01 / AT A GLANCE
Harai-tsurikomi-ashi: the defining action
Harai-tsurikomi-ashi combines lifting and pulling with an active foot sweep. In the right-foot form described here, tori sweeps the front of uke’s left ankle while directing the body toward uke’s left-front corner. The target is a moving support relationship, not a kick against a fixed leg.
Name and scope: Harai-tsurikomi-ashi (払釣込足), commonly rendered as lift-pull foot sweep, belongs to Ashi-waza. Searches for “harai tsurikomi ashi” and the hyphenated spelling refer to the same official technique here. An informal nickname should be checked against the actual action before being treated as a separate technique.
Position convention: Tori uses the right sole against the front of uke’s left ankle, with the left foot supporting the body. Directions refer to uke’s own left and right. This explicit convention matters because the technique is easily confused with other foot sweeps when viewed from the opposite side. Tori means the person performing the technique and uke the receiving partner. When reviewing a mirrored camera image, identify each person’s own sides first. Reverse the whole relationship for a left-sided lesson rather than changing one limb while preserving incompatible directions elsewhere.
The intended reader can already practise under supervision and wants to connect demonstration, diagnosis and decision-making. For harai-tsurikomi-ashi, the central question is: move the upper body and the ankle in a coordinated sweep, not in competing directions. Beginners can study the shape with a coach; applying it against variable resistance requires the additional recognition and control work below. The article does not assign a universal belt level or promise that one body type will succeed automatically.
02 / WATCH THE TECHNIQUE
Official demonstration and a second viewing reference
Open this video on YouTube if the player is unavailable.
Open this video on YouTube if the player is unavailable.
Watch the front-of-ankle contact and the upward-forward hand action together. Compare the direction of uke’s shoulders with the sweeping foot rather than studying the foot in isolation.
Official reference: Kodokan. Second demonstration: Efficient Judo. Open the publisher links if either embedded player is unavailable.
A practical viewing question is: “Am I moving uke’s body off its support, or only moving an ankle that the body can immediately replace?” Compare that question across the official and second reference. Differences in speed, partner stance or grip route may explain different appearances. Do not combine isolated details from incompatible versions into one repetition. No timestamps or claims about unseen scoring sequences are supplied here.
03 / WHEN TO USE IT
Recognise an opening and recognise its absence
A usable starting relationship
Uke’s left foot is entering or leaving a weight-bearing phase while the hands can lift and draw the trunk toward the left-front corner. Tori is close enough to sweep without leaning away from the supporting foot.
The selected IJF written example uses tori’s right foot against uke’s left ankle. The Kodokan definitions PDF describes a left-foot example, so do not splice the limb names from the two sources into one drill. This page keeps the IJF convention: left support, right sweeping sole and uke’s left-front corner. Establish that orientation from the partners’ own bodies before comparing a mirrored demonstration or changing to the opposite side.
When the same shape is not an opening
Uke’s left leg is heavily planted and the upper body remains behind it. A harder kick at the ankle does not replace the missing upward and forward balance change.
A long left-foot step can place the ankle within reach while leaving uke’s trunk behind. In that situation, the foot is visually available but the whole body is not following the lift-pull action. Let uke alternate a reaching step and a step that carries the pelvis and shoulders forward. Tori should identify the difference before making contact. The better opportunity is defined by weight transfer, not simply by the nearest ankle.
Movement to invite or read
Use a repeated left-foot step at walking speed, then vary its length. Tori reads the shift of the trunk and heel rather than attacking on a fixed spoken count. In an opposite-lead or unfamiliar grip arrangement, have the coach map the relevant limbs again. The fixed convention in this article provides a reference for comparison; it does not guarantee that the same approach distance survives every stance.
04 / HOW IT WORKS
Connect the grips, support and finishing action
Hands and upper-body connection
The lifting hand brings the upper body up and forward while sleeve control keeps the shoulder line following the intended corner. The hands and sweeping sole must describe compatible directions rather than pulling backward as the foot pushes forward.
Feet, hips and available support
Balance on the left support at a distance that lets the right sole meet the front of uke’s left ankle. Shape the contact to sweep the foot along its available path, without striking the shin or driving into the knee.
Complete the action under control
Continue the lift-pull action while the right foot sweeps the ankle away from its useful support position. Guide uke’s rotation through the hands and remain balanced enough to accompany the landing rather than falling after a long reaching kick.
Study the relationship beneath the visible shape
The name’s lifting-and-pulling component is mechanically important. Watching only the sweeping foot can make the technique look like an ankle kick. In a partner rehearsal without contact, use the hands to invite the trunk toward the left-front corner while uke steps naturally. The observer tracks the shoulders and the left heel. If the shoulders remain behind a settled heel, the intended sweep window has not appeared. If the trunk travels forward as the foot is lightening or changing support, a small sole contact can influence the whole balance relationship.
The supporting left foot controls how accurately tori can place that contact. Too much distance makes the right leg reach and the trunk lean away. Too little room can jam the sole into the shin rather than allowing a sweep at the ankle. Work at walking speed and adjust the approach before increasing tempo. The contact should be recognisable through its direction and timing, not through a loud impact or a large displacement of the lower leg.
05 / KEY POINTS
Four cues with observable checks
Keep the defining mechanism visible
Move the upper body and the ankle in a coordinated sweep, not in competing directions. Ask the observer to describe that action before commenting on power. If a repetition succeeds through a different mechanism, record what actually happened. A fall or escape can be useful without proving that the intended harai-tsurikomi-ashi relationship improved.
Verify the position before adding commitment
A slow rehearsal should show uke’s shoulder line moving toward the selected corner before the foot becomes a strong barrier. The attacking sole should contact the ankle rather than the shin. Use this as a brief checkpoint in cooperative practice, then remove the pause as coordination improves. The checkpoint is not a recommendation to freeze during a live exchange; it is a way to identify the relationship that must survive movement.
Preserve the correct stopping decision
Use a coach-arranged unavailable position to check your decision before adding resistance to harai-tsurikomi-ashi. The precise release or reception boundary is described in the defence section below. Otherwise, a partner who always supplies the ideal opening can teach commitment without teaching selection. A correct reset belongs in the practice record alongside a controlled completion.
Make the result lead to a next position
A successful sweep may leave tori standing beside a rotating uke. Retain sleeve guidance and lower into a controlled top position only after identifying which shoulder has reached the mat. The observer should describe the actual ending, not the intended ending. That description determines whether the next task belongs to finishing, stabilising on top or recovering underneath.
06 / PROBLEMS & ADJUSTMENTS
Diagnose the earliest cause before changing force
The ankle moves slightly but uke simply steps back onto it and stays upright.
The hands may have failed to bring the trunk forward over the changing base. The sweep may begin after the left foot has already accepted full weight. These are competing explanations to investigate, not a diagnosis made from the result alone. The next repetition should reveal which relationship fails first.
Test: Observe three walking steps without attacking and identify when the left heel settles. Repeat the hand action alone, then add a light sweep during the earlier phase. Compare the trunk response rather than the distance the foot travels. Adjustment: Start the lifting-pulling action earlier and shorten the sweeping reach so that tori remains over the left support. Keep the other conditions as similar as practical for the comparison. An improvement in the relevant connection is more informative than one accidental completion after several unrelated changes.
Tori hops because the support foot is too far
A hopping tori often indicates that the supporting foot was too far from the contact point. Reposition the support before increasing speed; hopping after every sweep makes it difficult to distinguish timing failure from distance failure. For harai-tsurikomi-ashi, partner feedback should identify where the action was felt and when it changed. Combine that report with the observer’s view; an outside camera and an inside contact sensation provide different pieces of evidence.
Separate hand timing from shoulder direction
Separate a timing error from a direction error with two short experiments. In the first, keep the same walking rhythm and alter only when the hands begin. In the second, keep the earlier timing and have the coach refine the shoulder direction. If the ankle becomes easier to move but uke still recovers immediately, the trunk may be travelling into a recoverable line. If the shoulder direction is sound but the ankle feels fixed, contact may still be late. This is more useful than changing the grip, step and sweep simultaneously.
The partner should not deliberately lift the foot to manufacture success. Instead, provide ordinary walking weight transfer with a predictable pace. A light, accurate contact can then reveal whether the timing is appropriate. If normal stepping cannot be influenced without striking, reduce the task to observing the heel and shoulder relationship. Recognition is part of the technique and can be trained without completing a fall.
07 / SETUPS & COMBINATIONS
Make the next action depend on a response
First route: starting position, response and continuation
From controlled movement, use a light de-ashi-harai threat to make uke place the foot more deliberately. If the next left-foot step approaches with a usable forward trunk movement, change to harai-tsurikomi-ashi. If uke stops completely, restart the movement rather than sweeping a fixed ankle.
For the de-ashi threat, uke keeps an ordinary walking pattern and changes the placement of the next left step. Tori first observes whether the trunk follows that step, then uses the lift-pull sweep if it does. A planted-foot response calls for renewed movement. The observer should record the moment the heel settles relative to the hand action; counting every ankle touch would hide the timing distinction the drill is meant to teach.
Second route: recovery or change of direction
If uke withdraws the left ankle before contact and returns the trunk upright, recover the attacking foot and facing stance. A subsequent ko-uchi-gari needs a newly available inner heel; it should not be attempted while the right foot is still stretched across the original sweep line.
When the left ankle withdraws, place tori’s right foot back under the body before considering ko-uchi-gari. The next attack needs an inner-heel relationship that may not exist after the sweep misses. Watch uke’s replacement step: if it closes distance and presents the target, rebuild the hands for a rearward attack. If it retreats beyond reach, maintain movement instead of stretching the same leg into a second disconnected contact.
08 / DEFENCES & COUNTERS
Separate prevention, recovery and a counter opportunity
Uke can preserve posture and change the stepping rhythm before the sweep captures the ankle. Stiffening the knee after contact or stamping the foot down against the sweep introduces unnecessary strain.
Stop boundary: Return the right foot to the mat if the ankle has become fixed, the torso has moved out of reach or tori is leaning beyond the left support. The receiving partner must retain an agreed ukemi response when the original attack has succeeded. Do not replace reception with a desperate straight-arm post or a joint-twisting rescue.
Uke can disrupt the sweep by changing the stepping rhythm before the ankle is contacted. Practise that earlier change with a small step rather than stamping down after the sole is already connected. Tori should recover the sweeping foot when the timing disappears. A later fall should be received normally; stiffening the knee while the upper body continues forward creates a different problem from maintaining balance through an earlier rhythm change.
09 / GROUND TRANSITIONS
Read the position after the main action
If uke lands on the back with the near arm available, settle into side control. If uke rolls away or the grip separates, move around the legs with posture rather than diving across an uncertain landing line.
If uke’s shoulders rotate away after the sweep, tori may retain a sleeve at full extension while standing beyond the torso. Do not dive after that arm. Approach with balanced feet, then lower beside the shoulder if the position permits. When uke lands closer, recover the sweeping foot before settling into a hold. The ability to stay balanced after contact affects whether the transition begins from useful proximity or from a chase.
A completed throw and an established hold are separate outcomes. A controlled landing can still require leg clearance or shoulder repositioning before useful top control exists. Compare the actual harai-tsurikomi-ashi ending with the planned one, and practise the common arrival independently if it repeatedly becomes the weak part of the sequence.
10 / PRACTICE PROGRESSION
Progress from a clear shape to a real choice
Stage one: make the reference repeatable
Use the stated harai-tsurikomi-ashi convention with a cooperative partner. Begin slowly enough to identify the grip and support roles, and stop before completing an action that has lost its defining connection. Progress when both partners and the observer can describe the same relationship without guessing. Repetition count alone does not establish readiness.
Stage two: introduce the movement cue
Revisit the specific moving relationship described under “When to use it” for harai-tsurikomi-ashi. First keep its direction predictable, then vary its timing while preserving the same grips and side convention. Keep resistance modest while the cue changes. If the reference shape disappears on every moving attempt, reduce the step or escape amplitude and preserve the correct direction rather than forcing a finish.
Stage three: require a decision
Uke alternates a genuine forward step and a feint that leaves weight behind. Tori sweeps the real step and stays balanced through the feint. A useful round includes a correct continuation and a correct decision not to continue. Record both. When these choices remain clear, increase unpredictability before increasing force, with the coach deciding what the pair can control.
Stage four: constrain the exchange, then broaden it
For a choice round, let uke take either a genuine forward step with the left foot or a short feint that leaves the trunk behind. Tori attempts the sweep only when the body follows. Once that distinction is reliable, vary the step length while keeping the pace moderate. This tests whether the entry distance adapts to the actual step rather than relying on a memorised count and fixed foot mark.
When reviewing a successful attempt, identify what made the foot available: an approaching step, a recovery or a change of rhythm. Avoid recording only the result. In randori, the same-looking ankle may carry very different weight from one exchange to the next. A practice note that names the movement cue gives the next session a usable hypothesis; a note that says sweep harder does not.
11 / COMPETITION EXAMPLE
A named official replay selection to study
Verified selection: Benjamin HARMEGNIES vs Daiki KAMIKAWA — Zagreb Grand Prix 2017. The IJF technique library page includes this contest in its Harai-tsurikomi-ashi technique-tagged replay data. The listing verifies the named pairing, event and technique tag. It does not by itself establish who executed the action, the final score, a precise timestamp or a complete tactical account.
Use the selection to investigate one question: “Am I moving uke’s body off its support, or only moving an ankle that the body can immediately replace?” Before the tagged action, identify the grips and movement that made the situation possible. During the action, compare the defining connection with the official demonstration. Afterward, identify recovery and position. If the player or angle does not show one of those phases, leave that part of the observation blank rather than inferring it from the tag.
A useful competition note for harai-tsurikomi-ashi separates three things: what the official listing states, what you can actually see in playback and what you propose to test in practice. This article confirms the first and supplies prompts for the other two. It does not present an unviewed sequence as a frame-by-frame analysis, nor treat historical footage as certification under current event rules.
12 / VARIATIONS & COMPARISONS
Keep neighbouring techniques and variants distinct
Sasae-tsurikomi-ashi uses a propping action while the body turns around it; this guide emphasises an active sweep. De-ashi-harai concerns a different foot timing and directional relationship. Similar-looking foot contacts do not make the hand actions interchangeable.
Compare the moving sole in de-ashi-harai with the front-of-ankle contact and lifting action here. In sasae-tsurikomi-ashi, the foot props while the upper body turns around the support relationship. Ko-uchi-gari attacks the heel from inside toward a rearward result. These comparisons explain why identical-looking foot height does not establish identical timing or direction.
13 / YOUR NEXT PRACTICE
One task, one observation and one next decision
Task: Read ten left-foot steps and make only the sweeps for which the trunk is moving into the intended corner.
Record: Record foot timing, trunk direction and whether the left support remained stable after the attempt. Use the practice record template or the practice tools described in Judo AI. Include the starting stance, partner response and the single adjustment tested, so the observation remains interpretable at the next session.
Illustrative example — not measured user data: A practice log might show four well-timed contacts from ten steps, with three additional contacts arriving after the heel settled. The next set slows the walk and begins the hands earlier; it does not increase kicking force.
Coach question: “Am I moving uke’s body off its support, or only moving an ankle that the body can immediately replace?” Bring one clear success and one clear failure if recording is permitted. For harai-tsurikomi-ashi, choose the next drill from the earliest difference between them. Keep an adjustment that improves the intended connection across several comparable attempts; revise it when the predicted change does not appear. The purpose of the record is a better next decision, not a decorative count of repetitions.
14 / SOURCES & REVIEW
Sources, authorship and review
Kodokan official technique names establish the name and category. The IJF Harai-tsurikomi-ashi definition and video library and linked Kodokan demonstration are the primary technical references. The second video above is credited separately. The official replay listing in section 11 verifies the named contest and technique tag, not an unviewed score or every coaching proposal here.
The Kodokan definitions (October 2022) are an additional reference for the technical distinctions discussed above. Side conventions follow the explicitly selected form, not a mixture of mirrored examples.
By Judo AI · Editorial review: October 9, 2026. Definitions, source identity, article consistency and links have been checked. Practice tasks and diagnostic questions are editorial proposals to discuss with your coach, not a validated training protocol. Named technical-coach approval is still pending. Video identities were verified; complete playback and every contest detail have not been independently analysed.
Rules and scope: this is a supervised judo study guide, not a current refereeing manual. Historical footage does not establish current rule permissions. Ask your coach to check the applicable age group and event rules before using grip variations or submissions in shiai; this draft does not certify their legality. Stop a practice action when your partner taps, asks to stop or reports pain.