Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Nage-waza, the throwing techniques, are the heart of judo (‘ju-do’, the gentle way, originally built around throws). They are classified by the main body part or method used: te-waza (hand/arm techniques), koshi-waza (hip techniques), ashi-waza (foot/leg techniques) and sutemi-waza (sacrifice throws, where the thrower falls to execute the technique). Famous throws include seoi-nage, o-soto-gari, uchi-mata and harai-goshi. A clean nage-waza that puts the opponent on their back scores ippon. Drilling throws through uchi-komi (repetition training) is the core method by which judoka develop their nage-waza.
- The throwing techniques of judo
- Te (hand), koshi (hip), ashi (leg), sutemi (sacrifice)
- A clean throw scores ippon
- Developed through uchi-komi repetition
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Nage-waza (throwing techniques) form one of judo's two foundational technique categories alongside katame-waza (grappling/ground techniques) — mastering a small number of throws deeply, rather than learning many superficially, is the traditional judo teaching approach, since competition success usually comes from a reliable, well-drilled 'tokui-waza' (favourite technique) rather than broad but shallow technical knowledge.
FAQ
What does nage-waza mean in judo?
Throwing techniques — the category of judo technique focused on taking an opponent from standing to the ground with control, as opposed to ground-based grappling (katame-waza).
What is a tokui-waza?
A judoka's go-to 'favourite technique' — the specific throw or combination they've drilled extensively and rely on most in competition, reflecting judo's emphasis on depth over breadth of technique.