Karate Throws Explained in Detail

Karate Throws Explained in Detail
This post was updated on: November 1, 2023

Karate is often considered a shocking art, but there is ample evidence that it also involves joint manipulations, chokeholds, and takedown techniques. According to Genbu-Kai Florida, karate is also not a martial art and its fighting methods can be quite crude.

It used to be good because most karateka also practiced tegumi (fighting hands), the native Okinawan art of grappling. Nowadays, we have to connect to all available grip systems to improve our karate. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the time, money, or inclination to train in two (or more) places to learn karate AND a fighting art.

This topic came up on a karate forum I frequented and led me to create this list. Unless you are learning more than one grappling art, I believe these techniques can greatly improve your karate efficiency as well as your understanding of certain kata moves.

Contents

1. Byobu Daoshi: Remove Screen

Have you ever seen these screens commonly used in Japan to divide rooms and spaces? It’s a byobu and “daoshi” means rock.

So get ready to take down your opponent like a canvas!

The technique looks pretty simple. First, block a high punch with an open hand. Quickly rotate your wrist and grab your opponent’s wrist as you charge forward with an attack to your opponent’s throat.

Place your mobile foot behind your opponent’s front foot. You’ll recoil from his neck attack, tripping comfortably on your strategically placed foot. Then they fall off easily… like a folding canvas.

Make no mistake though, this technique takes practice to do well without falling down!

2. Coma Nage: Spinning Top

How about letting your opponent start? It will definitely make your job easier!

A correctly executed Komanage takes advantage of your opponent’s incoming momentum and knocks them to the ground.

First, block your opponent’s middle throw with an outside block. Grasp your wrist and pull vigorously towards your hips. Move forward to get to the ground and press down on your opponent’s elbows. This causes them to spin around and fall to the ground. In a real fight, you might consider hitting your elbow hard enough to break it.

3. Tai Otoshi: Body Drop

At first glance, it looks like it takes a lot of upper body strength to pull it off. Very well, it doesn’t need much.

The move starts with you facing your opponent. Grab your shoulder or chest and take a small step back to unbalance it. Turn around quickly, holding his body and lowering the weight a little to keep your balance. Lowering your body relative to theirs will also make it easier for them to fall on you.

If your opponent falls forward, he will trip over your leg. They’re unlikely to get hurt when falling, especially if trained, so you’ll need one last hit. Grab an arm to hold them for the split second it takes to punch them in the jaw or temple.

4. Ippon Seoi Nage: One-Armed Shoulder Throw

This release starts in the same position as the previous one. Grab your opponent’s shoulder or chest and pull them towards you to unbalance them. Turn around quickly, but instead of pinning him to your leg, stand in front of his body so that you’re both facing the same direction.

Karate Throws – Ippon Seoi Nage: One Arm and One Shoulder Throw
Pull his arm over your shoulder as much as possible. Lower your body and lift it up while pushing your hips. This sends your opponent flying over their head and they land on their back, causing them to gasp.

Of course, a smart opponent will realize the fall is imminent and will rush forward to protect your back. To do this, grab his arm as he falls, pull him toward you, and finish off with a punch to the jaw, temple, or any other convenient and effective location.

5. Deashi Barai: Foot Sweep

If you’ve ever seen someone perform a flawless foot swing, you might think the technique is really simple. The truth is that it is easy, but difficult to achieve.

To perform the sweep, simply kick the back of your opponent’s foot or lower leg to throw him off balance or send him to the ground.

Karate Throws – Deashi Barai: Foot Sweep

Karate Throws Deashi Barai Foot Sweep

The hardest part is the timing. You have to catch it when your foot moves forward and your balance is affected. Exploiting that split second from a precarious position is what makes the technique so effective.

6. Yari Dama: “Sailing”

In another throw that tests the strength of your opponent’s testicles, your opponent tries to punch you in the mouth again while you step back and block the blow from the inside (shuto-uke) with your open forehand, just like the first throw (byobu daoshi ).

As always, immediately proceed by grabbing your opponent’s attack wrist with your blocking hand, then take a big step forward into a deep sumo stance (“But Jesse-san, that’s weird, we don’t have a shiko-Dachi! ” in Shotokan). !”) and hit your opponent’s crown jewels with your free hand. Laugh at your opponent’s new vocal range (note: if he hasn’t turned into an opera singer after that last move, he’s probably not a “he” ), then slide further forward, and finally, finish the throw by throwing it to the left side while lifting vigorously from underneath.

The basic principle is very similar to Katawa Guruma.

7. Tani Otoshi: “Drop of the Valley”

Although the tani otoshi is one of the most common moves in competitive judo today, this throw by Funakoshi Sensei is more like the modern version of the seoi-nage (albeit with a slightly wider stance) than ‘something else.

When your opponent rushes forward with a mid punch, step back with your right leg and parry the punch with your front hand, immediately grabbing the attacking arm and pulling it to your side (the true meaning of Hikite ) while you throw a quick punch. Counterattack at your opponent’s weak point.

If your opponent flinches (in case you haven’t noticed, the purpose of these destructive multiple blows (atemi-waza) is to use your opponent’s natural convulsive reaction or to induce a painful retreat reflex, thus establishing the fall that follows), take a step forward and pass the attacking arm under the opponent’s outstretched arm, turn around and throw him to the ground over his shoulder.

It ends with a threat to get him out of his misery, as in the last photo.

8. Ude WA: ‘Armor’

To show that these throws work like a straight punch when defending against attacks other than direct punches, Funakoshi Sensei defends against a two-handed strike in this ude-wa technique.

When your opponent approaches you with both arms outstretched, quickly pull them up and immediately hit them with two horizontal hammer blows in the middle (I recommend aiming for the terrible mid-sections of the ribs as they are more prone to breaking). When your opponent gasps, lean over and squeeze his legs hard while pushing hard against the hip bone with your shoulder, swinging your legs and throwing them to the floor.

By the way, a perfect example of the four principles of Quan-fa.

If you try this at the dojo, make sure your partner really knows your takedowns (ukemi) or you could end up with a nasty neck injury on the show.

Should I also mention which kata this bunkai comes from?

9. Gyaku Tsuchi: “Inverted Mallet”

And finally, my all-time favorite old-time karate throw: the reverse hammer.

Or as professional wrestlers call it; the fast

If your opponent is desperately trying to attack you, parry your high punch (Jodan-zuki) backward with an upward block (age-uke). Quickly slide forward and grab the upper back with the blocking hand while sliding the free hand in front of the stomach. Now turn it over, laugh like crazy for a few seconds and finally turn it over.

Conclusion

Takedowns and throws are essential to your martial arts arsenal. It is possible to finish a fight with these moves (if your opponent cannot defend against them). 

Your goal should be to achieve this during every fight you have on the street. Make sure you finish the fight quickly and getaway. You’re more likely to get hurt or lose a fight if you dance around with your opponent for too long.