How to throw with Ippon Seoi Nage? Let’s take a look at this great judo throw, a staple in the training routine of most judoka and a technique that teaches key judo skills including rotation and alignment.
Ippon Seoi Page is a Top Ten Throws
Coaches can find Ippon Seoi-Nage as one of our featured techniques in the teaching resources Top Ten Throws and Advanced Combination Judo.
How to throw with Ippon Seoi Nage
Three Key Coaching Points
Watch out for these three common mistakes young judoka will make as they learn Ippon Seoi Nage.
1. Position of the Feet for Ippon Seoi-Nage
As a child first learns Ippon Seoi Nage, their feet will be all over the place. Sometimes too far forward, other times too far backwards, often with their toes pointing out at unlikely angles.
It is a matter of repetition so the child can find out for themselves and feel when they are in the « sweet » spot, but it is always worth pointing out the importance of alignment.
Lose the alignment, and you lose the force of the technique. Feet should point forwards in the direction of the throw. The feet should be no further apart or closer together than shoulder width.
2. Failure to Break Balance
Judoka will also often turn in against a static Uke, where Uke has the heels of their feet firmly planted on the tatami, and get confused why they can’t lift them off the ground.
They forget to break Uke’s balance, and need to pull uke forwards up onto their toes. To highlight just how difficult it is to throw a static person get Tori to first turn in for Ippon Seoi Nage against a static Uke, whose feet are firmly planted in one spot.
Now bring some movement into the equation. Get Tori to move backwards (Uke will naturally follow the movement coming up onto his toes), and now ask Tori to turn in for Ippon Seoi Nage. The difference should be obvious, and in the second example Uke should feel much lighter.
3. Straight Legs
Watch out for children trying to lift their partner with straight legs or almost straight legs. To get around the failed mechanics, the children will then compensate the straight legs by dropping their upper body, or awkwardly rotating their shoulders.
Make sure when the child turns in, their knees are slightly flexed, and that they understand, to throw they should drive from their legs, and only drop the upper body to get the final rotation.
See Tatamikos version of Ippon Seoi-Nage
Next up: Uchi-Mata
Read this similar article: Neil Adams Uchimata – 4 Key Coaching Areas.
