Inside Trip

Last updated: June 1, 2026

What is an inside trip takedown?

The inside trip is a close-range takedown that attacks the inside of an opponent’s leg. From a clinch or tie-up, the attacker steps in, slides one leg between the opponent’s legs, and hooks behind the knee or calf of the leg they want to take. As the hooking leg sweeps that base out, the hands pull and push the opponent’s upper body in the opposite direction, so the opponent collapses backwards with nothing left to stand on.

It belongs to a family of judo foot techniques called ashi-waza. Judo formalised it as ouchi gari, one of the original 40 throws compiled by judo’s founder Kano Jigoro, and it still sits in the Kodokan’s core throwing syllabus today. Wrestlers and BJJ players adopted the same mechanic and simply call it an inside trip, an inside leg trip, or an inner reap.

Why it matters for an MMA fan: the inside trip is one of the most common ways a fight hits the canvas from the clinch without a big level change or an exposed shot. When two fighters are chest to chest fighting for underhooks and a takedown appears almost out of nowhere, an inside trip is often what just happened.

How the inside trip works

The defining feature is the angle of attack. The trip comes from between the opponent’s legs, not around the outside, which is what separates it from most other trips and reaps. Because the attacking leg lives on the inside line, the opponent cannot simply step their foot away the way they can defend an outside attack.

The technique relies on off-balancing more than on muscle. The hands break the opponent’s posture toward their back corner first, so their weight settles onto the leg about to be reaped. Only then does the inside leg do its job, hooking and clearing the post while the upper body keeps driving. Done well, it looks almost lazy, a small hop of the feet, and the opponent folds. Judo scores it as a foot technique for exactly this reason: the leg supplies the trip, but balance disruption supplies the throw.

It works in the gi and in no-gi, and the same principles carry into MMA. The grips change, an overhook, an underhook, a collar tie, or a two-on-one can all set it up, but the inside hook and the backward off-balance stay the same.

Inside trip vs outside trip

The two get mixed up constantly because both are tripping takedowns that send the opponent backwards. The difference is which side of the leg the attacker reaps.

Inside trip (ouchi gari)	Outside trip (osoto gari)
Reaps the inside of the opponent’s leg	Reaps the outside of the opponent’s leg
Steps between the opponent’s legs	Steps outside, to the opponent’s flank
Diagonal fall toward the back corner	Straight backward fall
Subtle, often used in combination	Powerful, single committed reap

Coaches often teach the two together because they cover opposite reactions. Fake an inside trip, and the opponent steps their leg out to escape it, which can walk them straight into an outside trip, and the reverse works too. That call-and-response is why you rarely see one without the other in a well-rounded clinch game.

Inside trip, ouchi gari, and related reaps

Judo’s naming system makes the relationships clear once the words are broken down. “O” means major or large, “ko” means minor, “uchi” means inner, “soto” means outer, and “gari” means reap. So the inside trip family lines up neatly against its cousins.

Term	Meaning	What it is
Ouchi gari	Major inner reap	The standard inside trip
Kouchi gari	Minor inner reap	A smaller inside trip to the near foot or ankle
Osoto gari	Major outer reap	The outside trip
Ouchi gaeshi	Inner reap counter	The throw used to counter an incoming ouchi gari

The counter is worth knowing as a viewer. When a fighter feels the inside hook coming, ouchi gaeshi is the classic answer: pull the trapped leg back, turn the hips, and use the attacker’s own forward pressure to throw them instead. A failed inside trip can flip the positions in an instant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the inside trip the same as ouchi gari?

Yes. Ouchi gari is the judo name for the major inner reap, and “inside trip” is the wrestling and BJJ name for the same movement. Minor technical and grip differences exist between styles, but the core action is identical.

Is the inside trip legal in wrestling?

In freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, trips are generally allowed as long as the attacker brings the opponent down under control. Trips that drive an opponent down dangerously can be penalised, which is why coaches stress controlled execution.

Does the inside trip work in no-gi and MMA?

Yes. It does not depend on gi grips. In no-gi and MMA, fighters set it up from underhooks, overhooks, collar ties, or body locks, making it a reliable clinch takedown when shooting is risky.

What is the counter to an inside trip?

The classic counter is ouchi gaeshi, the inner reap counter, where the defender withdraws the attacked leg and turns the attacker’s momentum into a throw of their own.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “O uchi gari.” Accessed June 2026.
2. Wikipedia. “Ouchi gaeshi.” Accessed June 2026.
3. The Judo Way of Life. “Osoto Gari vs Ouchi Gari.” Accessed June 2026.
4. BJJ Spot. “Ouchi Gari / Inside Trip Takedown: How to Set Up and Finish.” Accessed June 2026.
5. LowKick MMA. “Osoto Gari: Judo Technique.” Accessed June 2026.

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