Let's be honest: going against a same sided opponent can overall be a real pain in the butt. Never is this more true than when getting the sleeve left vs. right side. That means if you are a righty and you're going against a lefty opponent, gaining access to their sleeve can seem like an impossible task. If your opponent is a little bit better than you are, this can be especially true! Superior opponents are not impossible to beat. You must come at them with everything you have. Brains and brawn need to combine in order to culminate in victory. Knowledge of every scenario, especially how to gain the sleeve, will put you in an advantageous position.
Judo players have run into this problem time and again. You get control inside and want to throw. And you could! If only it weren't for the frustration of not being able to get to the sleeve of your opponent. Sometimes if the grip is gained, it doesn't feel strong enough to finish the throw. Getting the sleeve left vs. right sided opponents can be a real head-scratcher. It doesn't have to be!
Travis Stevens goes over the technique in this video, it can help you and save you from years of frustration. Since the leg grab has been removed from judo, the use of this technique to get the sleeve will help you be able to fully commit to the throw.
When you fully commit here, you get a strong pull and off balance of your opponent.
All of which will ultimately lead to a higher likelihood of executing the throw, scoring points, and becoming a champion.
Key Details To Getting The Sleeve:
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Make sure your post starts on the bottom. It is possible to execute from the top, but overall much more dangerous. If you start from the bottom, you set up a good foundation for the rest of this technique.
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Speed Kills. If you're not familiar with this saying, get familiar! Using speed here will be far and away superior to any other method. Strength won't save you, speed will. The speed will get you the reaction you want out of your opponent and set up the grip (and eventual throw) nicely.
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Trap the elbow. If you grab the end of the sleeve, that can be helpful, but the odds of you finishing well decrease significantly. If you focus on overshooting the elbow, you will have a higher percentage of ending up at the end of the sleeve. Ultimately you want to trap the elbow, so do that, nothing else.
A Final Thought
When caught going up against a talented same sided opponent, the technique in this video can save you. Getting the sleeve left vs. right handed opponents (thus, same sided) can be really frustrating if you don't know where to start. Luckily, this video exists, and it can really help you gain an advantage! An advantage can be the true game changer. Paired with some proper training and lifting to elevate your speed and power, it is a match made in heaven.
Execute the details. Drill over and over. Executing your training and this technique at full speed means you're on a really good track. Lastly, a good training partner will only help you get better. Find a great same-sided training partner for this technique and hit the mats!
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