Yoko otoshi (横落) is a judo side sacrifice throw: you break your partner's balance to their right and drop onto your side, sliding a leg past their foot. It is one of the 40 throws of the Gokyo no Waza.
- Japanese name: yoko otoshi, 横落.
- Kodokan classification: yoko-sutemi-waza, a side sacrifice technique.
- Gokyo no Waza: Sankyo, the third group.
What does yoko otoshi mean?
Yoko Otoshi (横落) is classified by the Kodokan as yoko-sutemi-waza, a side sacrifice technique. On the judoinfo.com list of Japanese judo terms, yoko means side. The Gokyo no Waza listed on judoinfo.com places it in Sankyo, the third group, so it is one of the 40 judo throws of the traditional syllabus.
How do you do yoko otoshi?
The Kodokan defines yoko otoshi as a technique to pull and throw down the opponent by breaking his balance rightward and laying down the body onto the left side while sliding the left leg toward the outside of his right foot. The steps follow that definition, right-handed as the Kodokan writes it; mirror them for the left.
- Break the balance to their right side with both hands.
- Slide your left leg toward the outside of their right foot.
- Lay your body down onto your left side, pulling them over your leg as you fall.
Learn it with a coach and a partner who can breakfall, on a proper mat, and build speed only once the steps are clean.
Video: KODOKAN official channel
What is the difference between yoko otoshi and tani otoshi?
Both are side sacrifices where you lay down on your left side. The Kodokan's tani otoshi breaks the balance backward and slides your leg behind your partner; yoko otoshi breaks it to the side and slides your leg to the outside of their foot.
Is yoko otoshi legal in judo competition?
Yes. The IJF Sport and Organisation Rules score a throw only when it is a Kodokan classified technique or a recognised variation, and yoko otoshi is on the Kodokan list, so a clean yoko otoshi can score yuko, waza-ari or ippon.
In BJJ a throw counts as a takedown: 2 points under the IBJJF rules once your partner lands on the back, side or seat and you hold the top for three seconds.
See where it sits among the 40 judo throws. Rash guards and kit for the mat are in our judo training gear.
Sources
- Kodokan defines yoko otoshi, Kodokan Judo Institute
- Judoinfo.com list of Japanese judo terms, JudoInfo
- Gokyo no Waza listed on judoinfo.com, JudoInfo
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
- IBJJF rules, IBJJF
Related terms
Tani otoshi, Sacrifice techniques, Gokyo, Throwing techniques.