How to do the Tomoe Nage Judo throw

The Tomoe Nage is one of the most popular throws in Judo and is used to throw the opponent over your head. The Tomoe Nage is one of the original 40 Judo throws developed by master Kano so it has a long history. Perhaps part of its popularity is that the throw is also used in the hit video game series ‘Street Fighter’. Here, one of the main characters ‘Ryu’ uses the Tomoe Nage to throw his opponents and hurt them. In English, it literally translates to ‘circle throw’ – as the image of the opponent going over the head looks similar to a circle. The benefit of using the Tomoe Nage is that you can score an Ippon by putting the opponent on their back.

However, it can even be used to get to the mount position or similar pins if needed. Often, this is done by completing a backward roll after the opponent has landed on their back. Effectively, you are following their movement at this point to gain a dominant position. It is also popularly used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as it mimics a guard pull, so it can be used to trick the opponent into a false sense of security and act as a passive move, whilst it is really far from being passive. Below, we shall provide a comprehensive guide on how to use the Tomoe Nage from start to finish.

How to set up the Tomoe Nage

The Tomoe Nage begins by establishing your Judo grips. This means one hand gripping firmly on the collar, with the opposite hand gripping the opposite elbow. With these grips created, you should move back and forward for two reasons. The first is to keep your opponent guessing and unaware of your intentions. At this point, you could literally be trying to start any kind of Judo throw. The second reason is that you will eventually have to use the correct footwork to enter the throw. To begin with, the footwork is very important. Remember, the principle of Kuzushi is important to get the opponent moving and to remove their balance.

This begins by stepping your resting leg back. Specifically, this leg should be the leg that is on the same side as your elbow grip. In other words, it is your leg that is parallel with the collar grip that will be used to lift and throw the opponent. Once you have the resting leg posted behind you, you should then bring your lead leg onto the hip of the opponent. Remember, this should be on the same side as your collar grip, unless you are doing a variation. To make this land correctly, you will have to get closer to the opponent to begin with, as you don’t want to be desperately reaching for their hip with your foot. As ever in Judo, distance management is crucial. With your foot on the hip, you are now ready to begin finishing the Tomoe Nage throw.

Finishing the Tomoe Nage

At this point, your resting leg should also step forward. It is important to do this with speed and power which will help elevate the opponent and send them off of their feet. This means planting your rest leg in between the legs of your opponent and using the floor to base. Effectively, your foot should be acting as a springboard when connecting on the floor and you should be kicking off the sole of your foot. This should help elevate the opponent off the ground and transfer their weight onto your other foot that is posted on their hip.

Physically, whilst setting up the Tomoe Nage, you should be sitting with your backside on the floor. This should start by having your one foot on the ground, and the other on the hip. Of course, you should hang out in this seated position as the slower you are, the more time your opponent will have to react.

At this point, you should be balancing the opponent on your one foot and then kick this foot over your head. It is important to try and straighten your leg which helps dictate the movement of the opponent and carry their weight easier. The alternative is having a bent leg which will typically struggle to carry the weight as your leg is less mechanically sound by being crooked.

Once you have lifted them over your head, you should rock your legs back which will ideally land the opponent onto the floor. In a perfect world, you should score an Ippon by doing this. However, sometimes you will not use perfect form. Commonly, people often throw the opponent to the side, rather than behind them. Although this is not ideal, as long as you keep your grips and come up on top, you will still be awarded point, or you can even try and move into a Kesa Gatame from here. The point is that even if the throw is sloppy, you can still get advantageous positions from it.

Using the Tomoe Nage in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Although primarily a Judo technique, we have previously mentioned that BJJ practitioners also enjoy using the Tomoe Nage. The reason for this is that it plays into the rules of competitive BJJ. In Judo, if the Tomoe Nage fails from early on, you may get pinned as a result. It is not ideal to just sit down whilst grabbing the opponent if you are too slow to throw them. However, in BJJ this is perfectly acceptable. In fact, this is a strategy used by many BJJ players. They will often use these grips as an entry into playing the open guard. Similarly, some BJJ players will genuinely attempt a Tomoe Nage throw, knowing they have an insurance policy of playing guard if it goes wrong.

By connecting their limbs with the opponent and sitting, the match begins and no one scores any points with this. The result is that in sports Jiu Jitsu, it can be seen as a safe way to pull guard without getting thrown. Obviously, this mentality is very different compared to Judo. Further, in a self defense situation, it is not ideal to fake a Tomoe Nage to pull guard. Nonetheless, for those who use it to throw in BJJ, it can be completed with a backward roll into the mount position. Other than taking the back, the mount is seen as the best position in BJJ and you would score 6 points for it. From there, you could also start to attack submissions and look to dominate the opponent.

Problems with the Tomoe Nage

As mentioned previously, the Tomoe Nage can fail when done too slow. With this said, you should only attempt the Tomoe Nage with assertiveness and aggression. However, sometimes you may mis-time the Tomoe Nage and fail to elevate the opponent. If this is done in a Judo setting, it can be very bad. Usually, the reasons for lack of elevation are due to not closing the distance to begin with. If you are too far away and barely connect with the hip, then you cannot expect to get good elevation. Generally, the closer the better as it aids in lifting the opponent. Another issue with elevation is not using your rest leg enough. You can’t expect to get a good lift without kicking off the floor, this means you shouldn’t lazily rest your foot on the floor either without purpose.

Another issue with the Tomoe Nage is one that takes place in the earlier stages. This is when you aim to get your foot on the hip. As this is done on the side of the collar grip, the opponent can sometimes block the leg by holding the foot. If done badly, this can even count as a throw or trip against you as the opponent grabs your leg until you hit the floor. As a result, you have to be quick with your foot and avoid being obvious. This is where distraction and feints come in to play to avoid showing your real intentions.

Lastly, another issue is not balancing your opponent on your heel correctly. Too often, people will jump in and only use part of their foot to connect with the hip. Imagine trying to balance the opponent’s body weight with only 30% of the sole of your foot, instead of 100%. As a result, people can slip off and escape the throw. As briefly mentioned, you may still score a sloppy Tomoe Nage by throwing them to the side. However, in harsh cases, the opponent may completely fall off the sole and return to their feet. If this happens whilst you are seated, then you are in trouble.

Regardless, the Tomoe Nage is like all Judo throws. It isn’t perfect in terms of having faults, but generally speaking, it can become a very effective throw. To get it working fully, you will need to practice and drill as much as possible. The result is that you will have learned a core throw that is especially good against aggressive opponents that decide to lunge forward. In short, you would be foolish to ignore the Tomoe Nage which is arguably one of the most diverse throws in Judo and grappling as a whole.