What are the four types of judo throws?

Standing judo throws (nage-waza) are grouped into four families by how you off-balance and lift your partner: te-waza (hand and arm techniques, like seoi-nage), koshi-waza (hip techniques, like o-goshi), ashi-waza (foot and leg techniques, like osoto-gari and uchi-mata), and sutemi-waza (sacrifice techniques, like tomoe-nage, where you drop yourself to throw). Beginners meet a few from each family early on.

What is the first judo throw you learn?

It varies by dojo, but many beginners start with foundational throws like osoto-gari (a major outer leg reap) and o-goshi (a major hip throw), because the movements are relatively natural and easy to practise safely. Just as importantly, before any throwing you learn ukemi — how to fall and be thrown without getting hurt.

Are judo throws dangerous?

Not when they are taught properly. Judo is built around safety: the very first skill you learn is ukemi (breakfalls), so you can be thrown and land softly, and throws are drilled with a cooperative partner at a controlled pace before any resistance. Landing well is a skill in itself, and a good sensei introduces everything gradually. Respect and control, not force, are the culture on the mat.

What is ukemi in judo?

Ukemi means “receiving” — the art of falling and being thrown safely. You learn to slap the mat, tuck your chin, and spread the impact so a throw is soft rather than jarring. It is the foundation of all judo, taught from your very first class, and it is one reason judo is considered a safe, beginner-friendly sport for kids and adults alike.

Uchi-mata, the inner-thigh throw, is one of judo’s most spectacular and beloved techniques — a sweeping leg throw that has decided countless Olympic matches. It is more advanced than the first throws a beginner learns, but it is a wonderful goal to work toward, and watching a clean uchi-mata is a big part of what draws people to the sport.

Judo throws explained

The throw is the heart of judo — the moment where timing, balance, and technique let one person lift and turn another with surprising ease. It looks dramatic, but it is really a craft, and a safe one: in judo you learn to fall before you learn to throw, so both partners are protected. This friendly guide walks through the four families of throws (nage-waza), the signature techniques you will come to know and love, and the breakfalls (ukemi) that make it all safe for kids and adults alike.

The short version: judo’s standing throws are called nage-waza, and they fall into four families named for how you off-balance and lift your partner — hand (te-waza), hip (koshi-waza), foot and leg (ashi-waza), and sacrifice (sutemi-waza). Every throw begins by breaking your partner’s balance, and every judoka begins by learning to fall safely. It is a beautiful, technical skill — never about hurting anyone.

First things first: ukemi

Before you throw anyone, you learn ukemi — breakfalls. These are the techniques of falling and being thrown safely: slapping the mat with your arm to spread the impact, tucking your chin to protect your head, and rolling or landing so the force is absorbed gently. Ukemi is the very first thing taught in any good dojo, and it is the reason judo can practise dynamic throws safely from day one. Far from an afterthought, learning to fall well is a genuine skill — and a gift that carries into everyday life, where knowing how to land has saved many a judoka from a nasty slip.

The anatomy of a throw

Judo describes every throw in three parts, a little rhythm you will hear constantly:

Kuzushi — breaking the balance. You use grips and direction to tip your partner off their base. This is the real secret of judo: a well-timed kuzushi makes even a big partner light.
Tsukuri — the entry. You turn and position your body under or against theirs, fitting into the throw.
Kake — the execution. You complete the technique smoothly, guiding your partner to the mat.

Two words help here: tori is the person doing the throw, and uke is the person receiving it. In practice, partners take turns being each, which builds trust and makes throwing a cooperative skill long before it is ever a competitive one.

The four throw families

Judo’s founder organised the throws into families so they are easier to learn. You do not need to memorise dozens on day one — you will meet a handful from each group and slowly build your own favourites. Here are the four, each with signature techniques you will come to recognise.

Te-waza (hand throws)

Te-waza are hand and arm techniques, where your arms do much of the work of lifting or steering your partner.

Seoi-nage (shoulder throw) — you turn in, load your partner across your back and shoulders, and roll them forward over you. Elegant and effective, it is a favourite at every level and a staple of Olympic finals.
Tai-otoshi (body drop) — a smooth throw that trips your partner over your extended leg using strong hand direction rather than a big lift.

Koshi-waza (hip throws)

Koshi-waza are hip techniques, where you load your partner onto or across your hips and turn them over.

O-goshi (major hip throw) — the classic first hip throw: you slip your hips below your partner’s centre, lift, and rotate them over. Learning o-goshi teaches the core feeling of a hip throw.
Harai-goshi (sweeping hip throw) — a dynamic throw that combines a hip entry with a sweep of the leg, sending your partner over in one flowing motion.

Ashi-waza (foot and leg throws)

Ashi-waza are foot and leg techniques — often the first throws a beginner learns, because reaping and sweeping the legs can feel natural.

Osoto-gari (major outer reap) — you break your partner’s balance backward and reap their leg out from under them with your own. It is one of the most commonly taught first throws.
Uchi-mata (inner-thigh throw) — a spectacular sweeping throw and one of judo’s signatures, lifting your partner on your leg. It is more advanced, and a joy to work toward.
Deashi-harai (advancing-foot sweep) — a beautifully timed sweep of your partner’s foot just as they step, all touch and timing rather than strength.

Sutemi-waza (sacrifice throws)

Sutemi-waza are sacrifice techniques, where you deliberately drop your own body to the mat to throw your partner — trading your position for their balance.

Tomoe-nage (circular throw) — the famous “stomach throw”: you sit and roll backward, planting a foot on your partner’s hip to send them in an arc over you. A crowd-pleaser, and more advanced.
Sumi-gaeshi (corner reversal) — a sacrifice throw from a close grip that rolls your partner over you and into a strong position.

Sacrifice throws come later in most curricula, once your ukemi and balance are solid — but they are some of the most satisfying techniques in the whole sport.

Why throwing is safe to learn

It is natural to wonder whether throwing is rough. Done properly, it is not — and judo’s whole culture is built to keep it that way:

You learn ukemi first, so falling and being thrown are safe from your first class.
Throws are drilled cooperatively, slowly and with a willing partner, long before any live practice.
Respect is the rule. Judoka bow on and off the mat, look after their partners, and treat the throw as a shared skill, not a way to hurt anyone.
A good sensei paces you, introducing harder throws only when your falling and control are ready.

That is why judo is trusted for children and beginners of every age: it is dynamic and athletic, but built on care. If you want to feel it for yourself, look for dojos running a throws (nage-waza) program or a welcoming beginners program.

How to start

You cannot learn to throw from an article — you learn it on the mat, one safe repetition at a time, and it is genuinely fun from the first session. Most dojos offer a free trial or intro class where you will start with ukemi and a first throw at your own pace. New to the sport? Read our welcoming intro to Olympic judo to see where these throws lead, or compare judo with its close cousin in judo vs BJJ. When you are ready, browse beginner-friendly dojos, the best-rated clubs near you, or the newaza (groundwork) classes that follow the throw to the mat. All levels welcome.

Common questions

What are the four types of judo throws?: Standing judo throws (nage-waza) are grouped into four families by how you off-balance and lift your partner: te-waza (hand and arm techniques, like seoi-nage), koshi-waza (hip techniques, like o-goshi), ashi-waza (foot and leg techniques, like osoto-gari and uchi-mata), and sutemi-waza (sacrifice techniques, like tomoe-nage, where you drop yourself to throw). Beginners meet a few from each family early on.
What is the first judo throw you learn?: It varies by dojo, but many beginners start with foundational throws like osoto-gari (a major outer leg reap) and o-goshi (a major hip throw), because the movements are relatively natural and easy to practise safely. Just as importantly, before any throwing you learn ukemi — how to fall and be thrown without getting hurt.
Are judo throws dangerous?: Not when they are taught properly. Judo is built around safety: the very first skill you learn is ukemi (breakfalls), so you can be thrown and land softly, and throws are drilled with a cooperative partner at a controlled pace before any resistance. Landing well is a skill in itself, and a good sensei introduces everything gradually. Respect and control, not force, are the culture on the mat.
What is ukemi in judo?: Ukemi means “receiving” — the art of falling and being thrown safely. You learn to slap the mat, tuck your chin, and spread the impact so a throw is soft rather than jarring. It is the foundation of all judo, taught from your very first class, and it is one reason judo is considered a safe, beginner-friendly sport for kids and adults alike.
What is uchi-mata?: Uchi-mata, the inner-thigh throw, is one of judo’s most spectacular and beloved techniques — a sweeping leg throw that has decided countless Olympic matches. It is more advanced than the first throws a beginner learns, but it is a wonderful goal to work toward, and watching a clean uchi-mata is a big part of what draws people to the sport.