Uki-goshi (floating hip throw) is the fourth technique in group one of the gokyo and the simplest of the hip throws. Tori puts the hip against uke's stomach without going underneath, then pivots and turns uke around the body. Uke barely leaves the ground. They roll over the hip.
Tradition holds that it was a favorite of Jigoro Kano, who was a small man himself. Try it and you see why: it needs no lifting strength at all.
The most economical hip throw
Within nage-waza, the koshi-waza (hip techniques) differ mainly in how deep the hips go. Uki-goshi is the shallowest. Tori's hip does not pass the middle of uke's body. It works as an axle, not a lever.
Compare it with o-goshi, where you load uke fully onto your lower back and lift by straightening the legs. Uki-goshi spares you that work. The price is a very clear forward off-balance, because rotation alone will not do it otherwise.
Grip and off-balance
For a right-hander, the left hand (hikite) holds uke's right sleeve. The right arm goes around uke's waist, hand flat on the back at belt level.
The kuzushi goes to uke's front right corner. The left hand pulls the sleeve to your left at shoulder height while the right arm pins uke against you. Uke should rise onto the toes of the right foot.
A note on rules: in IJF competition, the bear hug (wrapping the opponent's body without holding the judogi with the other hand) is penalized. With a solid sleeve grip, uki-goshi is perfectly legal.
How to do uki-goshi, phase by phase
- Right foot forward, inside uke's right foot.
- Pivot: the left foot steps behind, so both of tori's feet end up between uke's, shifted a little to the left.
- Right hip against uke's stomach. No deeper.
- Knees slightly bent, back straight.
- Turn the upper body to the left, eyes looking over the left shoulder. Uke floats around your hip and lands in front of you.
The right feeling is a door turning on its hinges. You are the hinges.
Mistakes that kill uki-goshi
Going in too deep comes first. Plenty of beginners turn uki-goshi into o-goshi without realizing, then wonder why they have to muscle it. If you need to bend the knees to lift, you are too far under uke.
Leaving a gap between the bodies is the opposite mistake. The hip has to touch. A fist's width between you and uke is enough to ruin it.
Third, turning your head toward the mat. The upper body tips forward, the rotation becomes a dive and uke lands on their feet.
Counters and combinations
Uki-goshi is easy to counter. Because the entry is shallow, uke can walk around the hip with a step forward. That problem is exactly what leads to harai-goshi, where the leg sweeps to stop that step.
Uke can also block by dropping the hips, then counter from behind. Utsuri-goshi and ushiro-goshi are the two classic hip counters. Uke lifts tori and either switches them to the other hip or drops them on the back.
If uke pulls the hips back to defend, the chest comes forward. A backward leg attack such as o-uchi-gari becomes possible.
Drills
Begin without throwing. Uke stands, tori enters and turns uke around the hip until the feet come slightly off the mat, then sets them down. Repeat on both sides.
Next, work on the move. Uke takes a step forward and tori enters on that step. Uke's momentum does half the job.
For kids, uki-goshi is an excellent first hip throw. The falls are soft and the movement does not load the back. Adults benefit from revisiting it when their bigger hip throws stall, because that is often where they find the missing rotation.