Inner reap

Inner reap is the general English translation for the inner-reap family of foot-sweeps — most commonly the Japanese kouchi gari — in which the attacker reaps the opponent’s heel or supporting foot from the inside line.

Etymology. The term renders uchi (“inner”) + gari (“reap”) into English without the prefix that distinguishes major (o) and minor (ko) variants. “Inner reap” appears in regional English-language judo and wrestling translation material where the unqualified label is used when the specific variant (kouchi gari / ouchi gari) is clear from context or where the writer wants to refer to the inner-reap family generally rather than a specific named throw.

Mechanics. The sweep destabilises the opponent’s standing base by removing the foot from beneath their weight at the moment of transfer — the reaping leg sweeps the foot from the inside line while the upper-body grip commits the opponent’s weight in the direction of the missing support.

Cross-reference. Kouchi gari is the specific Japanese name most commonly translated as “inner reap.” Full mechanical coverage on Kouchi Gari.