Judo throw technique

In terms of your standard hip throw and shoulder throw, I've always been taught to throw from a fully aligned posture - as in feet parallel, hips and shoulders square. That also seems to be the case in most videos I've seen.

But then I stumbled across this video (and others in this channel) that talk about the "power leg" - generating power by pushing off the back leg. And in this video he throws from a twisted, almost coiled up position, and seems to generate power by "uncoiling". Is this more effective than throwing from a squared up posture?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs2vKMN4HpA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs2vKMN4HpA[/ame]

 

It's a common variant. Having both feet in line is the classical technique, but a lot of fighters find that other postures work better for them. Judo is ultimately about what works and there is an understanding that no technique is going to work the same for every person. My instructor teaches us lots of variations on throws and on entries and tells us to remember the ones that seem to click and discard the rest.

 

Hmm I think I might actually try planting that rear leg for more stability. Because I'm currently finding that having both feet parallel, especially with stronger/heavier opponents, I lose balance very easily - the opponent will either drag me off balance by resisting the throw, or I'll stumble forward when trying to put more force into the throw.

If this rear leg thing works, I don't know why it's not taught more often...especially for girls/smaller people.

 

That looks like a good way to get a knee injury.

Classically its a flat stance aligned to the uke's hips, my coach favours winding in more and using a staggered stance more like a spinters, but never twisted, knees (and ankles) always in line with the power direction.

 

If you look at the actual throw, everything is in line. Some of his uchikomi shows his forward foot not fully turned through, but I think he's just being sloppy.

They're all basically variants on a Koga Seoi though.

 

Well, seoi nage is a short person's throw - it's rare to see a taller person attempt one unless they are a seoi guru. My instructor teaches something very similar to this to make it easier for a tall person.

If you are losing your balance in seoinage, it's normally either because you are not sufficiently unbalancing your opponent, or because you are stepping in too close.

 

You quite right, the solo entry looked quite twisted, but the actual throw wasnt.

Ive never been a fan of heavy heels on the front foot during turning in, but loads of very good people do it!

 

Most of the hip throw or shoulder throw will require parallel feet. But since you don't control your opponent's legs, your opponent will have a lot of leg freedom. If you use one leg to control your opponent's outside leg, you can eliminate some of his leg freedom. In that clip, he didn't use his leg to control his opponent's outside leg. That modification add no additional value to his throw.

I also have concern with:

- He moved his right leg back before moving in. This will telegraph his forward intention. All beginners are taught that the moment you see your opponent moves his leg back, the moment that he is going to move that leg forward.
- He did not redirect his opponent's left arm before his throw. His opponent's left arm can wrap on his waist, spin with him, and drag him down. That waist wrapping arm can be a very power defense and counter for any throw that require body spinning.

 

Used to work OK for Koga.

 

You have 2 arms and your opponent also has 2 arms. You just can't assume that your opponent's "free arm" won't do something to you.

The only time that I'll make that "turn" is when I put my right arm under my opponent's left shoulder. When I lift his left shoulder up with my right arm, I don't have to worry about his left arm to wrap around my waist when I turn. If I use shoulder throw, I may redirect my opponent's left arm to be under his own right arm to keep his left arm away from my waist. This way when I turn, his left arm will be caught between his chest and my back.

I don't like my opponent's left free arm. He can apply too many counters on me if I don't try to disable it.

When you move your right leg back before you move in, if your opponent pulls you downward (a quick shaking), it can interrupt your movement and be harder for you to move your right leg forward after that

 

So...decades of judo competitions and tens of thousands of match winning throws aren't enough to convince you that ippon seoinage is an efficient technique?

If you do the throw properly, uke is flying through the air before he even realises you've turned in on him.

What am I looking for in that video - I love me a Koga class as much as any judoka, but other than his awesomeness, what should I pay attention to?

 

Please give a single reason that by:

- telegraphing your forward intention,
- allowing your opponent to have a free left arm,

will be a good thing.

 

You don't telegraph and your opponent's free arm doesn't mean a thing when he's flat on his back. Ippon Seoinage is one of the most used competition throws in judo. Nothing you say here is going to change the fact that it is devastatingly effective.

Here you go - 12 minutes of an opponent with a free arm being able to do precisely nothing with it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJQeVvR3e_Y"]SEOI-NAGE - THE MASTERCLASS THROW - YouTube[/ame]

It's a throw that makes me wish I was shorter so I could actually use it.

 

This is exactly what I was going to say.

Any throw, given that the opponent knows it's coming, can be disrupted. You've got to be fast. And that's when I struggle with balance. When I don't have time to set it up properly, stabilize myself and find my balance. If I can't pull it off in a split second, I've lost it. I know it just comes with practice, but I've just been looking up any tips and tricks that might help. I think I like this idea of having a rear foot. I'll try it next time.

 

Looks (to my judo-newb eyes) like the vast majority of the competitors in your vid solve that problem by going to their knees. Is that correct?

 

Drop seoi is popular in competitions because if it goes wrong you can just turtle up. It's still hard for tall fighters because if your opponent doesn't go flying over your shoulder as you drop, you need to drive through your legs again to complete the throw, which is hell on the knees of tall fighters.

 

I think that frownland was asking if the drop was popular because it allowed you to get beneath a shorter opponent.

Incidentally, do you think the free arm would cause you more trouble if you tried to remain standing after performing the throw? I vaguely recall that you need to stay on your feet to get points in shuai jiao, which would obviously affect YKWs perspective.

 

Well spotted, I'll edit my post.

I actually think the free arm helps you more in a drop seoi because you can post it and try to spin out of the throw. That's a lot harder (and more dangerous) to do from a standing seoi (flashy example in the video below at 10 sec) Countering a standing seoi is easier though, but not necessarily because of the free arm.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO4oiDDrQ7A"]Judo turnouts - YouTube[/ame]

 

Ive found doing grip exercises, squats, deadlifts, bodyweight pikes and finding partners lighter then me a great way to scaffold my ability in forward hip throws.

 

You opponent's left free arm can do this to you. No matter how strong that your body strength may be, your neck is not that strong.