Koshi-nage (Hip Throw)
腰投げ
The one aikido throw that actually carries the attacker. The defender gets under his centre of gravity and throws him over his own hips.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Common mistakes: hips too high, turning the throw into a lift, twisting the back instead of setting the legs under, and throwing before the partner can fall safely.
💡 Key Tip
Drop below his centre of gravity before you start throwing. Whoever tries to lift is throwing with the back — it neither works nor lasts.
About
Koshi-nage, the hip throw, differs from the other aikido throws in its very principle. Where irimi-nage, shiho-nage or kokyu-nage use the attacker's momentum and his lost balance, koshi-nage actually carries him: the defender sets his hips under the attacker's centre of gravity, drops below its level and tips him over his own hip. Aikido here reaches for a solution more at home in judo, which is why koshi-nage is sometimes cited as evidence of the shared origin of both arts in jujutsu. Height decides everything: if the defender does not get his hips under the attacker's centre of gravity, the technique turns into lifting and does not work. For the partner koshi-nage is one of the hardest falls in aikido, because it falls from a height and over a fixed point, so it is introduced only after rolling breakfalls are secure. It is practised from most of the standard attacks, including grabs from behind.