How To Set Up & Finish The Ura Nage

The ura nage is also known as a “rear throw” when translated to English. The most common appearance of the ura nage is when one practitioner fails a throw of their own. This will almost always be a throw in which the back is turned such as an Uchi-mata or a Seoi-Nage.

In a non-competitive gym setting, the ura nage is viewed as a controversial throw because of the danger it can put the uke in. During randori it’s commonly accepted amongst friends and sparring partners that you will simply lift the person off the ground and then put them back down. This is because due to the somewhat uncontrolled weight of the opponent, it can lead to head spiking and concussions due to the impact.

The ura nage is not a dropping throw, it is a pure lifting throw, which is why you must always be mindful of your partner’s safety.

Entries To The Ura Nage

Failed Throws

The most common entry to an ura nage is simply given to you. Unlike most judo throws, the ura nage is often used as a pure counter when the opponent is not deep enough with their hips.

Ura nage works best when your opponent is attempting one of judo’s hip throws, specifically with one arm reaching over your back. When the opponent steps in, you are simply able to keep your starting grips (1 sleeve, 1 lapel) and throw your opponent backward.

It should be noted that the ura nage is not always possible. If your opponent is too deep and already has you off balance, you should not be attempting an ura nage, you should instead be attempting to defend the throw.

Other Entries

Another fairly common entry is when the opponent is too aggressive with their top hand grip. Judo is mostly a sport of balance and posture, this is often forgotten when people can see a throw become available. This entry takes full advantage of that.

When your opponent makes a big move forward for a top grip that they probably shouldn’t have gone for, this leaves them off balance and lop-sided. You are able to move into this space and duck underneath them. This will put you in a perfect position for an ura nage since you’ve ducked down and already beat their hip line. The person with the lower hips will always be the one who can attempt a throw from this position.

Georgian Grip

The ura nage can also be entered when your opponent has a strong Georgian grip. The setup is very similar to a standard ura nage, although it will be slightly harder to get to the back of your opponent. However, if you are able to pull your opponent’s tricep and underhook deeply around their lower back. There will be a brief moment where you are able to throw them over your shoulder to the exposed side of their body.

Mechanics Of The Ura Nage

Whether it be a failed throw or ducking under an off balance high grip. Ideally, you want to be fully parallel with your opponent and behind their hips. If you are off to one side, you put yourself at risk for throws such as an uchi mata. By being directly behind your opponent, you do not take this risk, they can only throw you if your weight is distributed more to one single side than another.

The ura nage is a battle of hips, like almost every judo throw, your hips MUST be lower than the opponent. This is because most of the power in a lifting technique comes from your legs. If the uke is heavier than you, it will be almost impossible to throw them purely with your upper body and is also bad technique. Remember – the ura nage is a LIFTING throw, not a DROPPING throw.

Once your opponent is securely gripped and your own hips are lower than theirs. You will be in a very good position to attempt the throw. You must perform a small squat and throw the opponent over to the side where they have the high grip. One rule you will not want to break is to NOT throw your opponent over your head. This requires much more explosive power, is more strenuous, and is also more unsafe. Throwing your opponent over your head has a lot of uncontrolled weight and can result in them being spiked on the ground.

Defending The Ura Nage

Due to the danger you can find yourself in, it is imperative to know the correct defense for the ura nage. Yes, most training partners will not spike you on your head. However, all gyms tend to have one or two guys who take things a little too far sometimes. It’s best you spend a couple of hours learning how to defend, as well as how to attack. This will save you getting thrown occasionally, but more importantly, will significantly lower your risk of injury if you are ever in an ura nage position.

The highest percentage defense against an ura nage is to get an inside leg reap. As your opponent is lifting you off the ground you should be able to grapevine their far leg on the inside. This leg is the power leg of the opponent and the one which is being used to lift you. By distributing more of your weight in to this leg, you will not save yourself from being thrown. But you will buy yourself precious time to escape the throw and get out of the position.

Once you have stopped the throw, the idea is to face your opponent and look them in the eyes. If you can see your opponent’s face, then they will not be able to perform an ura nage. To do this you ideally want your top grip to slide down into a strong overhook and bring your own head underneath your opponent’s chin. This is quite a brutal and nasty wrestling technique, but if you don’t want to get thrown, it is something you must do.