Judo Hip Throw
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Sweeping Hip Throw·Wilfredo Guzman
Judo Hip Throw by Grand Master George Logan From CT School of Survival A student of DR. Moses Powell [ EYE TO EYE..HEART…
Sweeping Hip Throw
Family払腰・跳腰(Harai Goshi / Hane Goshi)
TraditionalTranslation: sweeping/springing hip throw
Overview
The Sweeping Hip Throw family covers koshi-waza techniques that combine the hip fulcrum with an active sweeping action of the leg, creating throws that merge hip-throwing and leg-sweeping mechanics into a single powerful action. [1] Sweeping hip throws use the hip as a fulcrum while the attacking leg sweeps, springs, or drives against the opponent's leg, adding rotational or lifting force that amplifies the throwing action beyond what the hip alone would produce. [1],[2] The two principal sweeping hip throws — harai-goshi (sweeping hip) and hane-goshi (spring hip) — are among the most powerful and frequently scored throws in judo competition. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Sweeping hip techniques were classified in the Kodokan system as koshi-waza that integrate leg action, representing a bridge between pure hip throws and leg techniques. [1] Harai-goshi in particular became one of the most successful competition throws in judo history, used by numerous Olympic and World Champions. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Sweeping hip throws are among the most powerful techniques in the Kodokan judo koshi-waza syllabus. [1]
Competition Record
Harai goshi is one of the highest-scoring throws in IJF competition. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Loading the opponent onto the hip and rotating them over it — the hip acts as the fulcrum
Joints Involved — Attacker's hip (fulcrum point), knees (deep bend for loading), core (rotation), opponent's centre of gravity (elevated)
Force Vector — Rotational — pulling and turning motion loads the opponent, then hip extension and rotation drives them over
Kuzushi (Off-balancing) — Forward and upward — breaking opponent's posture forward lifts their centre of gravity onto the attacker's hip
Position & Entry
From judo grip — Break the opponent's balance forward (kuzushi), turn in with hip below their centre of gravity, and rotate to throw
From clinch (overhook or underhook) — Secure inside position, turn the hips across the opponent's body, load and throw
Videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
5
High5/10
Harai-Goshi sweeping hip action; requires good timing
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— no leg attacks below waist
UWW International Wrestling Rules, January 2026PDFLegal
— IJF — Legal throwing technique
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— Unified MMA — Legal throwing technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Sweeping hip throws combine hip contact with a leg sweep to amplify the throwing action — two forces multiply the effect (Mifune, Canon of Judo, 1956)
✓The hip acts as the fulcrum while the sweeping leg removes uke's support — this dual action makes these throws extremely powerful
✓Enter as for a standard hip throw but extend the sweeping leg to catch uke's leg during the rotation
✓Timing the sweep with the hip rotation is the key skill — the leg sweeps at the moment of maximum rotation
✓These throws are among the highest-scoring techniques in judo competition (IJF statistics)
✓Drill the sweep and hip throw components separately before combining them
✓Harai goshi and hane goshi are the primary techniques — distinguish them by the direction of the leg sweep
Common Mistakes
!Sweeping before the hip is loaded — the hip must be in position before the leg sweeps
!Using the sweep as the primary force instead of the hip rotation — the hip does the throwing, the leg assists
!Reaching too far back with the sweeping leg, which compromises your base
!Not maintaining upper-body control (both grips) during the sweep
!Sweeping uke's leg from the wrong angle — the sweep must match uke's direction of imbalance
!Lifting the sweeping leg too high and losing balance
!Not committing to the full rotation because you're focused on the sweep
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Lower Centre of Gravity — bend knees and drop hips to make the throw harder to executeBlock the Hip — post hand on the thrower's hip to prevent loadingStep Around — circle away from the throw direction to avoid being loadedGrip Break — deny the thrower their preferred gripping configurationStiff-Arm — maintain distance with straight arms to prevent the entry
Setup Chain
1Grip Setup (Kumi-kata) — establish the controlling grips needed for the throw
2Off-Balance (Kuzushi) — break the opponent's balance in the throwing direction
3Entry (Tsukuri) — position the body for the throw by turning, stepping, or loading
4Execution (Kake) — complete the throwing action with full commitment and follow-through
Sources & References
Primary Source
Kodokan Judo — Official Nage-waza Classification
1BookKodokan Judo — Official Nage-waza Classification
Traditional Judo throwing technique terminology (Kodokan Institute)
Official Kodokan ground technique classification system
Standard Japanese martial arts terminology (kanji/hiragana)
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
5CitationKodokan Judo — Official Nage-waza Classification
Traditional Judo throwing technique terminology (Kodokan Institute)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip rotation speed, core strength, lower back stability
Favours
strong hips and core, good flexibility for turning entry
Key muscles
hip rotators, core, quadriceps, latissimus dorsi
Sub-techniques
Hane Goshi
SubFamilyHane Goshi (spring hip throw) is a koshi-waza technique in which the thrower turns in, places the hip against the opponent, and uses a springing action of the leg against the opponent's inner thigh to lift and throw them over the hip. [1] The 'hane' (spring) element refers to the upward springing action of the attacking leg, which lifts the opponent's leg from the inside, different from harai-goshi's sweeping action against the outside of the thigh. [1,2] Hane-goshi creates an upward lifting force from the inside of the opponent's thigh, which, combined with the hip fulcrum and hand action, produces a high-amplitude throw. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Harai Goshi
SubFamilyHarai Goshi (sweeping hip throw) is one of judo's most powerful and dynamic techniques, in which the thrower turns in, places the hip beneath the opponent, and sweeps the opponent's leg with the back of the thigh in a large arc while pulling them over the hip with the hands. [1] The throw combines the hip fulcrum of a standard koshi-waza with a sweeping leg action that drives the opponent's supporting leg away, creating a double-action throw that is extremely difficult to defend. [1,2] Harai-goshi is sometimes confused with uchi-mata because both involve a sweeping leg action during a turning throw, but they differ in the point of contact — harai-goshi sweeps the outside of the opponent's thigh while uchi-mata sweeps the inside. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Notes
Harai-goshi was Jigoro Kano's personal favorite throw and the technique he used most often in his own randori. (Kano, Kodokan Judo; Watson, Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano)
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Sweeping Hip Throw work?
The Sweeping Hip Throw family covers koshi-waza techniques that combine the hip fulcrum with an active sweeping action of the leg, creating throws that merge hip-throwing and leg-sweeping mechanics into a single powerful action. Sweeping hip throws use the hip as a fulcrum while the attacking leg sweeps, springs, or drives against the opponent's leg, adding rotational or lifting force that amplifies the throwing action beyond what the hip alone would produce.
Where does the Sweeping Hip Throw come from?
Sweeping hip techniques were classified in the Kodokan system as koshi-waza that integrate leg action, representing a bridge between pure hip throws and leg techniques. Harai-goshi in particular became one of the most successful competition throws in judo history, used by numerous Olympic and World Champions.
Is the Sweeping Hip Throw legal in competition?
IJF: legal — Legal throwing technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels; UWW: restricted — Legal in freestyle, banned in Greco-Roman (no leg attacks below waist); Unified MMA: legal — Legal throwing technique; ADCC: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Sweeping Hip Throw?
Danger rating 5/10. High — Harai-Goshi sweeping hip action; requires good timing
How do I set up the Sweeping Hip Throw?
The standard setup chain: Grip Setup (Kumi-kata) → Off-Balance (Kuzushi) → Entry (Tsukuri) → Execution (Kake).
How do I defend against the Sweeping Hip Throw?
Standard counters include: Lower Centre of Gravity — bend knees and drop hips to make the throw harder to execute / Block the Hip — post hand on the thrower's hip to prevent loading / Step Around — circle away from the throw direction to avoid being loaded / Grip Break — deny the thrower their preferred gripping configuration.
What are the variants of the Sweeping Hip Throw?
Common variants: Standard hip throw (full turn-in with hip below the opponent's centre of gravity); No-gi hip throw (adapted without gi grips, using overhook and collar tie); Drop hip throw (dropping to one knee to lower the fulcrum point); Combination hip throw (chaining from a failed foot technique or hand technique).
How effective is the Sweeping Hip Throw in competition?
Harai goshi is one of the highest-scoring throws in IJF competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Sweeping Hip Throw?
Top errors to watch for: Sweeping before the hip is loaded — the hip must be in position before the leg sweeps / Using the sweep as the primary force instead of the hip rotation — the hip does the throwing, the leg assists / Reaching too far back with the sweeping leg, which compromises your base / Not maintaining upper-body control (both grips) during the sweep.
What are other names for the Sweeping Hip Throw?
The Sweeping Hip Throw is also known as Harai Goshi / Hane Goshi, Hip sweep throws, Combination hip-leg throws.