Tomoe Nage
Takedown
Also known as:
Cherez Sebia
Circle Throw
Tomoe nage is judo's circle throw: gripping the opponent's upper body, you sit beneath them, plant a foot on their hip or abdomen, and roll backward, launching them over your head. Sambo teaches the same throw as the over-the-head sacrifice, and in BJJ it doubles as a sweep-minded guard pull that ends mounted when it lands and in open guard when it does not.
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · It is a sacrifice throw: you go to the mat on purpose, and the technique must earn that risk with either the throw or an immediate guard entry.
- · The foot on their hip or belt line is the fulcrum — your leg extends as your back meets the mat, converting their forward pressure into flight.
- · Timing rides their push: tomoe nage launches opponents who drive into you and stalls against ones who hang back.
- · Your grips steer the arc — pulling them over your shoulder line, not straight over your face, keeps the roll connected.
- · A defended tomoe still lands you in open guard with grips; chain to sweeps rather than conceding the failed throw.
Execution
- 1 Establish collar-and-sleeve or over-under grips and draw their forward drive.
- 2 Step deep between their feet, sit close to your own heel, and plant your other foot on their hip or abdomen.
- 3 Roll backward along your spine, extending the planted leg as your grips pull them over your shoulder.
- 4 Follow the rotation through to land in mount or top control.
- 5 If they base out, keep the grips and attack the open guard the failed throw created.
Common mistakes
- × Sitting down out of range so the foot never reaches the hip and the sacrifice buys nothing.
- × Throwing without their forward pressure, which turns the launch into a weak guard pull under a passer.
- × Letting go of the grips mid-roll, surrendering the follow-through to mount.
Do it from
Positions and situations where the Tomoe Nage shows up.
Show 1
Where it lands
The position you end up in.
Mount Top
