How To Perform Osoto Makikomi – The Major Outer Wraparound

The osoto makikomi is a kodokan judo throw that is grouped in the “newly accepted techniques” category. The throw itself is classified as a nage-waza and also sub-classified as a side sacrifice technique. This is because you have to throw yourself onto the floor in order to finish the technique.

In general, makikomi techniques are some of the riskiest throws in judo. This is due to the name “wraparound”. You essentially have to fully commit to distributing all of your weight to a single side of your opponent’s body. In doing so you will often have to turn almost a full 180 degrees and completely expose your back. When things go well, you will finish the match with ippon. However, when your opponent pre-empts your throw, you will often find yourself being thrown into the air by techniques such as tani otoshi.

Osoto makikomi and other makikomi variations are particularly dangerous for newaza if you do not score ippon. This is because a lot of side sacrifice techniques do not offer a “plan B” or any kind of recovery if they go wrong.

The Difference Between Soto Makikomi & Osoto Makikomi

To our western eyes, soto makikomi and osoto makikomi may be confused as the same throw when written down on paper. However, they are very different, perhaps even ko uchi makikomi is more similar to osoto makikomi than soto makikomi.

Osoto makikomi is a major outer reap wraparound sacrifice throw. Once the leg reap and arm of the opponent are fully secured, you must move your entire bodyweight over to this trapped side.

Soto makikomi is completely isolating the arm of the opponent and then moving into a hip throw. The soto makikomi has more in common with harai goshi than it does with an Osoto makikomi.

Entry To Osoto Makikomi

The most common entry to osoto makikomi is facing your opponent with a standard collar and sleeve grip. It is highly likely that your opponent replicates and mirrors these grips.

When you are facing the opponent, it is important that you are not directly parallel to them. Your feet should not be in-line with the feet of your opponent. Instead, you should be stood outside the opponent’s stance and more towards your sleeve grip. This allows you to enter the throw and get a solid reap on the outside of the leg, rather than having to sidestep and then reap. This will save you crucial time to enter the throw which otherwise would allow your opponent to defend.

As soon as you have a deep reap outside of the opponent’s leg, you must now wrap your free hand (which was controlling the opponent’s posture/collar) over to the other side of their head. Now your entire body weight should be on a single side of the opponent’s body. This will allow you to throw the opponent a lot more easily and successfully.

It is critical to control the opponent’s arm and sleeve at all times. If they are able to free their arm for any reason, there is no point in entering or attempting osoto makikomi. You must regain full control of the position before re-attempting this throw.

Throw Mechanics

The mechanics of an osoto makikomi are relatively simple. First of all, you must make sure that your opponent is off balance. This is achieved by snapping the opponent forwards with both grips. Your aim is not to pull them forwards, but simply snap them a little. This will make the opponent over-adjust and move backward.

From this position, you can enter your osoto makikomi position and force your fist (collar grip) to make the opponent move backward. The opponent will probably backstep to try and adjust their weight and stop themselves from falling.

As the opponent is trying to back step, you should completely let go of your collar grip and bring it to the same side as your sleeve grip. This full control of the opponent’s arm plus your entire bodyweight wrapped around their leg will cause them to fall (not directly) backward. The osoto makikomi will often result in ippon since it is a side sacrifice technique and will not always work. However, when it does work there is a lot of weight and energy moving towards the back of the opponent, so much that they will have a very hard time defending ippon.

Osoto Makikomi In Other Grappling Sports (Not Judo)

The osoto makikomi is almost non-existent in other grappling sports due to the rulesets. Whilst osoto makikomi isn’t hugely popular in judo, for the reason that there are other throws with similar setups. It is almost never seen in other sports. This is because when judo ends at ippon, other grappling sports are just beginning. Sacrifice throws are not too popular in other forms of grappling compared to judo, once again, this is due to the fact that you can put yourself in a very bad position in other rulesets due to ippon not being scored as an ending.

If you were to complete a osoto makikomi in either sambo or BJJ, you would find yourself in a lot of trouble. In theory, you could put your inside arm back over the opponent’s body and get them in a kesa gatame pin, but this is from a scramble. Equally as likely would be the opponent sliding their legs underneath your body and attempting to lock you in a back triangle or back mount. From here it would not be too difficult for the opponent to strangle you despite being taken down.

It is for this reason that other takedowns are preferred in other grappling sports. A takedown should be a technique that either wins you the match or puts you in a dominant position. Without the rules of judo, osoto makikomi does not achieve either of these things.