Nagewaza

Nage-waza, or nagewaza, refers to the throwing techniques in judo. It encompasses the methods by which a practitioner (tori) projects an opponent (uke) throw-wise to the mat, using balance, body mechanics, and timing. Nage-waza is one of the fundamental branches of judo, alongside grappling and pins, and forms a core part of both kata and randori.

Nage-waza is traditionally divided into four subcategories: te-waza (hand techniques), ashi-waza (foot techniques), koshi-waza (hip techniques), and sutemi-waza (sacrifice throws). Te-waza rely on actions with the hands and arms, ashi-waza use leg and foot action to sweep or reap, koshi-waza employ the hips to throw, and sutemi-waza involve tori dropping to the ground to execute the throw, often sacrificing balance or position. Some classifications treat sutemi-waza as a subset within nage-waza, with further divisions into omote (front) and ura (rear) variants.

The execution of nage-waza generally follows a progression of kuzushi (unbalancing the opponent), tsukuri (positioning the body and fitting into the throw), and kake (the execution to complete the throw). Effective nage-waza depends on proper grips, posture, timing, and an awareness of uke’s balance and defenses, as well as safe ukemi (breakfall) practice to minimize injury.

Historically, nage-waza was developed from ancient jujutsu principles and was organized by Jigoro Kano in the Kodokan system. It remains central to competitive judo, instructional curricula, and formal demonstrations of technique, with thousands of variations and combinations used to adapt to different body types and fighting styles.