Yoko sumi gaeshi from the cross grip is a very nice little technique you can use in a lot of different situations. For an experienced judo player, this is nothing special, but if this is the first time you’re seeing it, it’s my pleasure to introduce it to you.
Yoko sumi gaeshi falls into the category of sutemi waza, or sacrifice throws. Sutemi waza involves throwing yourself on the floor first so that you can huck the other guy over. Other sutemi waza include: tomoe nage, tani otoshi, sumi gaeshi, yoko wakare, yoko gake, and more.
Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of novice judoka using or even learning sutemi waza. Beginners should learn regular stand up judo first – throws like seoinage, o uchi gari, o soto gari, uchimata. It’s different for everyone, but after about a year or two of training you can start to use sacrifice throws and maybe even start to specialize in them.
Why? Well, its the nature of sacrifice throws that you’re doing the exact opposite of what every other type of judo throw does – you’re throwing yourself on your back at the very beginning of the movement, and that is a bad habit if are just starting to learn judo. Once you’ve been in for a year or three and have some good basic judo habits, then you can start to hang out in this odd section of judo town.
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