floating uke on a hip throw

**Locu5** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 4:41am

OK, this does not involve levitation, chi, peck swimming, or any magical juju.

In blackbelt sparring this month, two Saturdays ago, during one of my matchups: I pass his hands, step to the side and do a hip throw, essentially utsuri goshi. The strange part is I could feel him get to the apex of the lift and felt able to "pull him up" a bit more (as if he were floating there as in during a freefall flight) before slamming him down (man that felt good, btw). I've done a fair share of hip throws, sweeps, etc over the years, but this is a new sensation for me. This is something more than getting good height on a throw, but instead more like holding a kid’s hands as they jump and, at the top of the jump, pulling them up higher (well, then of course slamming them to the ground under my massive body weight, so that may not be the best experiment).

I have been analyzing it in my head and have been unable to replicate it, despite trying all last week (ty, Greg). I was hesitant to discuss it, but am open to being told... Am I crazy?

**Te No Kage!** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 11:24am

are you bigger than your training partner?

maybe he jumped or threw himself a little bit.....

or have assended to a new plane of grappling excellence far beyond my meager understanding

actually you have pretty good leverage doing this throw, I can pick up and slam most people doing this

http://judoinfo.com/images/animation...tsurigoshi.htm

**Beneath Contempt** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 12:22pm

It sounds to me like either (1) you happened upon some very good tsukuri.
or (2) uke did something unusual as he was about to be thrown.

It's difficult to know exactly what you felt from the description. If you can "sort of" recreate it by having your partner stand on tip toes and lean on you, whilst you turn in for a throw; stop before the actual throw, but whilst he is still overextended and on tip toes - you should be able to rock backwards and forwards with him "floating" above you without him being able to regain his balance. If it's like that, it's probably good tsukuri; otherwise, I have no idea.

If you are going to try the above, use seio-nage, as you'll have his weight on you to float it. It is much harder to recreate using sweeping throws like harai-goshi or uchimata, as uke is taken right off his feet by the action of the sweeping leg.

**Ronin** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 12:25pm

Its all in your head.

**Locu5** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 12:36pm

Heh, he weighs about 170ish, and if he jumped during sparring he deserves the slam, but I don't think he did. The best I can figure is the throw gets less rotational energy the some other hip throws, so in some cases the vertical energy is actentuated; plus the new sensation/sensitivity may have been more apparent simply because it was new. I know the senses can lie.

**TylerDurden** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 12:38pm

If you get a throw really right it does feel like you are not using alot of strength. Maybe that's what happened.

**Bang!** · Posted On: 3/01/2005 12:38pm

Sometimes, if you spring onto your toes a little, you can bump the person off you and into the air, maybe just an inch or two. Once they're free of gravity you can take that tiny window of opportunity to rotate their body into a better position.

I originally learned this as part of something called White Crane Spreads Wings (which I believe is like Uki-goshi), but you should be able to apply it to anything where the uke is percehd on your hips/back en route to the ground.