Kimarite — the winning techniques of sumo

87 techniques · 640,874 recorded bouts

Every sumo bout is recorded with the move that ended it. The association recognises 82 techniques and five other ways a bout can be decided, and the judges call one of them after every bout. The counts below are not estimates: they are every recorded bout in this database, from the March 1958 tournament onwards, counted again from the raw results.

English names follow the usage of NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s “GRAND SUMO Highlights”, so that they match the words used by the English commentary. We do not translate technique names ourselves. Japanese names and the classification are the Japan Sumo Association’s.

⚠️Two techniques — 小股掬い (komatasukui) and 外小股 (sotokomata) — are given the same English name by that source. They are different holds; tell them apart by the Japanese name.

Basic techniques 基本技

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Frontal force out yorikiri	寄り切り	175,739	27.42%
Frontal push out oshidashi	押し出し	129,175	20.16%
Frontal crush out yoritaoshi	寄り倒し	39,481	6.16%
Frontal push down oshitaoshi	押し倒し	19,541	3.05%
Frontal thrust out tsukidashi	突き出し	12,773	1.99%
Backward force down abisetaoshi	浴びせ倒し	2,455	0.38%
Frontal thrust down tsukitaoshi	突き倒し	2,273	0.35%

Throwing techniques 投げ手

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Over arm throw uwatenage	上手投げ	39,973	6.24%
Underarm throw shitatenage	下手投げ	19,249	3.00%
Beltless armthrow sukuinage	掬い投げ	15,687	2.45%
Arm lock throw kotenage	小手投げ	10,823	1.69%
Pulling over armthrow uwatedashinage	上手出し投げ	7,091	1.11%
Pulling underarm throw shitatedashinage	下手出し投げ	2,850	0.44%
Head lock throw kubinage	首投げ	1,706	0.27%
Hooking inner thigh throw kakenage	掛け投げ	1,096	0.17%
Body drop throw nichonage	二丁投げ	156	0.02%
One-armed shoulder throw ipponzeoi	一本背負い	83	0.01%
Inner thigh throw yaguranage	櫓投げ	40	0.01%
Hip throw koshinage	腰投げ	24	0.00%
Lifting throw tsukaminage	つかみ投げ	4	0.00%

Leg-tripping techniques 掛け手

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Outside leg trip sotogake	外掛け	3,936	0.61%
Twisting backward knee trip kirikaeshi	切り返し	2,370	0.37%
Inside leg trip uchigake	内掛け	1,057	0.16%
Thigh grabbing push down watashikomi	渡し込み	727	0.11%
Leg pick ashitori	足取り	724	0.11%
Minor inner foot sweep kekaeshi	蹴返し	628	0.10%
Pulling inside ankle sweep ketaguri	蹴手繰り	562	0.09%
Over thigh scooping body drop komatasukui	小股掬い	381	0.06%
Rear foot sweep susoharai	裾払い	344	0.05%
Pulling heel hook chongake	ちょん掛け	123	0.02%
Hooking backward counter-throw kawazugake	河津掛け	108	0.02%
Ankle kicking twist down nimaigeri	二枚蹴り	88	0.01%
Over thigh scooping body drop sotokomata	外小股	77	0.01%
Toe pick susotori	裾取り	24	0.00%
Ankle pick kozumatori	小褄取り	19	0.00%
Triple attack force out mitokorozeme	三所攻め	16	0.00%
Rear ankle pick tsumatori	褄取り	8	0.00%
Thigh scooping body drop omata	大股	7	0.00%

Twisting techniques 捻り手

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Thrust down tsukiotoshi	突き落とし	28,455	4.44%
Under shoulder swing down katasukashi	肩すかし	5,132	0.80%
Twisting underarm throw shitatehineri	下手捻り	1,447	0.23%
Arm bar throw tottari	とったり	1,073	0.17%
Twisting over arm throw uwatehineri	上手捻り	940	0.15%
2 handed arm twist down kainahineri	腕捻り	790	0.12%
Twist down makiotoshi	巻き落とし	756	0.12%
Inner thigh propping twist down uchimuso	内無双	415	0.06%
The fishermans throw amiuchi	網打ち	297	0.05%
Head pivot throw zubuneri	頭捻り	139	0.02%
Backwards belt throw harimanage	波離間投げ	116	0.02%
Arm bar throw counter sakatottari	逆取ったり	112	0.02%
Head twisting throw kubihineri	首捻り	95	0.01%
Forward force down sabaori	鯖折り	72	0.01%
2-handed head twist down tokkurinage	徳利投げ	70	0.01%
Arm locking twist down kotehineri	小手捻り	52	0.01%
Backward twisting over arm throw osakate	大逆手	41	0.01%
Outer thigh propping twist down sotomuso	外無双	38	0.01%
Clasped hand twist down gasshohineri	合掌捻り	26	0.00%

Backwards body-drop techniques 反り手

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Backwards body drop izori	居反り	52	0.01%
Under arm forward body drop tsutaezori	伝え反り	28	0.00%
Reverse backwards body drop tasukizori	たすき反り	23	0.00%
Bell hammer backwards body drop shumoku-zori	撞木反り	0	0.00%
Hooking backwards body drop kake-zori	掛け反り	0	0.00%
Outer reverse backwards body drop soto-tasukizori	外たすき反り	0	0.00%

Special techniques 特殊技

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Slap down hatakikomi	叩き込み	43,753	6.83%
Hand pull down hikiotoshi	引き落とし	24,655	3.85%
Rear push out okuridashi	送り出し	17,711	2.76%
Frontal lift out tsuridashi	吊り出し	6,177	0.96%
Backward pivot throw utchari	打っ棄り	3,135	0.49%
Rear push down okuritaoshi	送り倒し	3,027	0.47%
Arm barring force out kimedashi	極め出し	2,355	0.37%
Arm grabbing force out hikkake	引っ掛け	902	0.14%
Arm barring force down kimetaoshi	極め倒し	740	0.12%
Rear throw down okurinage	送り投げ	243	0.04%
Head chop down sokubiotoshi	素首落とし	235	0.04%
Frontal lifting body slam tsuriotoshi	吊り落とし	99	0.02%
Rear pull down okurihikiotoshi	送り引き落とし	82	0.01%
Backward lean out ushiromotare	後ろもたれ	72	0.01%
Upper arm force out waridashi	割り出し	48	0.01%
Pulling body slam yobimodoshi	呼び戻し	22	0.00%
Rear lift out okuritsuridashi	送り吊り出し	16	0.00%
Rear lifting body slam okuritsuriotoshi	送り吊り落とし	15	0.00%
Rear leg trip okurigake	送り掛け	5	0.00%

Non-techniques (results without a technique) 勝負結果

Technique	Japanese	Bouts	Share
Forward step out isamiashi	勇み足	1,377	0.21%
Knee touch down tsukihiza	つきひざ	316	0.05%
Inadvertent collapse koshikudake	腰砕け	166	0.03%
Hand touch down tsukite	つき手	145	0.02%
Rear step out fumidashi	踏み出し	95	0.01%