This overlooked Japanese detail can revolutionise foot sweeps

The book “The Origins & History of Judo” is now available on Amazon worldwide in English, French, and Japanese, not just the links below. You can search for it in the Amazon of your own country.

Amazon EU:
https://amzn.eu/d/bfEkJmQ

Amazon US:
https://a.co/d/dNyMInt

Amazon Asia:
https://amzn.asia/d/aRU8ZXn

French version:
https://amzn.eu/d/8SN3DNs

Thank you all.

People love suggesting ashi barai tandoku renshu at bus stop. Or while brewing morning coffee. Stepping the support foot open instead of straight is something I've forgot many times and caused a lot of knee/ankle pain to myself. Also now I realise what my partners have struggled with in de ashi – why they hook the leg and lift it very high. They haven't stepped wide so they run out of leverage. The way he does it makes the sweep start at the opponent's foot and continue all the way, instead of starting far and only contacting at midpoint of the swing. Also when you don't step so wide open, you either end up too close without ability to swing the leg without getting entangled, or you are left way too far without any power. I'll remember this the next time, to focus on stepping in open and wide and see where it leads.

The way I thought about the step in was almost like tap dancing act. It's not necessarily a big step, it might even be a step in place depending on the situation, but unlike in some sweeps where you go 1-2 during a step, you step support leg in while spreading the sweeping leg to the side. So it becomes like a tap dancing hop. Of course it's not the same as this variation where you hop deeper in as you're already catching the leg, but having that idea it's not difficult to adapt to this.

Extremely useful instructional.