IMAC Dojo Judo Curriculum · Level 6

Judo Level 6: Sumi Gaeshi — Guide the turn rather than kick away

Sumi Gaeshi is a rear-sacrifice throw combining upper-body and leg action. Watch the guided rotation, not a kick sending the partner away.

Compiled by Phoenix — Co-founder of IMAC Dojo

Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix)Co-founder of IMAC Dojo

Updated 29 Sept 2026

Author: Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix)
Published: 29 Sept 2026
Last updated: 29 Sept 2026
Sources: 1
Reading time: 2 min

Short Answer

Sumi Gaeshi is a rear-sacrifice throw combining upper-body and leg action. Watch the guided rotation, not a kick sending the partner away.

Key Takeaways

Watch connection before descent.
Observe leg contact at the partner’s inner thigh.
Follow rotation and receiving.

Observe upper-body connection before descent, then follow leg action and rotation.

In this article

What the name tells us

隅返, sumi-gaeshi, combines corner and reversal and belongs to rear sacrifices.

How the technique works

Forward imbalance connects with backward descent and leg action at the partner’s inner thigh. One airborne-leg frame cannot explain it.

Sumi-gaeshi connects drawing uke's upper body in with the lower leg lifting at the inner thigh as tori descends onto the back. Read those actions together rather than as lying down and kicking uke upward.

What to watch in the clips

Watch connection before descent.
Observe leg contact at the partner’s inner thigh.
Follow rotation and receiving.

A distinction worth noticing

Tomoe Nage uses sole contact with the lower torso; Sumi Gaeshi directs attention to inner-thigh leg action. Backward descent alone does not make them identical.

Tomoe-nage uses sole contact at the lower abdomen. Despite similar overhead rotation, leg contact and uke's path distinguish the names more usefully than rotation height.

Taking the lesson back to practice

Do not pull down an unprepared partner or compensate for timing with a kick. Have an instructor check direction and ukemi before linking the action.

The Level here refers to the IMAC Dojo curriculum. Use the article and clips to prepare questions and review them with your instructor. Practical training needs a suitable partner, space and controlled conditions.

When a clip shows a back grip, examine upper-body control before the descent. If the inside leg is hidden, ask about it rather than increasing lifting force or falling faster to compensate for uncertainty.