Uki-waza (floating technique) is a side sacrifice throw from the fifth group of the gokyo. Tori drops to his side while stretching one leg across the front of uke's foot, then pulls him over that barrier. Uke, who was pushing or stepping forward, rolls over tori.
The idea: use the other person's momentum
Uki-waza is the textbook answer to an opponent who pushes in a defensive stance, chest forward and arms stiff. The harder he pushes, the easier the throw gets. It shows the logic of sutemi-waza within nage-waza very clearly. You give up your own balance to take his.
It is also a kata technique. In the nage-no-kata, it closes the yoko-sutemi-waza set. The Kodokan gokyo puts it in the fifth group.
How to do uki-waza (right-handed)
Uke is pushing you and you hold a standard sleeve-and-lapel grip. Step back once to invite him further forward. His weight shifts onto his front foot.
Your left leg reaches far out toward the outside of his right foot. Keep it straight, with the edge of the foot skimming the mat. At the same moment, drop onto your left hip.
The hikite pulls his right sleeve toward your left shoulder, then down to the mat behind you. The tsurite goes with it. Uke has no foot left to catch himself, because your leg blocks the only path. He tips over you toward your left shoulder.
A helpful image: you are a tree trunk falling across his path.
What beginners miss
- A bent leg. It blocks nothing and uke steps over it.
- Falling too early, before uke pushes. Tori ends up alone on his back, and uke can simply start groundwork.
- Hands letting go during the fall. Without a continuous pull, the barrier is useless.
- Landing on the back instead of the side. That stops the rotation.
Uki-waza, yoko-otoshi, tani-otoshi: the side-drop family
These three look alike, and plenty of coaches admit the line between them is thin. One way to tell them apart:
| Technique | Where uke goes | What the leg does |
|---|---|---|
| Uki-waza | Forward, over tori | Reaches far, blocks the outside of the foot |
| Yoko-otoshi | To the side, almost straight down | Slides in close to uke's foot |
| Tani-otoshi | Backward | Behind both heels |
Tani-otoshi goes the opposite way and is mostly used as a counter. Uki-waza and yoko-otoshi are best trained together.
When to try it in a match
The right moment is when uke pushes hard in jigotai, legs wide and head down. Against an opponent who keeps his distance and never commits, uki-waza does not work. There is no momentum to turn around.
It also works in opposite grips, when uke pushes on your lapel. The angle changes but the principle holds.
One warning: if the throw fails, you are on the mat on your side. In judo the referee restarts fairly quickly when nothing happens. Still, an opponent who knows his katame-waza will take advantage. Be ready to follow up on the ground.
Drills for uki-waza
Start with tori's fall alone. Do yoko-ukemi to the left with the left leg straight, twenty times on each side. Then uke pushes slowly and tori drops with the barrier, without pulling. Uke just bumps into it.
Only after that do you add the pull of the hands and the throw onto a thick mat. Moving on to yoko-wakare, where both legs go across in front of uke, comes naturally once uki-waza is solid. Learn it inside the kata first, where the rhythm is slow and predictable. The feel of the barrier then carries over to randori, while the reverse rarely works.