Yoko-OToshi Uki-Wasa Tani-Otoshi

Yoko Otoshi, Uki Waza, and Tani Otoshi Explained for Students

The other night at training, I was asked what the difference was between Uki Wasa and Yoko O toshi, and I found that it had been so long since I had explained it that I was not happy with my explanation. So let me try again here. As we explore Yoko-OToshi Uki-Wasa Tani-Otoshi together, I want you to imagine standing on the mat, feeling your partner’s balance, and noticing how small changes in timing shape every outcome.

I often say that throws are conversations between two bodies, not just a series of technical steps. Therefore, when we talk about Yoko Otoshi and Uki Waza, we are really talking about how you guide that conversation. Both techniques live in the world of sacrifice throws, yet they speak in very different tones when you apply them correctly.

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Understanding the Shared Foundations

Before we separate these techniques, let us look at what they share in common. Both Yoko Otoshi and Uki Waza rely on kuzushi, or off-balancing, as the true engine behind success. You cannot force either throw with strength alone, because timing and placement always matter more than power.

As you move with your partner, you should feel their centre shift before you commit your own body to the mat. This principle also connects strongly with Tani Otoshi, which uses similar ideas of pulling and guiding rather than lifting. If you want a deeper look at kuzushi, the Kodokan Judo Institute explains this concept clearly on their official site, kodokan.org.

Yoko Otoshi in Practice

When I teach Yoko Otoshi, I describe it as a sideways drop that creates a sudden hole for your partner to fall into. You step across, lower your body, and guide them past you rather than directly over you. Your hips stay relatively high, while your upper body leads the direction of the fall.

What I want you to notice is how your leg placement blocks their path without sweeping it. The throw works because you remove their support at the exact moment they try to step forward. As a result, their balance disappears, and the mat seems to rise up to meet them.

The International Judo Federation provides excellent video demonstrations that show how elite athletes keep their posture tall during this movement: https://www.ijf.org. Watching those clips can help you see how calm and controlled the throw should feel.

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Uki Waza and Its Floating Feeling

Uki Waza feels very different in your body, even though it also uses a sacrifice motion. Instead of dropping sideways, you float backward and slightly under your partner’s centre. Your leg acts more like a guide, while your hands create a gentle but decisive pull.

I often tell you to think of Uki Waza as inviting your partner to step into empty space. You do not block them in the same way as Yoko Otoshi. Instead, you let their momentum carry them forward while you remove yourself from their line of travel.

This is why timing becomes even more important here. If you go too early, you fall alone. If you go too late, they simply step around you and smile. The YouTube video below shows this timing beautifully in slow-motion breakdowns.

Clear Comparison Between Yoko Otoshi and Uki Waza

Now, let us put these two side by side, so you can feel the difference in your own training. Yoko Otoshi creates a barrier and a hole, while Uki Waza creates space and an invitation. One blocks, and the other guides.

In Yoko Otoshi, your body becomes a wall that redirects their path. In Uki Waza, your body becomes a doorway that they walk through without realising it. Both use sacrifice, but the intention behind your movement changes everything.

As you practice, pay attention to where your weight settles on the mat. Yoko Otoshi often places you more on your side, while Uki Waza places you more on your back. That small detail can help you correct many common mistakes.

Bringing Tani Otoshi Into the Picture

Once you understand these differences, Tani Otoshi starts to make more sense in the bigger picture. Tani Otoshi feels less like a drop and more like a backward pull into a valley. You step behind, place your leg as a barrier, and guide them straight back.

This technique shares Yoko Otoshi’s idea of blocking, but it uses a backward direction rather than a sideways one. At the same time, it shares Uki Waza’s reliance on timing and feel rather than brute strength. That is why I often group Yoko-OToshi, Uki-Wasa and Tani-Otoshi together when we talk about sacrifice concepts.

The British Judo Association offers written resources that compare these throws within their coaching guides: https://www.britishjudo.org.uk. These can support what you feel on the mat.

How I Want You to Train These Throws

When you drill these techniques, slow everything down at first. Focus on where your partner’s balance goes before you ever think about dropping yourself. Use your hands as steering wheels, not as ropes that try to drag them around.

I also encourage you to talk to each other during practice. Ask your partner what they felt, and tell them what you noticed. That shared feedback turns every repetition into a better learning moment.

We will keep revisiting Yoko-OToshi Uki-Wasa Tani-Otoshi as we move through the season, because these throws reward patience more than speed. Over time, you will start to feel the difference without needing to think about it.

Watching the Techniques Come Alive

At the end of this article, there will be a video showing these throws side by side in real time and slow motion. I want you to watch how the athletes move their partners’ balance before their own bodies ever touch the mat. Notice the calm in their posture and the confidence in their timing.

Then, bring that same calm and confidence back into our next session together, and let the techniques speak through your movement rather than your muscles.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard
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