Judo, throws for tall newbs

**faixabranca** · Posted On: 11/16/2012 10:56pm

I'm a kind of tall Judo newb at 6'1" and am looking for simple throws to focus on. I'm working at O-soto-gari, of course.

I'd like to do seoi nage, but it's difficult because everyone else is 5'10", tops, except for an older shodan who just teaches. Drop seoi works but not in uchikomis.

I've read tai-otoshi, uchi mata and harai goshi are good for taller guys. Are they too advanced for a one month newb like me?

Thanks

**Aaron Fields** · Posted On: 11/16/2012 11:16pm

A good low tai-otoshi will work well. I would also work foot sweeps.

Aaron Fields

**faixabranca** · Posted On: 11/16/2012 11:29pm

Thanks, Aaron.

**doofaloofa** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 5:00am

My sensei is 6'7"

His favourite technique is uci mata, but his main adaption to throws like o Goshi is an over the shoulder/round the back of the kneck grip instead of the traditional round the waist grip
Consider a basic beginners throw but with adaptation of grip to suit your build

I like Koshi garuma against a smaller player

**Nickosaurus** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 8:11am

Originally Posted by doofaloofa

I like Koshi garuma against a smaller player

Wouldn't suggest a beginner tries it, I am also 6.1 and it can feel easy going into that head lock position but it requires more control of the head (from a safety perspective) than most beginners have. Some countries ban it for Kids

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 8:36am

Omoplatapus is really tall, like 6'5", and he had a lot of success adapting morote seoi nage when he couldn't make (non-drop) seoi work on a shorter person by hefting uke up onto his toes with the underhook. That brings them up a couple of inches higher.

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 9:33am

Originally Posted by faixabranca

I've read tai-otoshi, uchi mata and harai goshi are good for taller guys. Are they too advanced for a one month newb like me?

I don't know if it's just his personal preference or what, but uchi-mata is the only one of those that my coach doesn't like teaching beginners. I found tai-otoshi to be quite difficult to get the hang of, but it's one that gets taught to kids fairly early on, so I guess if they can do it...

Also, look at the small foot sweeps like dai-ashi-bari. As a beginner I know I didn't think much of them initially, as they don't have the glamor of picking someone up and dumping them, but they are damn effective techniques, and you don't need to get under people to do them - for a lot of them you actually push down on your opponent.

**faixabranca** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 10:52am

Originally Posted by Matt Phillips

Omoplatapus is really tall, like 6'5", and he had a lot of success adapting morote seoi nage when he couldn't make (non-drop) seoi work on a shorter person by hefting uke up onto his toes with the underhook. That brings them up a couple of inches higher.

Colour me intruiged, but with the underhook? Is that instead of a lapel grip?

Also, I have been working on koshi guruma but my sensei commented to the effect that it's not going to work too well in competition and could become a crutch. As far as the safety thing, I have done koshi before albeit in wrestling without knowing the name. I know to secure the head otherwise my partner could get hurt.

De ashi harai, sode tsurikomi ashi and so on are also something I am interested in too.

**Lindz** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 2:37pm

Originally Posted by CrackFox

I don't know if it's just his personal preference or what, but uchi-mata is the only one of those that my coach doesn't like teaching beginners.

I hear that a bad uchi mata can force uke's testicles back up or make them burst. Not very mutually beneficial.

So in our club they'll show it to anyone and let them drill it. But it's banned in randori for anyone under orange.

**faixabranca** · Posted On: 11/17/2012 2:56pm

Originally Posted by Lindz

I hear that a bad uchi mata can force uke's testicles back up or make them burst. Not very mutually beneficial.

So in our club they'll show it to anyone and let them drill it. But it's banned in randori for anyone under orange.

That is not just bad Judo but bad juju in general. I don't think our club bans anything per se, but encourages you to avoid stuff like o soto guruma and ura nage.

Tai-otoshi seems like the way to go for forwards throws at the moment. Probably just gonna take a few classes to start building up a certain level of competence with it. It's taken about 3-4 weeks for o-soto-gari to be a bit more fluid and comfortable for me. Tai-otoshi might take longer perhaps.