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Reap the Knee (Ouchi) Entry

Leg LockEntry/positionBelt: blue+Risk: moderateADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The Reap the Knee (Ouchi) Entry is a dynamic transition from single leg X guard to inside sankaku, using a knee-reaping motion to off-balance and entangle the opponent’s far leg. This entry is crucial for modern leg lock attacks, especially in no-gi and ADCC rulesets, as it bypasses common leg pummeling defenses.

Start
Single leg X / seated
End
Inside sankaku
Prerequisites: Single leg X guard retention · Inside foot pummeling · Hip elevation from guard · Basic ashi-garami entry

Steps

  1. 1
    Establish single leg X guard
    From seated, secure your inside leg deep around opponent’s near leg thigh, foot hooking their far hip, with your outside foot posted on their knee and your hands controlling their ankle and knee.
  2. 2
    Control opponent’s posture
    Use a C-grip on their far ankle and pull their knee line over your center, keeping your head close to their shin to prevent them from turning their knee out.
  3. 3
    Initiate the reap
    Release your outside foot from their knee and swing it across their far thigh, aiming to place your hamstring tight against the outside of their knee while your toes point down, initiating a strong knee-reap angle.
  4. 4
    Elevate hips and off-balance
    Bridge your hips up and slightly towards their far side, using your inside leg to lift their near leg while your reaping leg pulls their far knee inward, forcing their weight onto their reaped leg.
  5. 5
    Thread your reaping leg deep
    Thread your reaping leg’s foot under their far thigh, aiming to hook your heel behind their far hamstring, keeping your knee above their knee line and your toes flexed for control.
  6. 6
    Lock the inside sankaku triangle
    Bring your initial inside leg over your reaping foot and triangle your legs tightly, pinching your knees and flexing your feet to trap both of their legs and control their hip rotation.
  7. 7
    Angle your upper body
    Rotate your upper body towards the opponent’s far hip, posting your elbow or hand if needed, to create a perpendicular angle and maximize the bite of your inside sankaku.
  8. 8
    Secure finishing grips
    Establish a double wrist grip or scoop grip on their far ankle to prevent them from turning out, keeping your head low and chest heavy over their knee line.

Key details most people miss

  • The reap must be initiated with your hamstring, not your foot, to avoid slipping and to maximize knee isolation.
  • Bridging your hips before threading the reaping leg increases their off-balance and exposes the knee line.
  • Triangling your legs above their knee line is critical—if your triangle slips below, they can easily escape.
  • Rotating your upper body towards their far hip prevents them from rolling out and strengthens your leg entanglement.

Common mistakes

  • If you reap with your foot instead of your hamstring, your opponent can pummel their leg out and recover posture.
  • Failing to bridge hips before threading the reaping leg allows the opponent to keep their weight back and defend the entry.
  • Triangling your legs below their knee line results in a weak inside sankaku and easy knee extraction.
  • Not controlling their far ankle lets them rotate and slip their knee free, breaking your entanglement.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent backsteps hard to clear the reap
You do: Follow their backstep by switching to cross ashi-garami, using your inside leg to hook behind their far knee and invert if needed.
They try: Opponent posts their far hand and widens base
You do: Use your C-grip on their ankle to pull their foot off the mat while elevating your hips, breaking their base before reaping.
They try: Opponent tries to pummel their foot inside your reaping leg
You do: Clamp your reaping hamstring tight and flare your knee outward to block their pummel, then immediately triangle for inside sankaku.
They try: Opponent sits to their butt to disengage
You do: Follow them up by posting on their knee and transitioning to top position or attacking the exposed heel.

Drill prescription

6 rounds × 2 min; partner provides 50% resistance by attempting to pummel or backstep; goal: 5 clean entries to fully locked inside sankaku per round, with no knee line escapes.

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
John Danaher — Emphasizes the hamstring-driven reap and hip elevation to maximize knee exposure and inside sankaku control.Gordon Ryan — Focuses on upper body angle changes and double wrist control to prevent opponent’s knee extraction during the entry.Craig Jones — Utilizes aggressive hip bridging and rapid leg threading for high-percentage inside sankaku entries in no-gi competition.Lachlan Giles — Prioritizes precise knee line management and reaping angle to ensure consistent entanglement against larger opponents.
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