Sukui-nage (scooping throw) is a hand technique from the fourth group of the gokyo. Tori steps behind or beside uke, scoops the legs from behind and tips uke over backward. The classic form grabs the legs, so it is now penalized in IJF competition. It is still taught, and its core idea lives on in modern counters.
A hand throw that scoops
The Kodokan files sukui-nage under te-waza, alongside seoi-nage and kata-guruma. The spoon image fits the movement well. One arm slides under uke and lifts, like scooping something out of a bowl. It sits in the fourth group of the gokyo, and our page on nage-waza shows where it fits among the other throws.
It has a lot in common with the rear throws that wrap around uke's body, such as ura-nage and ushiro-goshi. The difference is the lifting point. Sukui-nage lifts from the legs. The other two lift from the trunk.
How to do sukui-nage (classic form)
For a right-handed tori starting at uke's right side:
- Step deep behind uke with your left foot.
- Your left arm crosses in front of uke at chest or belly height and pushes backward.
- Your right arm goes behind uke's legs, around the thighs or knees.
- Lift with the right arm while the left arm pushes. Uke tips back like a plank pivoting on its middle.
- Uke lands on his back in front of you.
None of this takes strength if the backward kuzushi is there. The throw comes from the rotation between your two arms. The top arm pushes and the bottom arm lifts.
The rules problem
Since the rule changes of the 2010s, the IJF has penalized direct leg grabs. The classic sukui-nage is therefore off the table in IJF events. National rules and youth categories have their own provisions, so read up on judo rules and check with your federation.
That rule is the main reason the technique has almost vanished from competition mats. Before it, sukui-nage was a common counter.
Sukui-nage as a counter
Its natural home was countering a forward throw. Uke turns in for a harai-goshi or an uchi-mata. Tori lets him turn, slips behind and scoops him while he stands on one leg. That idea of getting behind the attacker still works. Today it is usually done with a grip around the trunk instead, through ura-nage, ushiro-goshi or utsuri-goshi.
Common mistakes
- Staying in front of uke instead of getting behind. Your arm cannot find the legs, and uke falls on you.
- Lifting without pushing the upper body. Uke is carried rather than tipped, and lands on his feet.
- Lifting with a rounded back. As with kata-guruma, your legs do the lifting and your back stays straight.
- Letting go of uke mid-air. Guide him all the way to the mat.
Defending against sukui-nage
When uke feels tori slipping behind, he can turn to face him or drop his hips to kill the lift. A backward counter also works well against someone bending down to scoop. An o-soto-gari on tori's standing leg is a good example.
Sukui-nage in BJJ and wrestling
Leg grabs are legal under IBJJF rules, so in Brazilian jiu-jitsu this kind of throw stays fully relevant. Whenever you get behind or to the side of a standing opponent, the scoop is available. Wrestlers drill very similar pickups too.
How to train it today
Start with position: tori at uke's side, getting behind in a single step. Then drill the tipping motion slowly on a thick mat, with an uke who can breakfall backward. Last, work it as a counter against an uke attacking at half speed.
Even if you only compete under IJF rules, keep the idea of getting behind your opponent. Every modern rear counter depends on it, and seeing it clearly in sukui-nage makes those counters easier to learn.