Ko Uchi Gari To Uchi Mata (Israel Hernandez)

Israel Hernandez Uchi Mata

For those who might not have heard of him, Israel Hernandez is the real deal. He’s a 2x Olympic Judo medalist and this week is showing a slick judo set up that fakes a Ko Uchi Gari and goes into the Uchi Mata. So unless you’re an Olympic judo medalist yourself, there’s probably a thing or two you can learn from Israel Hernandez.

The Technique

The technique Hernandez shows is a very simple two step process from traditional Judo grips. First, he fakes going for a Ko Uchi Gari, which is essentially an inside foot sweep.

When Israel goes for the Ko Uchi Gari, the opponent defends it and spreads his base apart. This gives him the opening for the Uchi Mata throw.

The best thing about this setup is it’s simple and there’s only 2-3 steps to it. Fake Ko Uchi Gari to make the opponent step back and then the two steps to perform the Uchi Mata.

For more techniques like this, including more judo throws, check out our technique section and look for more techniques added weekly.