Uki-otoshi

Tori lifts Uke to his right front corner, breaks his balance, and firmly pulls him forward and down with both hands to throw him. This section covers similar techniques.

Tori and Uke face each other in basic natural posture. Uke steps forward with the right foot to begin grappling with Tori in right natural posture. Tori uses this opportunity, and takes a step backward with the left foot in the tsugi-ashi (moving with one foot leading, the other following) form while drawing Uke, in a right natural posture, and begins to break his balance forward. Uke responds by trying to maintain his balance and takes a step forward with the right foot in the tsugi-ashi form.

Again, Tori takes a step backward with the left foot in the tsugi-ashi form while drawing Uke and begins to break his balance forward. Uke responds again by trying to maintain his balance and takes a step forward with the right foot in the tsugi-ashi form.

Tori pulls Uke forward again, and at the moment Uke, in response to being pulled, takes a step forward with the right foot, Tori breaks his balance forward, quickly takes a large step backward with the left foot, while dropping the left knee roughly to the left of and just behind the right foot (the angle of the left lower leg from the line running from the rear of the right foot should be from 30 to 45 degrees). In one stroke, Tori throws Uke by firmly pulling him forward with both hands.

Uke is thrown forward in a large circle around the fulcrum of the tip of the right foot.

In the Nage no Kata, tori takes two steps backward (in steps comparably larger than uke’s), while opening the distance between them and lifts him to the right front corner to break his balance. At the moment uke’s balance is completely broken (on the third step), tori lowers his body, drops to one knee, and pulls uke down to throw him. Aside from drawing uke on the third step, the other main principle is to step back with slightly larger steps than uke, and open the distance between them to break his balance in the front corner.

Master Kano, in Kodokan Judo Kogi, described the kuzushi (breaking balance) thus: ‘In right natural posture, grip your opponent’s collar and sleeve while withdrawing between 18 and 24 centimeters. He must respond by moving 18 to 24 centimeters forward to maintain natural posture. At that point, you withdraw again and he follows. While he moves, you will be able to gauge the length of his step, so that when you withdraw next time, you intentionally withdraw much further than before, and, taking him by surprise, he will more often than not be lifted and pulled forward by his sleeve and collar. At this moment, pull him towards you, and he will be thrown. This is how one must understand uki-otoshi.’

Thus, the basis of this technique is the execution of kuzushi, and the purpose of Nage no Kata is to master these principles. At the moment uke’s balance is broken, tori must pull down with both hands synchronizing this action with the force generated from dropping to the left knee and lowering the body. He must pull down sharply with both hands by projecting energy from the left hip, not by twisting around.