Judo techniques
Judo sorts its techniques the Kodokan way. Nage-waza, the throws, split into hand throws (te-waza), hip throws (koshi-waza), foot throws (ashi-waza) and sacrifice throws (sutemi-waza). Katame-waza, the groundwork, is pins (osaekomi-waza), armlocks (kansetsu-waza) and strangles (shime-waza). Kuzushi, breaking the balance, runs through all of it. 39 techniques below.
Te-waza (hand throws)
5
Seoi-nage is judo's shoulder throw. You turn your back into your partner, tuck an arm under theirs, load them onto your back and tip them forward…
1985–2000
Tai-otoshi is judo's body drop. You turn away from your partner, stretch one leg across the front of their foot as a barrier, and pull them forward…
Kata-guruma is judo's shoulder wheel. You get under your partner, load their upper body across your shoulders and roll them over like a wheel. The…
Morote-gari is judo's double-leg takedown. You drop your level, step between your partner's feet, wrap both arms around their legs above the knees…
Kuchiki-taoshi is judo's single-leg takedown, sometimes translated 'dead tree drop'. You step outside your partner's leg, grab it with one hand…
1984–1992
Koshi-waza (hip throws)
7
Harai-goshi is judo's sweeping hip throw. You pull your partner onto their toes, turn in with your hip against theirs and sweep your straight leg…
O-goshi is judo's major hip throw. You turn in with your hips lower than your partner's, wrap an arm around their back, load them onto your hips…
Sode-tsurikomi-goshi is a hip throw from sleeve grips. You stretch one of your partner's arms up and forward by the sleeve, turn in under it and…
Uki-goshi is the floating hip throw. You reach an arm round your partner's waist, turn in with a shallow hip and twist them around it, without…
Tsurikomi-goshi is the lift-pull hip throw. You drop your hips to the level of your partner's thighs, then rise again while your lapel-side arm…
Hane-goshi is the spring hip throw. You pull your partner tight against your side, then spring your leg and hip up from underneath their body so…
Koshi-guruma is the hip wheel. You turn in with your arm round your partner's neck or holding their collar, push your hip out and pull them over it…
Ashi-waza (foot throws)
10
Uchi-mata is judo's inner thigh throw. You open your partner's feet, break their balance forward, turn in and swing your leg up between theirs,…
Osoto-gari is the 'major outer reap'. You break your partner's balance back onto one heel, step deep beside that leg and reap it away from behind…
Ouchi-gari is the 'major inner reap'. You step in chest to chest, hook your leg around the inside of one of your partner's legs and sweep it out…
Kouchi-gari is the 'minor inner reap'. You catch your partner's heel from the inside with the sole of your foot and flick it forward just as their…
1996–2014Kosoto-gari is the 'minor outer reap'. You drive your partner's weight back onto one heel, then sweep that heel away with the sole of your foot…
Kosoto-gake is the 'minor outer hook'. You drive your partner's weight back onto one leg, hook that ankle or calf from the outside with your own…
De-ashi-barai is the 'advancing foot sweep'. You wait for your partner to take a step, then sweep that foot along its path at the instant their…
Okuri-ashi-barai is the 'sliding foot sweep'. You herd your partner sideways until their feet come together, then sweep both feet in the direction…
Sasae-tsurikomi-ashi is the 'supporting-foot lift-pull throw'. You pull your partner forward in a circle, block the leg they are stepping onto with…
Harai-tsurikomi-ashi is the 'lift-pull foot sweep'. You lift and pull your partner forward onto their toes, then sweep their front ankle backward…
Sutemi-waza (sacrifice throws)
4Ura-nage is judo's back throw. You wrap both arms round your partner from the side, lift them off the mat and fall backward, throwing them in a…
Tomoe-nage is the circle throw. You drop onto your back right in front of your partner, put a foot on their lower belly, and push them up and over…
Sumi-gaeshi is the corner throw. You drop onto your back between your partner's feet, hook the inside of their thigh with the top of your foot and…
Tani-otoshi is the valley drop. You slide one leg behind your partner's leg or legs, fall to your side, and pull them backward over their heel so…
Osaekomi-waza (pins)
4The mount is the top position where you sit astride your partner's torso with a knee on each side. In judo it becomes tate-shiho-gatame when you…
Side control pins your partner flat on their back from the side. You lie across them chest to chest, one arm under their neck and the other…
Kesa-gatame is judo's classic side pin. You sit beside your partner's chest, trap their near arm, wrap your other arm around their head and press…
Kami-shiho-gatame pins your partner from above their head. You lie chest to chest with your knees wide, slide your arms under their shoulders, grip…
Kansetsu-waza (armlocks)
2
The armbar traps your partner's arm between your thighs, holds their wrist against your chest and lifts your hips so the elbow is forced straight,…
The kimura is a figure-four lock on the shoulder and elbow. You hold your partner's wrist, thread your other arm behind their upper arm, grip your…
Shime-waza (strangles)
4
The rear naked choke is a strangle applied from behind. One arm wraps the neck with the crook of the elbow under the chin, that hand grips your…
The triangle choke traps your partner's head and one of their arms inside a triangle made by your legs. One of your thighs and their own shoulder…
The cross collar choke uses your partner's own jacket. You feed both hands deep into their collar with your forearms crossed, then pull your elbows…
Okuri-eri-jime is judo's sliding collar strangle. It is applied from behind and uses your partner's own jacket: one hand reaches deep into the far…
Principles
3Kuzushi is breaking your partner's balance so they cannot resist your throw. In judo it is the first of three parts of every throw: kuzushi (break…
Ukemi is the art of falling safely. Judo teaches four breakfalls (rear, side, forward and the forward roll) that spread the impact over your arm,…
Kumikata is the way you take hold of your partner's jacket. In judo most attacks start here: the grip helps you control your partner and, under the…
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