Ouchi Gari question

[Kenny Chance]

Im new into BJJ and have previously taken an Akido/Judo/Jujitsu mixed class. I took it only long enough to learn a few throws, sweeps and techniques..(forgive the spelling) Ouchi Gari, Osoto Gari, Ogoshi, Tatoshi, Epan and a few others.

My first BJJ class we did a takedown exercise and I was able to take quite a few people down using sweeps and some hip throws as almost everyone shot for my legs when I got in range.

My main question is when using Ouchi Gari (or Osoto Gari for that matter) does anyone have any good advice for getting inside them? Id grab them by the lapel and under the sleeve as I was taught but they would go into a wrestling stance, leaned forward, legs back with their butt in the air and even when I yanked them in close to pull them off balance they kept their legs back, making it hard to reap the leg without coming off balance myself.

[The_Judo_Jibboo]

Im new into BJJ and have previously taken an Akido/Judo/Jujitsu mixed class. I took it only long enough to learn a few throws, sweeps and techniques..(forgive the spelling) Ouchi Gari, Osoto Gari, Ogoshi, Tatoshi, Epan and a few others.

My first BJJ class we did a takedown exercise and I was able to take quite a few people down using sweeps and some hip throws as almost everyone shot for my legs when I got in range.

My main question is when using Ouchi Gari (or Osoto Gari for that matter) does anyone have any good advice for getting inside them? Id grab them by the lapel and under the sleeve as I was taught but they would go into a wrestling stance, leaned forward, legs back with their butt in the air and even when I yanked them in close to pull them off balance they kept their legs back, making it hard to reap the leg without coming off balance myself.

well the simple answer is; don't try an ouchi or osoto when they're in that position. and it's not that something is wrong with your technique, when your opponent is in that position it makes it hard to enter into most backward throws. if you have them bent over like that there are so many other options, why go out of your way for the ouchi?
however, if you particularly like ouchi and osoto (and i can see why you would since you're continuing into ground fighting) you can drive them backward to get them out of that stance. keep pressure on the upper body to get their momentum working against them, you can even attack/feint with every step by switching from ouchi to kouchi and back.
and you said you "yanked" them toward you. you're working against yourself here. you want to throw them backward, so don't pull them forward then try to reverse all that energy in the other direction. it's true you pull their arm to yourself, but you simultaneously push the other direction on the lapel, so you're twisting them more than yanking them. for the ouchi (and osoto) you have to come to them.
far from comprehensive but i hope it's a helpful start.

[Hardball]

Try a circular Kuzushi instead of the straight forward kuzushi you described.

[Kenny Chance]

well the simple answer is; don't try an ouchi or osoto when they're in that position. and it's not that something is wrong with your technique, when your opponent is in that position it makes it hard to enter into most backward throws. if you have them bent over like that there are so many other options, why go out of your way for the ouchi?
however, if you particularly like ouchi and osoto (and i can see why you would since you're continuing into ground fighting) you can drive them backward to get them out of that stance. keep pressure on the upper body to get their momentum working against them, you can even attack/feint with every step by switching from ouchi to kouchi and back.
and you said you "yanked" them toward you. you're working against yourself here. you want to throw them backward, so don't pull them forward then try to reverse all that energy in the other direction. it's true you pull their arm to yourself, but you simultaneously push the other direction on the lapel, so you're twisting them more than yanking them. for the ouchi (and osoto) you have to come to them.
far from comprehensive but i hope it's a helpful start.

well the main reason i usually go for ouchi is out of the small amount i do know, it seems to be the most effective but i can definetly see what you mean now, especially about not pulling them towards me and then driving them back again. definetly a helpful start from both of you, thank you very much!

[Juicefree]

I'm a big fan of all of the leg sweeps, they all complement each other so well that you can nearly always manage one even if another fails.

Like most technique's however the trick is managing them on a none co-operative opponent.

Wait for them to try something, or offer something to draw them out of their defensive posture.