Nage-no-Kata

Quick Facts

About the kata

Nage-no-Kata (投の形), literally forms of throwing, was put together by Jigoro Kano to show the principles of throwing. It is practised by a pair: tori performs the throws, uke receives them. The fifteen techniques are divided into three each across five groups – te-waza (hand techniques), koshi-waza (hip techniques), ashi-waza (leg techniques), ma-sutemi-waza (rear sacrifice throws) and yoko-sutemi-waza (side sacrifice throws). Tori shows each technique to the right and to the left. In the order given by the IJF criteria, they are Uki Otoshi, Seoi Nage and Kata Guruma; Uki Goshi, Harai Goshi and Tsurikomi Goshi; Okuri Ashi Harai, Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi and Uchi Mata; Tomoe Nage, Ura Nage and Sumi Gaeshi; Yoko Gake, Yoko Guruma and Uki Waza. With Katame-no-Kata, per the English Wikipedia, it forms the pair of randori-no-kata, forms of free practice. The USJF describes it as a demonstration of nage-waza, used both for training and for showing understanding, and lists it among the requirements for 1st dan; judopourtous.com places it at the 2nd dan exam.

Creator and history

We have not been able to determine exactly when Kano put the kata together. Judoinfo.com states that it originated at the Kodokan in 1884 and 1885. The English Wikipedia places the origin of both randori-no-kata within five years of the Kodokan's founding, between 1882 and 1887; according to it, Nage-no-Kata originally had ten techniques and grew to fifteen around 1906, naming Kata Guruma and Uki Otoshi among the added throws. Judopourtous.com gives a different sequence: the first version from 1882–1885 had ten techniques whose content has been lost. In the 1895 version, according to it, Kata Guruma replaced a throw it records as Sukemi Nage, Sumi Gaeshi replaced Tsuri Otoshi, and Yoko Gake replaced Tani Otoshi; the kata took its present form in 1906.

In competition

Nage-no-Kata is judged by the International Judo Federation IJF at kata competitions. Under its judging criteria from January 2024, the left and right sides of each technique receive one shared score. A forgotten technique scores zero, and the pair's total score is additionally divided by two. The criteria also describe the starting distances: for some techniques tori and uke stand three steps apart, about 1.8 m, and uke attacks with a strike to the crown of tori's head; for Sumi Gaeshi and Uki Waza they start one step apart in the jigotai stance with a grip.

Competition status

• Judo IJF (International Judo Federation) – Judo — Official kata list ↗

In grading syllabi

• IJF system (dan grades): 1st dan
• ČSJu system (kyu student grades): 2nd kyu – blue belt
• ČSJu system (kyu student grades): 1st kyu – brown belt