, they will not have this hand to base on. Therefore they will be pulled in to the ground.
Ideally you would like to pull thethe opponent flat on to their back, however, it is good practice to immediately stand up and start attacking an armbar from this position as you won’t always score an ippon.
No-Gi Variation
There is a no-gi variation of the yoko wakare, however it comes at a greater risk. This is because you do not have a sleeve grip. Although you can make life difficult for your opponent to free their elbow, without a grip they will eventually do so.
Similar to the intial set up, the difference can often involve an outside grip on your opponents bicep. Whilst an inside collar tie is usually considered a dominant grip (which it is). For the yoko wakare, it is better to have an outside grip on the bicep and combine this with a cross grip cupping your opponents elbow. If you have a standard collar tie, it is a better overall grip, but not at all suitable for any kind of suicide throw.
Limitations & Flaws
There is always a risk with a judo sacrifice throw. Sacrifice means that you have to put yourself in a bad position in order to get what you want. However, judo is not that simple and sometimes you will both put yourself in a bad position, as well as not get what you want.
The yoko wakare is no different as you can quite literally ippon yourself from this position, or at the very least waza-ari yourself by giving your opponent a sloppy takedown.
If you are training BJJ or MMA, there are almost always other better options to go for than a sacrifice throw which is difficult to pull off in no gi. Not only this, but if you fail a yoko wakare, you will find yourself on the bottom of side mount. This is one of the worst positions to be in any kind of grappling match, especially BJJ or MMA with strikes.
