Sutemi-waza
捨て身技
Judo throws in which the attacker deliberately falls and pulls the opponent down along. The Kodokan divides them into throws falling on the back (5) and on the side (16).
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Sutemi-waza (捨て身技) means “body-sacrifice techniques”: sutemi is throwing oneself away, waza is technique. The attacker gives up a stable position, falls onto the tatami and pulls the opponent down or over with the fall. The Kodokan divides sutemi-waza into two groups. Ma-sutemi-waza, with the attacker falling on the back, has five techniques: tomoe-nage, sumi-gaeshi, hikikomi-gaeshi, tawara-gaeshi and ura-nage. Yoko-sutemi-waza, with the attacker falling on the side, has sixteen techniques, for example yoko-otoshi, tani-otoshi, uki-waza, yoko-guruma and the makikomi group, in which the attacker “wraps” with the opponent into the fall. Yoko-sutemi-waza also includes both throws forbidden in competition: kani-basami and kawazu-gake.
In practice
Sutemi-waza carries risk: when the throw fails, the attacker lies on the back or on the side and the opponent can move into ground fighting. That is why sutemi-waza is often linked with follow-up ground fighting (ne-waza). Kani-basami and kawazu-gake are forbidden in competition.