I was explaining to someone in class last night while practicing 'stomach throw' that the name was actually incorrect english slang - tomoe nage is of course 'circle' or 'whirl' throw. And it got me thinking....who began calling it stomach throw? I hear it everywhere, whenever the technique is referred to in english, from Judo, Ju Jutsu etc... Maybe one of the historically minded among us can throw an answer out? At the end of the day a name is just a name, but it's an interesting thought.
Possibly because the foot is placed just above the pelvis, at the stomach (Close to the centre of gravity) providing centrifugal force for the throw. Mind you, in some koryu jujutsu, it's a kick to the testicles with the throw. The name was possibly coined by one of our Anglo predecessors who attended the Kodokan thought it was a name for the throw that was easy to remember and worked. It might have also been the product of one of the many pre-war books on jujutsu/judo by Uyenishi, etc.
Interesting, thanks for the response. I can see why the term would be used - most other Judo style throws are named by the fulcrum used (O goshi, kata guruma etc) so it makes sense. It just struck me how wide spread the term is, given that it's not actually the name of the throw. With that said, coming from the early days of the Kodokan makes a lot of sense. Cheers
