Tomoe Nage, known as the circle throw or stomach throw, is a dynamic sacrifice technique borrowed from judo that has found significant application in sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The technique involves dropping to your back while using foot placement on the opponent’s hip or abdomen to elevate and throw them overhead, typically transitioning directly into closed guard or mount depending on follow-through. This technique is particularly effective in gi competition where grips are secure, and it has become a staple for guard pullers who want to combine offensive takedown scoring with immediate guard establishment. The circular motion that gives Tomoe Nage its name refers to the arc created as the opponent is thrown over your body.
Modern BJJ has adapted this classical judo throw into a versatile entry system that can lead to sweeps, guard pulls, and submission setups. The technique’s effectiveness lies in its ability to use the opponent’s forward momentum and weight against them, requiring more timing and technical precision than raw strength. When executed with full follow-through, the thrower can achieve mount; when used as a controlled sacrifice, it establishes closed guard with broken posture. This dual-outcome nature makes it strategically valuable across multiple competition rulesets.
From Position: Standing Position (Top) Success Rate: 60%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Mount | 30% |
| Success | Closed Guard | 30% |
| Failure | Standing Position | 25% |
| Counter | Open Guard | 15% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Sacrifice your base decisively to off-balance opponent using… | Maintain hip position behind your feet to prevent your weigh… |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Sacrifice your base decisively to off-balance opponent using their forward momentum
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Place foot on hip or lower abdomen to create the fulcrum for the circular throwing arc
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Maintain strong grip control throughout the entire throwing motion and follow-through
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Fall straight back rather than sitting down to generate proper lifting angle and momentum
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Use coordinated hip and leg extension with simultaneous grip pulling to complete the throw
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Immediately transition to guard retention or mount consolidation upon landing
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Time the throw when opponent’s weight is committed forward over their toes
Execution Steps
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Establish grips: Secure a strong same-side collar grip with your right hand and control the opponent’s sleeve with yo…
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Break opponent’s balance forward: Use your grips to pull the opponent’s upper body forward and slightly down, forcing them to step tow…
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Drop to your back: Sit straight back toward the ground while maintaining strong grip tension. Do not sit down gradually…
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Place foot on hip or abdomen: As you drop, place the ball of your right foot firmly on the opponent’s hip bone or lower abdomen. A…
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Extend leg to complete throw: Explosively extend your right leg upward and slightly toward your own head while pulling hard on the…
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Follow through to guard or mount: As the opponent is thrown overhead, maintain grip control and choose your follow-through. For closed…
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Consolidate position: If in closed guard, immediately break the opponent’s posture by pulling down on the collar while ext…
Common Mistakes
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Sitting down gradually instead of dropping straight back in one decisive motion
- Consequence: Insufficient momentum to lift opponent, resulting in them landing in top position with no guard established and you flat on your back
- Correction: Commit fully to falling backward in one motion. The drop should be quick and decisive. Practice the falling motion separately with breakfall drills to build confidence in the commitment.
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Placing foot on opponent’s thigh instead of hip bone or lower abdomen
- Consequence: Loss of leverage for the throw because the fulcrum sits below their center of gravity, allowing easy sprawl or guard pass
- Correction: Aim for the hip bone or lower abdomen as your fulcrum point. The foot should be placed high enough to create an effective lever arm for elevating their entire body over yours.
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Releasing or loosening grip tension during execution of the throw
- Consequence: Opponent escapes the throwing arc and achieves top position with you on your back without guard retention
- Correction: Maintain maximum grip strength throughout the entire technique. The grips control the opponent during their flight and ensure guard retention upon landing. The collar grip is the anchor and should never release.
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Maintain hip position behind your feet to prevent your weight from being pulled forward over your toes
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Fight grips aggressively to deny the collar and sleeve combination that powers the throw
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Recognize the pre-throw setup cues within a one-second window before the drop initiates
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Keep your center of gravity low and back-weighted when sensing sacrifice throw danger
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React to the drop with hip withdrawal rather than posting forward with hands, which feeds the throw
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Exploit the attacker’s committed position on their back when their throw fails
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Maintain at least one grip on the opponent even while defending to prevent them from resetting
Recognition Cues
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Opponent establishes deep collar grip and sleeve grip simultaneously with obvious pulling tension forward
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Opponent steps their lead foot between your feet or very close to your centerline, shortening distance for the drop
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Sudden downward and backward motion of opponent’s body as they begin sitting, with their hips dropping below yours
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Feeling of strong forward pull through the grips that differs from normal grip fighting intensity, attempting to load your weight onto their foot
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Opponent’s rear foot lifts off the mat as they begin to roll backward, committing to the sacrifice
Defensive Options
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Sprawl hips backward and widen base as opponent drops, denying foot placement on your hip - When: When you recognize the drop early, before their foot contacts your hip or abdomen
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Strip grips and circle laterally to avoid the throwing arc, stepping to the side rather than backward - When: When you feel the forward pulling tension increase but before the actual drop begins
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Drive forward and flatten opponent before they can extend their leg, smashing through the throw attempt - When: When the drop has already begun but their leg is still bent and not yet extended, in the brief window between drop and elevation
Position Integration
Tomoe Nage functions as a critical bridge between standing exchanges and guard-based games in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It integrates into the broader standing grappling game as both an offensive takedown option and a guard pulling method, making it particularly valuable for competitors who prefer bottom positions but want attacking pressure from standing. The technique connects directly to the closed guard system upon landing, but modern applications extend to butterfly guard, X-guard, and leg entanglement positions depending on follow-through. Within grip fighting sequences from standing, Tomoe Nage often follows collar drag attempts or failed single-leg entries. The technique also integrates with the broader sacrifice throw family including Sumi Gaeshi and Tani Otoshi, giving practitioners multiple options from similar setups based on opponent reactions and stance.