Seoi nage


Seoi nage is a shoulder throw, one of the traditional forty throws of Judo as developed by Jigoro Kano. It belongs to the first group, Dai Ikkyo, of the traditional throwing list, Gokyo, of Kodokan Judo. It is also part of the current 67 Throws of Kodokan Judo. It is classified as a hand technique, te-waza, and is the second throw performed in the Nage-no-kata.

Variations

The specific techniques of morote-seoi-nage, or eri-seoi, are usually generalised as simply seoi-nage. The distinctive technical aspect of this classification is that tori grips with their two hands, as opposed to Ippon Seoi Nage, in which only one hand remains gripping while the other slides under uke's armpit. Additionally, reverse seoi-nage involves spinning up to 360 degrees so that uke ends up being thrown backwards rather than forward, as in other variations. Renowned seoi-nage martial artists are Isao Okano and Toshihiko Koga, and renowned reverse seoi-nage judoka is Choi Min-ho, who popularised the variation.

Origin

Seoi nage is likely to have developed from the jujutsu throw empi nage in which an arm bar is used as leverage to throw uke over tori’s shoulder.