Yoko-gake (side hook) is a side sacrifice throw from the fifth group of the gokyo. Tori tilts uke onto the outer edge of his foot, then sweeps that foot with the sole of his own foot while dropping onto his side. Uke goes horizontal and lands on his side.
Think of it as de-ashi-barai with a fall
That image comes up a lot in class. Tori's foot does the same job as in de-ashi-barai: it sweeps one of uke's feet at the moment it carries almost no weight. The difference is that tori follows the sweep with his whole body by falling. The energy of the fall adds to the sweep.
This link explains why yoko-gake is filed with the side sacrifices of nage-waza, while de-ashi-barai is a pure foot technique. The Kodokan gokyo places it in the fifth group.
The off-balance yoko-gake needs
Uke must be tilted toward his right side, with his weight on the outer edge of his right foot. His body leans slightly forward and to the right, like a plank about to fall onto its edge.
To get there, the hikite pulls the right sleeve forward and slightly down. The tsurite pushes his left shoulder to increase the tilt. Uke stiffens and ends up in an unstable stance.
In the nage-no-kata, tori creates this position by drawing uke over three steps. In randori, you find it when uke freezes to resist a sideways pull.
How to do yoko-gake (right side)
Once uke is tilted, bring your right foot close to his right foot. Then your left foot sweeps his right foot, sole against the outside of his ankle, in the direction his toes point.
At the same instant, drop onto your left side. Your hands pull uke toward the mat, to your left. He falls on his right side, almost parallel to you.
Sweep and fall are a single action. Sweep first and then fall, and uke has time to put his foot back down.
Most common mistakes
- Sweeping with the inside of the foot or the toes. You end up reaping instead of sweeping, and uke resists.
- Falling before uke is tilted. He is not on the edge of his foot, so he stays standing.
- Falling too far from uke. Your hands lose all leverage.
- Letting go of the sleeve as you hit the mat. Uke catches himself with one hand.
Yoko-gake vs other foot sweeps
| Technique | What tori does | Target |
|---|---|---|
| De-ashi-barai | Stays standing, sweeps | The advancing foot |
| Okuri-ashi-barai | Stays standing, sweeps both feet | Both feet, sideways |
| Yoko-gake | Falls onto his side | The foot loaded on its outer edge |
| Yoko-otoshi | Falls, leg as a barrier | No sweep |
Who should use it in randori
Yoko-gake is more of a knowledge technique than a competition one. It needs a very stiff, tilted uke. That happens mostly with judoka who resist by locking up their whole body, and against them it can catch people off guard.
It suits light, fast judoka who already sweep well. If your de-ashi-barai is reliable, yoko-gake gives you a variation once uke has learned to watch your foot.
Against an opponent in opposite stance the side tilt is harder to create, because his forward shoulder is on the other side. It is rarely attempted in that setup.
How to practice yoko-gake
Start with the sweep alone, standing, like a slow de-ashi-barai on a tilted uke. Then practice side breakfalls on their own, with your straight leg sweeping thin air. Finally, put both together on a thick mat.
For a grading or a kata demonstration, set up uke's position carefully before you move your foot. Examiners look at the off-balance first. A yoko-gake started from an upright uke is obvious right away, however impressive the fall looks.