In Judo, height matters. If your opponent towers over you, that advantage is not something to make little of. You’ll need to work harder to throw your tall and lanky opponent than if you were up against one who stares back at you at the same level or maybe someone who has to tilt their head back just so as to meet your gaze.
The top 5 throws in Judo for shorter players are
- Morote -Gari
- Uchi Mata
- Te Waza
- Tomoe Nage
- Seoi Nage
Recent changes to the Judo rules have wiped away the advantage that short people used to have over a taller rival. Gone are the days when you could just grab them by the legs and force them to the ground. Now being short and stocky means you have to find other ways to take the opponent off their feet and change the course of the game. This article lists the top 5 throws you can use against a taller rival on the mat.
Morote-Gari
When the rules of Judo that favored short players allowing them to topple down a lankier opponent with leg grabs were abolished in 2013, those players less fortunate in the height department had to look elsewhere for a technique or throw to even the field and cut those tall players down to size. The first throw that springs to mind, so to speak, is the Morote-Gari.
It literally translates into double leg takedown. As a shorter player, your center of gravity is low which can work in your favor with this throw. So how do you use it to your advantage? First, you need to charge like a bull at your rival. Bend down below their center of balance and as you rise, you carry them then drop them on their back. Simple and effective.
Easier said than done, right? Not really. You need to pick your moment effectively. You both have to be facing each other. There needs to be enough space that separates you both that allows you to gather momentum in your charge. Your movement has to be swift and leaves the opponent no room to counter it. A slow approach alerts your rival to your intentions and they can brace themselves or simply ward off your attack.
A strong and firm arms and shoulders are key to executing this throw efficiently. Remember, at some point, you’ll be carrying the weight of the opponent then call on all your strength to throw them down. Not an easy feat if you don’t have muscular legs and healthy knees to support both your weights.
Uchi Mata
The Uchi Mata is a tricking maneuver. You’re not trying to take your opponent off their feet with the sheer weight of your body or strength as you would with the Morote-Gari. Here you’re tricking the rival into losing their balance because they can’t stop their momentum. Let’s explore that interesting technique.
The idea here is to stand still and wait for the rival to make the first move. Even after they’ve made their intentions clear and they’re coming at you like a frothing bull, you still hold firm and stand your ground. Now when they’re close enough you take action.
Jump on one leg with your foot facing your opponent. Now slide your free leg between the opponent’s legs and open your legs as wide apart as you can. The opponent is defenseless and has nowhere to go now. He’s completely under your mercy. Now pull them forward on your leg and roll them up to make a neat throw. As you can see it’s not the easiest of techniques and you’ll need to practice it a lot to get it just right.
A lot of things could go wrong so a variation on this technique that makes sure the rival is totally unaware when you start your execution is to employ it when the rival is already on the defensive. It works best when their body is already lunged forward and they need a few seconds to get their balance back. That’s your opportunity to launch your Uchi Mata and take the game to the ground.
Te-Waza
Rather than being a throw, the Te-Waza is a bunch of techniques all grouped under one name. In fact, there are about 15 of them and each one is just as good as the next. Rather than push the article beyond its limits, I’ll just list the most important techniques here with a concise description of what each technique implies.
- Uchi Mata Sukashi (Inner Thigh Throw Slip): Similar to the Uchi Mata throw above but you would use this one to fend off your opponent when they’re engaged in an Uchi Mata offensive. The goal is to step out of the way and when the opponent misses you throw them forward.
- Sumi Otoshi (Corner Drop): As a hand technique, this is one of the original throws that were created by Jigoro Kano. It involves grabbing the opponent by the lapels, slipping a leg behind their legs and pushing them forward. A real classic.
- Seoi Otoshi (Shoulder Drop): Another classic that involves grabbing the opponent’s arm with your back to them and pulling them forward as you bend over to take them off their feet and land them on their back.
- Sukui Nage (Scoop Throw): A hand technique that takes down the opponent using a double leg motion that leaves them flustering on the ground.
- Kata Gurama (Shoulder Wheel): A rather complex technique that sweeps the opponent off their feet, slides them off your shoulders, and throws them off. Requires strength and stamina.
- Kuchiki Taoshi (Dead Tree Drop): A single leg takedown where you wrap your leg around that of the opponent and ensconce your forearm in their neck area with a powerful shove to push them to the ground.
- Kibisu Gaeshi (Heel Reverse): The idea behind this technique is to hold their lapel, push them forcefully as you reach for their leg. It has to be done smoothly and in one swift and fluid movement.
- Obi Otoshi (Belt Drop): As the name implies, you’re using the gi belt to take the opponent off balance. It’s less straightforward than other throwing techniques and needs to be done at the right moment for maximum effect.
- Uki Otoshi (Floating Drop): Grab the opponent by the top of their gi, as they move toward you, drop down to one knee and slide your leg toward their foot on the ground to take them down.
- Tai Otoshi (Body Drop): Here you’re spreading your legs wide and with your back to your opponent, grab them by the lapels using your thigh to take them off balance.
As you can see, you’re using your hands in every technique to initiate or finish off the technique. Some of these techniques are as old as Judo itself. And if they have one thing in common, it’s how irrelevant the opponent’s advantage in height becomes when they’re no longer on their feet.
Tomoe-Nage
When your bulky opponent is flaunting their size in front of you and literally blocks off the light, it’s time to use the Tomoe-Nage to bring them down to your level of thinking. It involves planting your leg firmly behind the opponent’s and as you hold a firm grip on their gi, you drop your own weight on your heel.
Now fall to your back grabbing the opponent’s body toward you. Put your foot in their stomach pulling them over you. As they fly haplessly over your head, keep your firm grip as you guide them to the other side of your body.
Seoi-Nage
Speed is the name of the game in Seoi-Nage. This is what sets it apart from other throwing techniques that require you use plenty of power against a taller and heftier opponent. So how do you go about executing the Seoi-Nage drop?
You start with the sleeves of your rival’s gi. Get a firm hold of their gi and keep a tight grip. You’re both standing legs apart facing each other. Swivel on your feet to get your hips below your opponent. You need to do this right, else you would end up on the ground, not your opponent.
Point your knee to the ground as you pull the rival by their sleeves. When you feel the moment is right, act fast. Bend forward as quickly as you can with a forceful tug at the opponent’s sleeves dragging them over your hips. This forces the rival off their feet and sails them across your side and down to the ground.
For maximum effect, don’t let go of the opponent. When they land on the floor drop on them with your back on their chest. You’re now in control and have a great advantage.