Seoi–Kouchi Combination Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Throw Behind the Throw: Seoi Nage Into Ko-Uchi Gari." Print it. The article explains why the step that defends ippon seoi nage (one-arm shoulder throw) loads the leg that ko-uchi gari…
| Art | Kodokan Judo |
|---|---|
| Family | Kodokan Judo |
| Level | intermediate |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | throws, gripping, training-plans, safety |
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Throw Behind the Throw: Seoi Nage Into Ko-Uchi Gari." Print it. The article explains why the step that defends ippon seoi nage (one-arm shoulder throw) loads the leg that ko-uchi gari (minor inner reap) takes. This book builds that one renraku-waza (combination technique) chain: a fully committed seoi entry, the read of uke's (the person receiving the technique) answer, the switch that keeps the grips alive, and the reap at the landing, plus the no-step contingency and the o-uchi gari (major inner reap) third option.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Grade: ______________ Start date: ______________ Lead side (circle): Left / Right Current week (Part 11): ______________
How this book is used: work the parts in order in the first cycle. The cards build on each other, the reaction cards assume the mechanics cards are passed, and the free-practice formats in Part 13 assume every reaction card has been passed singly. Bring the book to the mat, fill the logs in pencil during the session rather than from memory afterward, and let the pass standards, not the calendar, decide when you move on. In a second cycle you may enter at the part your review in Part 27 names, but the safety block and the read check are re-run at the start of every cycle without exception.
BEFORE ANYTHING: PARTNER SAFETY AND AGREEMENTS ☐ Ukemi (breakfalling) is checked before any throw progression in this book, for both partners, at the landings the chain actually produces. A pair that has not passed the check trains the cards at entry speed only, with no completed throws. This gate is pass/fail and is never waived for seniority. ☐ All throwing runs at agreed speed and agreed intensity, stated out loud before each drill. Either partner can lower the speed or stop the drill with one word, and the drill obeys instantly. ☐ Stop on any pain, dizziness, or loss of control, from either partner, with no argument and no finishing the set first. Log what happened in the session log. ☐ No technique in this book is finished by force against a partner who is defending correctly at drill speed. A rep that needs force to land is a failed rep, and it is logged as one. ☐ Seoi nage landings are checked for the receiving partner before any card in this book is run with completed throws: uke lands clear of tori's (the person executing the technique) knees and shoulder line, every time, at drill speed first. ☐ The reap in this chain lands uke from close range and at an angle. Ko-uchi gari is never driven through a partner whose landing side has not been checked in that session. ☐ Drop-seoi variants are not drilled in this book. The entry here is a standing ippon seoi nage; knees stay off the mat on every entry card.
Part 1: The Chain at a Glance
One chain, two throws, one read between them. If a rep does not show both throws and the read, it was two techniques, not a combination.
| Throw | Job in this chain | Body action | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ippon seoi nage (one-arm shoulder throw) | Score if it can; force the step if it cannot | Full turn-in, back to chest, hips below uke's, sleeve pulled across and kept pulling | Uke must answer it: step, block, or be thrown |
| The read | Name uke's answer while it happens | Grips stay alive, head up, weight stays over your own feet | Step, block, light step, or pull-back identified before you move |
| Ko-uchi gari (minor inner reap) | Take the leg the step loaded | Sleeve pull drags weight onto the landing leg; reaping foot takes it from inside as it plants | Uke goes down on the landing side, at the landing moment |
| O-uchi gari (major inner reap) | The no-step answer | From the turned-in position, drive through the far leg when uke blocks with the hips | Used only on the hip block; never chased after a step |
Chain law: the defense picks the second throw. A heavy step gets ko-uchi. A hip block gets o-uchi or a reset. A pull-back gets neither: re-grip and start again.
Seoi–Kouchi Combination Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Throw Behind the Throw: Seoi Nage Into Ko-Uchi Gari." Print it. The article explains why the step that defends ippon seoi nage (one-arm shoulder throw) loads the leg that ko-uchi gari (minor inner reap) takes. This book builds that one renraku-waza (combination technique) chain: a fully committed seoi entry, the read of uke's (the person receiving the technique) answer, the switch that keeps the grips alive, and the reap at the landing, plus the no-step contingency and the o-uchi gari (major inner reap) third option.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Chain at a Glance
- Part 2: How a Rep Counts
- Part 3: The Four Answers: Reading Uke
- Part 4: Entry Cards: A Seoi Nage That Must Be Answered
- Part 5: Switch Cards: Keeping the Chain Alive
- Part 6: Reaction Cards: One Answer at a Time
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: The Throw Behind the Throw: Seoi Nage Into Ko-Uchi Gari — the full article, free in full.