Old School Concepts With Garry St. Leger
Get ready to break some rules!
In 2008 the International Olympic Committee banned leg grabbing techniques in Judo. On that day the rules started to change and shift what the cool kids call the “meta” of Judo. When you hear the word meta just know it’s referring to a collection of techniques most commonly used at the highest levels of competition.
However, some rapscallions are still out there using leg grabs effectively and efficiently to bring their opponent to the ground. One such person is Garry St. Leger. Leger, 3x National champion in the U.S., recently released Old School Judo. This instructional throws the rulebook to the side and focuses on the highly effective leg grabbing techniques that were banned by the IOC.
Let’s take a look at how Garry counters the Osoto Gari, with a big time takedown that your opponent will be hard pressed to forget.
One of the major reasons leg grabbing techniques were banned was due to their effectiveness. Changing the rules has had some benefits, such as more of an emphasis on big time throws and foot sweeps, but many athletes out there miss the leg grabbing days. In this technique demo Garry exploits a weak Osoto attempt.
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At first Garry shows how an effective Osoto looks like. His technique accomplishes several things that make the Osoto Gari possible. First he loads his partners leg on his support leg. He does this by using his grips and foot position to force his partner to lean heavy on this support leg. Once his partner’s weight is in the right place he is able to execute the throw. Knowing how to successfully use the Osoto Gari can help you defend it.
To successfully counter the Osoto avoiding some of the pitfalls listed above can help. If you find your partner shifting to the outside of your feet you can start to anticipate the Osoto. Garry starts to ruin his partner’s attempt by using his lapel grip to push into his partner as they start to close the distance. This causes his partner to be more upright, making him vulnerable to be countered. Looking for this incorrect posture is a great way to understand when the counter is available.
To cause this upright posture think about making your opponent reach with their attacking leg. If they have to struggle to reach past your hip, there is a good chance that their posture will be very upright. This is going to take some practice but overtime you can develop ways to read your opponent and react in a way that opens the counter!
Once his opponent is completely out of position Garry is ready to break some rules! He starts by keeping his lapel grip that caused extra distance to be created during the Osoto attempt and uses his other hand to secure the attacking leg. Now that he has his opponent gripped up with the appropriate grips he can use his hips to generate some lift.
If you try to lift from a fixed position they are going to feel much heavier then they would if you were able to get your hips underneath their base. Once your opponent’s weight comes off the ground sweeping out the support leg is going to be a breeze. When first practicing this technique be aware that this could be a BIG TIME slam if you do it right. So be mindful of your training partner and ease them down to the mat.
Old School Judo by Garry St. Leger is dedicated to highly effective and efficient techniques that focus on results instead of ruleset. If you are looking for flat out effective techniques Garry has you covered. Perfect for the Judo guy getting into BJJ where leg grabs are legal. Kick it Old School with Garry St. Leger!