Sukui-Nage (hand technique)

Sukui-nage is accomplished by making Uke off balance by grabbing Uke around his legs from the side with both hands and using a scooping motion to drop Uke backward or by Tori putting his one hand between Uke's legs and holding his hip to scoop up and drop.
Similar techniques to the above can also be used.

(Type 1) Hold Uke's body from the side by using both hands to hold Uke's thighs and scoops up and drop (Sukui-nage)

Tori and Uke hold each other in right natural posture.

Tori steps back his foot, right, left, right, then stops to make Uke off balance to forward by pulling. At this time, Tori takes a left defensive posture and pulls down Uke's body with both hands.

When Tori pulls, Uke steps forward left, right, left to keep his balance. To resist Tori's pull, Uke tries to pull back to regain his posture.

At this moment, Tori reduces his strength of pull and Uke steps his left foot back to straighten up.

A moment before Uke's move, Tori drops his body and steps in with his right foot to the outside of Uke's right foot. At the same time, Tori slides in his left hand along Uke's stomach.

Then, using the right foot as a shaft, Tori turns his body to his right to place himself behind Uke's body. Stepping his left foot behind Uke's heel.

Tori drops his hip and holds Uke's left thigh with the left hand.Releasing his right hand grip, Tori holds Uke's right thigh and completes his hold on Uke's lower body.

Tori raising his body, pulls Uke's body with both hands to make Uke off balance backward. At this time, Tori puts his left front hip against Uke's right buttock closely (place Uke's buttock onto Tori's left thigh) (picture 1).
Tori pushes his hip out and bends backward and scoops up Uke's legs with both hands, twists his body to the left and drops Uke down backward.

picture 1

This is the most commonly used basic Sukui-nage techniques from the old era. There is a similar technique to this Sukui-nage.

Tori uses the same movement as Type 1. Going behind Uke's back, stepping in his left foot behind Uke's heel closely, holding Uke's body close (at this time Tori's left hand is stretched under Uke's armpit deeply and pushes up) and sacrifice his own body backward to throw Uke down.

The concept of this technique (sacrificing your body backward) is the same as Yoko-sutemi waza. Therefore, this is not Sukui-nage but is known as Tani-otoshi.

If Tori throw from standing position, it is called Suku-inage.

Techniques of practical applications
1. Forestall Uke's Harai-goshi to execute Sukui-nage

When Uke tries Haraigoshi, he steps his right foot in front of Tori's feet and turns his body half way to the left. At that moment, Tori moves (like Type 1) by going behind Uke's body and holding Uke's both thighs, then, scoops up and drops.

When Uke steps in front of Tori as previously stated, it is the best opportunity to execute this technique. Tori needs keen perception to catch this chance.

2. When Tori and Uke tries for their grip, Tori pushes Uke's hands upward and executes Sukui-nage

When Tori holds up Uke's wrists and waits for the chance to attack, Uke tries to push Tori back by stepping his right forward.
At this moment, Tori pushes Uke's both hands upward causing Uke to float and lose his balance. Tori, then, steps his right foot behind Uke and holds his legs and (as in Type 1) scoops up and drops.

(Type 2) Tori sticks his left hand behind Uke's leg and hold Uke's body and scoops up (Sukui-nage)

Both hold each other in natural posture.

Uke changes his grip to the collar behind Tori's head and steps right foot forward to become an extreme right handed posture to attempt a technique.

Tori drops his hip, steps his left foot behind Uke's body, sticks his left hand behind Uke's legs and hold Uke's hip.

As Tori pulls his right hand close to his body and pushes his hip forward to lean backward, he turns his body to his right and scoops up and drops (picture 2).

If Uke resists too hard when Tori picks him up, Tori sometimes scoops up Uke and throws forward.

picture 2

Techniques of practical applications
1. From Uke's Uchi-mata to Sukui-nage
When Uke pulls down Tori's body with both hands, Tori tries to straighten up his body. Then, Uke tries to execute his Uchi-mata.

When Uke swings up his right leg, Tori drops his hip to defend and sticks his left hand between Uke's leg from behind. He, then, holds his hip and pulls his right hand for close body-contact and control (picture 3).

He scoops up Uke's lower body upward as he pulls his right hand down and throws Uke toward the direction of his head instead of backward.

picture 3

There is another Sukui-nage such as the following.

As Tori is scooping up Uke's body, he turns his body to his right and puts Uke on his left hip and throws.

Since this technique is based on (scooping up) motions, Kodokan Waza Study Group Department segregated this as Sukui-nage.

2. From Uke's Harai-goshi to Sukui-nage
When Uke tries Harai-goshi to sweep Tori's body, Tori drops his hip to defend, sticks his left hand between Uke's legs from behind, hold Uke's hip and scoop up with a large motion and throws down.

Tori can change to Sukui-nage from Hane-goshi, Tsurikomi-goshi and other techniques (techniques which places Tori's back to opponent).

3. From Uke's Osoto-gari to Sukui-nage
Uke tries right Osoto-gari when Tori is stepping back. The moment Uke attempts Osoto-gari, Tori steps his right foot way back to take a left defensive posture. Tori twists his body to his right and goes behind and sticks his left hand between Uke's legs to hold his hip. He, then, scoops up with a large motion and drops .

4. Dodge Uke's Uchi-mata to Sukui-nage
The moment Uke's goes into a Uchi-mata, Tori steps back his left foot to dodge. Since Tori dodges Uke's leg, Uke's leg is left floating and loses his balance forward. At this moment, Tori sticks his left hand between Uke's legs from behind to hold. He, then, scoops up to throw down. In many cases, since Uke is already unbalanced to forward, Tori scoops up Uke onto his left hip and throws down (picture 4).

picture 4

(Type 3) Tori sticks his right hand between Uke's legs from the front to hold Uke's body and scoops up for Sukui-nage

Hold each other in right natural posture./p>

Tori steps back his right foot to bring Uke forward to unbalance. Uke steps his left foot forward to stop and tries to step back his left foot to regain original balanced position./p>

The moment Uke steps back his left foot, Tori drops his hip and steps in his left foot deeply and takes left defensive posture. With close body contact to Uke's right side, stick right hand between Uke's leg from the front and hold his hip./p>

Tori pulls his left hand down and scoops up Uke's lower body with right hand and throws Uke down backward (picture 5).

picture 5

Techniques of practical applications
1. Change from Uke's Osoto-gari to Sukui-nage
The moment Uke tried right Osotogari, Tori steps back his right foot deeply to take a left defensive posture. Tori sticks his right hand between Uke's legs from the front and hold Uke's hip. He pulls down his left hand and scoops up and throws Uke backward.

2. From Kata-guruma to Sukui-nage
When Tori pulls Uke's body to execute right Kataguruma, Uke leans his body backward to defend. At this moment, Tori faces Uke. Then, Tori steps his left foot to the outside of Uke's right foot and pulls his right foot close to the other foot to become left defensive posture. He, then, scoops up Uke's hip with his right hand and throws backward.

Sometimes, Tori sticks his head under Uke's right arm pit and raises his body to pick up and, then, scoops up with his right hand to throw backward (picture 6).

If Tori throws Uke's lifted body to his left, or forward, or backward, it is called Kata-guruma.

picture 6

(Type 4) Grabbing Tori's belt in the back and trouser to scoop up (Sukui-nage)

When Uke bends his body forward for defense, Tori grabs Uke's belt over Uke's body to pull closer. Tori grabs Uke's right trouser around his knee with his left hand. While he is pulling up Uke's body, he sticks his right knee between Uke's legs. He, then, scoops Uke up with his knee and twist his body to the right and throws Uke backward.

If Tori make Uke off balance toward the direction of Uke's left foot and throws by twisting, instead of scooping up, it is called Uki-otoshi.

This technique, at this time, is introduced independently as Sukui-nage.

The techniques of (Type 1) are originally used in the old style of Jujitsu and Kodokan categorizes it as Sukui-nage, but we hardly see these techniques used in randori practice these days.

The reason for this is because the style has changed from the defensive Jujitsu posture to Kodokan Judo, which is based on natural posture. Probably because of this, it is difficult for Tori to go behind Uke and grab both legs.

But, in contrast to (Type 1), techniques of (Type 2) and (Type 3) are widely used in randori practice even nowadays.

Before Kodokan Waza Study Group Department discussed and studied these techniques, people called it Te-uchi-mata or Te-guruma or Butsudan-gaeshi or Kin-tsukami, etc. On October 1955, Kodokan officially named this technique as Sukui-nage.

Information for books; Nage Waza (Japanese), Throwing Technique (English) are not available (discontinued in 2012).