01 / AT A GLANCE
Tsuri-goshi: the defining action
Tsuri-goshi is a hip throw in which a belt grip helps lift and connect uke to the turning hip. The belt hand is part of a coordinated body action; it is not a handle for hauling someone upward with a bent back.
Name and scope: Tsuri-goshi (釣腰), commonly rendered as lifting hip throw, belongs to Koshi-waza. Searches for “tsuri goshi” 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 throws to the right. The left hand controls uke’s right sleeve and the right hand reaches to the belt at the side or back. The right arm may pass over the shoulder or under the arm, but these are different grip routes and should be practised separately. 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 tsuri-goshi, the central question is: lift the pelvis into a connected hip turn, then rotate the connected body. 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.
Compare when the belt is taken, when the hips approach and when the lifting action begins. In the independent demonstration, identify whether the belt arm travels over or under the arm before borrowing its entry.
Official reference: Kodokan. Second demonstration: Efficient Judo. Open the publisher links if either embedded player is unavailable.
A practical viewing question is: “Is my belt hand creating useful hip contact, or compensating for a sleeve hand that has stopped moving?” 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 steps forward with an upright enough trunk for tori to approach the belt without stretching. The sleeve is available, the belt grip is secure and the bodies can close before uke withdraws the hips.
A belt grip obtained over uke’s shoulder tends to bring the bodies into a different starting height from an under-arm grip. Choose one route for the first drill and name it before entering. With the over-shoulder route, check that reaching has not pulled tori’s own chest forward while the hips stay behind. With the under-arm route, check that uke’s far arm has not blocked the hand from reaching a useful belt position.
When the same shape is not an opening
Uke has moved the hips away while tori is still reaching over the shoulder. A belt grip obtained at full arm extension does not by itself create the distance needed for a hip throw.
When uke retreats, the sleeve can remain in tori’s hand even though the belt-side pelvis has escaped. That is a disconnected grip, not a close hip-loading opportunity. Practise following one retreating step without turning: can tori bring the supporting feet nearer while keeping the trunk upright? If not, release the planned entry. A subsequent belt grip obtained after closing distance starts a new attempt rather than rescuing the old one.
Movement to invite or read
Use a forward recovery step as the entry signal. Uke varies whether that step closes the hips or merely reaches with a foot; tori enters only when the pelvis actually approaches. 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 left sleeve hand draws uke toward the front corner and keeps the near shoulder connected. The right belt hand lifts and draws the pelvis toward tori rather than pulling the belt straight backward.
Feet, hips and available support
Tori turns into the space in front of uke, then places the supporting feet so that the hip can fit beneath the connected trunk. The final foot spacing must permit a stable rise and turn; crossing the feet or leaving the hips too far away defeats the belt connection.
Complete the action under control
With knee and hip extension coordinated with the hands, uke is carried across the hip and turned into the landing space. Tori retains sleeve guidance and does not release the upper body simply because the belt hand has produced a lift.
Study the relationship beneath the visible shape
A useful way to examine the belt grip is to separate access from effect. Access means the hand has reached cloth at the side or back. Effect means that the grip can bring the pelvis toward the entering hip while the shoulder line follows. Those are different achievements. A tall over-the-shoulder reach can look dominant while leaving tori bent forward and uke’s hips far away. An under-arm route can feel closer but still fail if the sleeve hand allows the near shoulder to rotate out. Rehearse each route with the same cooperative stance and ask the observer to describe the pelvis, shoulder and support foot before comparing finishes.
Do not prescribe one universal hip depth from a photograph. The partners’ relative size and the selected belt route change how the entry fits. The practical test is whether uke can be carried across the hip without tori first making a separate backward heave. If the entry requires that heave, inspect distance and the direction of the sleeve before treating leg strength as the limiting factor. A small connected lift followed by a controlled turn is a more informative rehearsal than a large lift with no reliable landing direction.
05 / KEY POINTS
Four cues with observable checks
Keep the defining mechanism visible
Lift the pelvis into a connected hip turn, then rotate the connected body. 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 tsuri-goshi relationship improved.
Verify the position before adding commitment
In a paused entry, uke should feel the belt hand bringing the pelvis toward the hip rather than pinching the belt upward while the shoulders remain distant. 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 tsuri-goshi. 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 controlled forward hip throw may leave tori beside uke’s right shoulder, but it can also leave a wide gap if uke rotates away. First identify where the near elbow and far shoulder landed; do not assume the belt grip provides useful pinning control. 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
Uke rises briefly but slides off the far side before the turn completes.
The belt lift may happen before the sleeve hand has brought the shoulder line forward. The hip may have entered too deeply or too far across, leaving no useful contact surface for the pelvis. These are competing explanations to investigate, not a diagnosis made from the result alone. The next repetition should reveal which relationship fails first.
Test: Keep the same belt grip and perform three entries without lifting. An observer checks whether the sleeve-side shoulder follows the pelvis into contact. Repeat with a smaller hip turn; compare contact, not height. Adjustment: Shorten the initial belt lift and lead the sleeve-side shoulder into the turn before extending the legs. 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.
Lower back strains during the lift
A strained lower back is a stop signal, not evidence that a heavier lift is needed. Rehearse the turn at a distance where knee flexion and close contact are possible, then reduce the partner’s resistance until the body can move as a unit. For tsuri-goshi, 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.
Audit belt contact before and during the rise
Use a belt-contact audit when the same failure repeats. Begin from a stable grip and let uke take a short forward step. Tori fits the hip but does not lift. The observer checks whether the belt hand has drawn the pelvis inward, whether the sleeve-side elbow remains connected and whether tori can straighten slightly without leaning backward. Next, allow a small rise and stop before the throw. If the pelvis moves but the shoulders remain behind, the next correction belongs to upper-body coordination. If both move but the stance tips, the correction belongs to support placement. This separates three visually similar failures that are often described simply as insufficient kuzushi.
When the belt grip slips, inspect the grip itself and the direction of pull before repeating. A loose or unsuitable grip can make an otherwise sensible entry unreliable. Reset the clothing and grip within the coach’s practice rules; do not solve slipping by pulling a distant belt harder. The technical lesson is to preserve a usable connection, not to test how much strain the fingers can tolerate.
07 / SETUPS & COMBINATIONS
Make the next action depend on a response
First route: starting position, response and continuation
From a sleeve-and-lapel stance, threaten ko-uchi-gari while maintaining posture. If uke withdraws the attacked foot and then steps forward to recover distance, obtain the belt connection during that approach and turn for tsuri-goshi. If uke stays back, continue gripping or reset; do not reach after a retreating pelvis.
In the ko-uchi setup drill, uke withdraws the threatened foot without deliberately jumping toward the hip. Tori waits for the actual recovery step, then closes the belt-side distance. The observer checks whether the sleeve-side shoulder followed before the lift. A second response leaves the hips back after the foot withdraws; tori must retain posture and decline tsuri-goshi. This makes the recovery, rather than an agreed sequence, the trigger.
Second route: recovery or change of direction
From an established belt grip, begin the hip entry without throwing. If uke circles away and prevents the hip from fitting, come back to facing posture before seeking o-uchi-gari against an available inner leg. The second attack requires a new foot relationship; it is not a blind leg hook while tori’s back remains turned.
For the change to o-uchi-gari, place both feet back into a stance where tori can see uke’s legs. The belt hand may help retain closeness, but it must not keep tori’s back turned while the right leg searches blindly between the feet. Uke’s recovering step must actually expose the inner target. If uke squares up beyond reach, finish the sequence with a grip reset rather than an automatic second attack.
08 / DEFENCES & COUNTERS
Separate prevention, recovery and a counter opportunity
Uke can keep the sleeve-side shoulder mobile and change distance before the belt connection becomes close. Pulling the hips away after being fully loaded may turn an ordinary fall into an awkward one.
Stop boundary: Tori should step out and face uke if the belt hand remains extended, the sleeve grip is lost or the entry requires twisting through a planted knee. 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.
Let uke defend the belt entry by withdrawing the pelvis before tori turns. Tori’s first response is to restore a facing stance, not to lean farther over the back. On another repetition, let the pelvis approach while the sleeve-side shoulder stays behind. Tori should recognise that the shoulder connection still needs work. These two defences look similar at the belt but require different corrections to distance and sleeve direction.
09 / GROUND TRANSITIONS
Read the position after the main action
If uke lies on the back and the near arm remains accessible, establish a side hold with chest contact and a wide base. If uke has turned onto the side or stomach, settle into a stable top position and rebuild upper-body control before naming a pin.
If the belt remains in the right hand after landing, check whether it controls uke’s torso or merely pulls clothing away from the body. To establish side control, tori needs a usable connection at the shoulder end and a stable lower-body base. Release or relocate the belt grip when it prevents that change. Do not keep lifting the belt after uke is grounded while the near shoulder turns freely underneath.
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 tsuri-goshi 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 tsuri-goshi 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 tsuri-goshi. 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 chooses between approaching with a usable belt connection and withdrawing the pelvis before contact. Tori must distinguish a real hip-entry opportunity from a grip that merely looks strong. 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 constrained round, give uke two permitted responses after the belt connection: approach with the pelvis or withdraw the pelvis while preserving the sleeve. Tori earns a useful decision by entering the first response and declining the second. Start without throws so both partners can distinguish recognition from finishing ability. Once the choices are reliable, permit a controlled finish only from the close response. The observer records the first moment the shoulders and pelvis stop travelling together. This information transfers more directly to randori than counting ten identical belt lifts against an unchanging partner.
A coach review can compare one successful and one unsuccessful entry from the same side. Look at the last frame before the lift rather than only the landing. The question is whether the unsuccessful attempt already contains a distance or shoulder problem. If it does, practising the final extension more forcefully is unlikely to address the earliest error.
11 / COMPETITION EXAMPLE
A named official replay selection to study
Verified selection: Elisavet TELTSIDOU vs Khurshida RAZZOKBERDIEVA — OTP Bank World Senior Championships 2025 Hungary Individuals. The IJF technique library page includes this contest in its Tsuri-goshi technique-tagged replay data. The listing verifies the named pairing, event and technique tag. The listing credits the tagged action to Elisavet Teltsidou. It does not by itself establish the final score, a precise timestamp or a complete tactical account.
Use the selection to investigate one question: “Is my belt hand creating useful hip contact, or compensating for a sleeve hand that has stopped moving?” 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 tsuri-goshi 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
The belt grip distinguishes this task from the more usual lifting-lapel action of tsurikomi-goshi. O-goshi supplies a useful comparison for close hip loading, while uki-goshi uses a shallower hip relationship. A belt grip alone does not make every hip action tsuri-goshi.
Compare o-goshi at the moment of pelvic contact: its waist connection helps draw uke close without depending on a belt lift. In tsurikomi-goshi, follow the lifting lapel arm instead. Use uki-goshi to examine a shallower turning relationship. The comparison should explain what the belt changes, rather than treating every close hip entry as the same throw with a different handhold.
13 / YOUR NEXT PRACTICE
One task, one observation and one next decision
Task: Make five moving entries in which the belt hand closes the pelvis and the sleeve hand brings the shoulder forward before any lift.
Record: Record whether pelvic contact and shoulder connection were both present before extension, and whether the finish stayed balanced. 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: In five cooperative entries, four had a secure belt grip but only two brought the sleeve-side shoulder forward. After reducing the early upward pull, four entries achieved both contacts without a throw.
Coach question: “Is my belt hand creating useful hip contact, or compensating for a sleeve hand that has stopped moving?” Bring one clear success and one clear failure if recording is permitted. For tsuri-goshi, 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 Tsuri-goshi 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.
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.