Kawazu-gake
河津掛 · かわづがけ · one-leg entanglement · said kah-WAH-zoo GAH-keh
Also known as grapevine takedown (English)
Demonstrations
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Why this technique is banned
Prohibited in competition: falling backwards with a leg entwined around the opponent's leg risks severe knee and ankle injury. Named for the sumo wrestler Kawazu, and older than judo itself; it is retained in the vocabulary so it can be recognised and refereed.
Under contest rules
Direct hansoku-make. A direct hansoku-make, and the twist or turn some judoka add during the throw does not make it something else. The rule draws the line explicitly: o-soto-gari, o-uchi-gari and uchi-mata with the foot or leg entwined around uke's leg are permitted and score.
Sport and Organisation Rules of the International Judo Federation: refereeing rules, 2026 edition, Article 18.2.2.
Documented for recognition and history; deliberately without a step-by-step. See the prohibited techniques list.
About this technique
A prohibited throw in which tori winds a leg around uke's leg from the inside and falls backwards, taking uke down with the leg still entwined. Documented for recognition only: the entangled fall loads uke's knee unpredictably, which is why the technique is banned.
Suggest an edit to About this technique for Kawazu-gake
A technique to throw down the opponent by drawing him closer, turning the body, hooking the right leg around his left leg from the inside and raising the leg forward while laying down the body with him.
Key points
- Recognise it: a leg wound around yours as the attacker falls backwards
- Banned in competition; attempting it is direct hansoku-make
- Never complete an entangled backward fall in practice; release and step out
Suggest an edit to Key points for Kawazu-gake
Yoko-sutemi-waza (side sacrifice techniques)
At a glance
, classification, Gokyo set, Kodokan number, contest rules, grades that require it
- What it is
- Nage-waza (throwing techniques), Yoko-sutemi-waza (side sacrifice techniques).
- Kodokan number
- 516 (KWA).
- Contest rules
- Direct hansoku-make. A direct hansoku-make, and the twist or turn some judoka add during the throw does not make it something else. The rule draws the line explicitly: o-soto-gari, o-uchi-gari and uchi-mata with the foot or leg entwined around uke's leg are permitted and score.
- Required for
- 5th Dan (British Judo Association)
- 4th Dan (Real Federación Española de Judo y Deportes Asociados)
- Yodan (4th Dan) (United States Judo Federation)
- 2nd Dan (Nidan) (United States Judo Association)
Reference pages elsewhere
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