T.G.I.F. - The Gari/Gake Is Friday! - Know the difference when attacking the f33tz!

Was perusing sherdog earlier and came across an arm drag to kouchigari takedown.
The technique is a lapel grip break to a  sleeve grip and finished in a kouchigake-style trip  with a double leg type grip on the leg.


The sleeve grip coupled with the kouchigake is actually a pretty structurally weak throw against a competent player. The change to a double leg style grip (hands/arms wrapping around the legs/knees) is a much better takedown. However, I'd be willing to bet against a wrestler or brown belt Judo player who competes, you'll get turned over to your back in the transition to changing from the sleeve grip to double leg style grip.

Moving on to the point of today's post:

The technique is labeled arm drag to kouchigari.
It's actually an arm drag to kouchigake.

Below is a true Kouchi Gake style takedown:


And Below is a TRUE Kouchi Gari style takedown:


You'll find even in Judo HL's on youtube and other compilations, the two are often grouped together as in the Below:


At any rate, it reminded me of something you often see in white and green belts in Judo with is the desire to wrap that leg/hook the leg and lay your whole body weight down in the hopes of getting a takedown.

The gari vs gake difference seems minute but they're two completely different techniques.
I often hear BJJ players make fun of the Japanese terminology, but then talk about "so and so's armbar" or "*insert famous BJJ player's name* triangle set-up".....what they don't understand is that throwing has just as many nuances as mat work. Given that a particular throw must change to work against each body type/frame/heigh/weight of player, again, there can be a massive difference between "gake" and "gari".

That being said, a large number of Judo players don't actually differentiate between them either. But they need to be taught separately. Often what happens in motion/movement, is what starts as a kouchi gari style sweep finishes in a gake style motion when uke resists the direction exerted on his foot by tori's attack.

A true gari requires much better sense of timing to sweep the uke's foot as he is in motion to put him down, when compared with a gake style attack and committing your body and weight for the driving force. 

Happy Trainingz!