Nage-komi is the repetition of complete throws. Tori throws uke on every rep, often onto a crash pad (a thick landing mat) to cushion the fall. It complements uchi-komi, which stops before the throw. Nage-komi teaches you to finish a technique, but it takes a toll on your partner, so the dose matters.
Why you need to throw for real
In uchi-komi, you drill the entry and the fit. You never find out what happens next. The end of a throw has its own problems: keep pulling while uke tips over, turn your head the right way, and stay balanced as they hit the mat.
Plenty of judoka have a beautiful entry in uchi-komi and never score with it. This is often why. They never learned to finish, so in randori they let go at the decisive moment. Nage-komi fixes that.
It also builds confidence. A judoka who has cleanly thrown their uchi-mata two hundred times this month will commit to it in competition. One who has never finished it will hesitate.
The crash pad and what it changes
A crash pad is a big mat, several tens of centimeters thick. Laid on the tatami, it softens falls considerably. Uke can fall far more often without piling up impacts on the back, neck and shoulders.
Not every club has one. Without a crash pad, you can do nage-komi on the regular mat, but cut the volume sharply. Two mats stacked on top of each other are an acceptable compromise.
Watch out for one trap. The crash pad invites throws you would never do in randori, fully committed and with no control. That helps you train the finish. But you also need to throw cleanly on a normal mat, controlling your partner's landing.
How to run a nage-komi session
- A full warm-up with plenty of breakfalls to prepare uke.
- A few sets of uchi-komi on the technique of the day to set the shape.
- The nage-komi itself: sets of 5 to 10 throws each, then switch roles.
- A moving version: uke walks and tori throws on the move.
- A cool-down, then randori if the session continues.
The pace is slow. Uke gets up, resets, breathes. You do not rattle off throws like timed uchi-komi. Every rep should be a good one.
Change the throwing situation
Always throwing a stationary uke from the same grip only gets you halfway. Once the shape is in place, vary the situation: throw from a cross grip, after a fake, or as uke steps sideways. You can also drill combinations as nage-komi, with a first attack to provoke a reaction and a second that throws. These versions bring the drill closer to randori without the chaos. They quickly show which entries hold up when conditions change.
How often should you do nage-komi?
Nage-komi is hard on uke's body. For a recreational club, once a week or every other week seems right, usually in the build-up to competitions. For big throws such as shoulder throws or sacrifice techniques, the volume drops further.
When coming back from a break, skip nage-komi in the first sessions. The body first needs to get used to simple falls again.
Non-negotiable safety rules
Uke must own the breakfall. You never throw someone who cannot do the matching ukemi (breakfall). The coach decides who takes part.
The space is clear. No other pair in the landing zone, no wall nearby, no mat edge.
Tori stays in control. Keep hold of the sleeve all the way so uke lands on their back, not on their head or shoulder. Releasing the hikite (sleeve-pulling hand) at the end of a throw is the most dangerous mistake there is.
Risky techniques, such as head-diving throws or moves banned in competition, have no place in nage-komi. The list is in our article on illegal techniques in judo. After any impact or pain, stop, and see a doctor if it persists. Our guide to judo injuries helps you spot the warning signs.
Uke's job
In nage-komi, uke does not resist. They give the grip, step forward or back on request, and fall. That does not make the role passive. A good uke goes with the throw, falls at the right moment and tells tori what they felt: a clean off-balance, a sleeve released too early.
Being uke in nage-komi is also great breakfall training. You learn to fall in every direction and at different speeds. Judoka who have taken many falls in nage-komi rarely get hurt in randori.
Ask for nage-komi if your club skips it
Most clubs do too little of it. Classes go from uchi-komi straight to randori, and the finish of techniques stays rough. If your club does not include it, ask your coach for fifteen minutes of nage-komi once a month on your favorite throw, with a willing partner. Pick a basic throw from the gokyo, such as o-soto-gari, and check the difference in randori a few weeks later.