Judo is a modern martial art, which was founded by Professor Jigoro Kano in the late 19th century. He chose the name judo because it translates to “gentle or yielding way”, emphasizing the importance of mastering techniques without force.
Ashi guruma is one of judo’s classical throws, but it is undoubtedly one of the most difficult to master. This blog post aims to help any judoka who wishes to become a master at this technique. We will explore the history, different variations and how to effectively practice and master Ashi guruma.
As one of the original 68 throws in judo, Ashi guruma is a foot technique that can be a difficult move to master. For those looking to master the technique, senior newaza (ground techniques) includes armlocks and strangles, but these are reserved for judo practitioners with more experience. To get started, explore tachi-waza (standing techniques) and ashiwaza II which includes ouchi-gari, kouchi-gari, kosoto-gari, and hiza-guruma.
With the help of resources like Judo Masterclass Techniques by Michael Swain, or even watching your heroes in real competitions, you can gain an understanding of each of the original throws and learn new ways to apply them. Additionally, some throws that are categorized as harai goshi are actually ashi guruma, and the same goes for sasae and hiza guruma.
British judoka tend to use foot techniques most frequently to achieve scores, with uchi-mata being the most popular throw. However, when it comes to ashi guruma specifically, it is important to remember that each throw is classified according to its pivot center, not its force point(s) of origin.
The Three Seasons of Ashi Guruma
The three seasons of Ashi Guruma can be broken down into three parts: Harai tsurikomi ashi, Ashi guruma, and O guruma. All three techniques are essential in order to master the Ashi Guruma technique. Harai tsurikomi ashi is a foot technique throw, while Ashi guruma is a leg wheel throw, and O guruma is a hip wheel throw.
Each of these techniques can be further enhanced in their effectiveness by the use of the Lever Techniques such as Harai tsurikomi ashi, Ashi guruma, O guruma, Sutemi Waza, and Ma sutemi waza.
All of these techniques are widely used in Judo competitions around the world and have been used by Olympic and World Champions in order to achieve success.
How to Do the Ashi Guruma Technique
Learning how to do the Ashi Guruma judo technique is an essential part of mastering the art of judo. It is a powerful technique that involves throwing your opponent off balance and then pivoting to extend the back lower portion of your foot.
To do this effectively, you need to float your opponent’s balance to their front or right front corner. Once you have achieved the correct position, you can then extend the back lower portion of your foot to complete the throw.
It is important to practice this technique regularly in order to master it. With practice, you will be able to perfect the technique and use it in a variety of situations.
Ashi-Guruma Waza
At the core of Ashi-Guruma, the Japanese term for all foot/leg techniques, is the Gokyo no Waza (five sets of techniques) which was the standard syllabus of Judo throwing techniques that was developed in 1895 by Kano Jigoro.
These include Deashi-barai, Hiza-guruma, Sasae-tsurikomi-ashi, Osoto-gari, Ouchi-gari, Kosoto-gari, Kouchi-gari, Okuri-ashi-harai, Uchi-mata and more. Ashi Guruma is one of the most difficult throws to master as it requires a lot of balance and control from both the attacker and defender.
It can also be considered one of the most spectacular throws out there as it often causes a dramatic finish. In this blog post we will explore the technique further and discuss how to master it.
Ashi-Guruma at the Olympic Games
The Ashi-guruma technique has been featured at the Olympic Games since its inception in 1928, when Professor Jigoro Kano introduced Judo at the Amsterdam Olympics. Keiji Suzuki and Kosei Inoue, both multiple world and Olympic champions, are known for their effective use of the Ashi-guruma technique.
In 2004, Margiani won a silver medal in the Olympics with her spectacular ippon with Ashi-guruma. During the London Olympics in 2012, Russian judo athletes also performed this technique during the Paralympic Games.
Ashi-guruma is a great way to score points and gain an advantage over your opponent. It is essential to master this throw if you want to become a successful judoka.
Travis Stevens’ innovative and effective Ashi Waza system is one of the best ways to learn how to do Ashi-guruma correctly. With his help and guidance, you can learn how to master this technique and use it to your advantage in competition.
Benefits of Practicing Ashi-Guruma
Ashi-guruma is a dynamic throw, suited to fast moving judoka. It creates power and momentum, and is one of the main throws taught in Judo.
It is a foot technique throw. It can be used to float your opponent’s balance to his front or right front corner, and then pivot left and extend the back lower portion of your body in such dynamic phase, to benefit by the insufficient rival kuzushi-tsukuri-harai-tsurikomi-ashi.
Ashi-guruma offers a range of benefits for judoka that practice it.
Firstly, it provides an opportunity for fast-paced competitive judoka to practice kuzushi with a static partner. It also enables judoka to develop their balance, power and coordination as they attempt this dynamic spin entry to fool their opponents.
Furthermore, Ashi-guruma can be used as a counterattack against an opponent’s move or as an offensive move in its own right. This can give judoka the edge they need to defeat their opponents in competitive matches.
How to Master the Ashi-guruma Spin Entry
To further master the Ashi-guruma Spin Entry, it is important to understand the three seasons of Ashi-guruma. These are the Mawari Komi (spinning) entry, the Hiza Guruma (knee wheel) entry and the Momo Guruma (thigh wheel) entry.
Mawari Komi is often used for throws such as O Guruma, Ashi Guruma, Harai Goshi and Uki Waza. The Hiza Guruma entry involves turning your heel up to slide along the thighs, while applying force at the same time.
The Momo Guruma entry involves locking into the hip as your partner should. With proper practice and understanding of these three entries, you can become a master of Ashi-guruma!