Yoko-Guruma – how to do this throw
Yoko-Guruma
Yoko-Guruma, belongs to the 5th Group of the Gokyo, and is a spectacular counter throw often used at Olympic level competition. Here’s how:
How to throw with Yoko-Guruma
- Be ready, and when your partner attacks you, move around the technique
- Grab around the waist and as you move around in a circle, stick your leg out
- Use the circular momentum, lift and wheel your partner over onto their back.
Here is a video from the International Judo Federation on how to do this waza.
Guruma means wheel
The Japanese word “Guruma” means wheel and refers to the movement of the technique, as you wheel your partner over, using a part of your body as a pivot.
For example, another common technique which uses this wheel movement is O-Guruma. With O-Guruma tori (attacker) uses their leg as the point of pivot and wheels their partner over their leg.
0-Guruma
Kata-Guruma
You can see a similar wheeling motion in our Kata-Guruma tutorial. With Kata-Guruma tori uses their shoulders as the pivot point, wheeling their partner over their back and towards the tatami.
This technique is a banned technique through the IJF rules (where you can’t touch the trouser leg) but remains a part of the Gokyo and here is information on how to do the throw by the Kodokan.
The 5th Group of the Gokyo
Dai-Gokyo is the 5th Group of the Gokyo, and contains a set of eight techniques; O-soto-guruma, Uki-waza, Yoko-wakare, Yoko-guruma, Ushiro-goshi, Ura-nage, Sumi-otoshi, Yoko-gake.
The 5th Group (Dai-Gokyo) is the most advanced set of the judo syllabus, containing various sutemi-waza (sacrifice throws) and kaeshi-waza (counter throws).
Koka Kids covers the full Gokyo-No-Waza with tutorials on the throws.
