Browse the winning techniques (kimarite) actually used in professional sumo, grouped by category. Each entry explains what the technique means and links to recent real bouts decided by it.
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基本技
Winning by pushing the opponent's body out of the ring with one or both hands — the single most common kimarite in sumo.
Gripping the opponent's belt (mawashi), closing the distance, and forcing them out of the ring — the quintessential sumo technique.
Similar to yorikiri, but the attacker drives the opponent both out of the ring and down to the ground in the same motion.
Like oshidashi, but the opponent is pushed down onto the ring surface before being forced out.
Thrusting the opponent's chest or throat repeatedly with the palms to drive them out of the ring.
Similar to tsukidashi, but the opponent is thrust down to the ground rather than pushed out of the ring.
Winning by leaning the body's full weight onto the opponent and bearing them down to the ground.
Winning by leaning the body's full weight onto the opponent and bearing them down to the ground (an alternate spelling of abasetaoshi).
投げ手
Throwing the opponent using an overarm grip on the outside of their belt.
Throwing the opponent using an underarm grip on the inside of their belt.
Scooping the opponent up from below by slipping an arm under their armpit and throwing them.
Wrapping the opponent's extended arm under the armpit and throwing them down.
An overarm belt throw where the opponent is pulled forward and down rather than rotated to the side.
An underarm belt throw where the opponent is pulled forward and down rather than rotated to the side.
Wrapping an arm around the opponent's neck and throwing them down.
Hooking a leg around the opponent's leg while throwing them with the upper body.
Entangling a leg with the opponent's while sharply twisting the upper body to throw them.
Similar to a judo shoulder throw — hoisting the opponent's arm over the shoulder and throwing them forward.
Pulling the opponent onto the hip and using a rotating hip motion to throw them.
Stepping in close and scooping up the opponent's inner thigh with one's own thigh to lift and throw them — a spectacular, rarely-seen technique.
Grabbing the opponent's body with both arms and hoisting them up to throw.
掛け手
Hooking a leg around the outside of the opponent's leg and toppling them backward.
Hooking a leg around the inside of the opponent's leg and twisting them down.
Grabbing one of the opponent's legs with both hands, lifting it, and toppling them off balance.
Scooping the opponent's leg from the inside with the hand and driving them down.
Hooking a leg around the inside of the opponent's leg and toppling them backward.
Sweeping the inside of the opponent's ankle with the foot to unbalance and topple them.
Sweeping the hand across the opponent's ankle area to topple them.
Scooping the opponent's inner thigh from the outside with the hand to topple them.
Lightly hooking a foot around the opponent's ankle while pushing them down.
Sweeping the opponent's advancing leg from the inside with a kick while pulling them down off balance.
Kicking either side of the opponent's ankle to sweep and unbalance them.
While grappling the opponent, hooking a leg around theirs and falling backward together to bring them down.
Reaping the opponent's inner thigh from the outside to bring them down.
Similar to tsumatori, but using a smaller, quicker motion to grab the ankle and unbalance the opponent.
Grabbing the opponent's ankle area with the hand and lifting it to unbalance and topple them.
Grabbing deep into the opponent's inner thigh and lifting them to bring them down.
Attacking with multiple techniques at once — such as sweeping a leg while pushing the body — to bring the opponent down.
Grabbing the opponent's ankle with the hand and pulling them down forward.
Grabbing one of the opponent's legs with both hands and lifting it to topple them off balance (an alternate spelling of ashitori).
反り手
From a crouched position with the opponent's head lodged against the body, arching backward to throw them over.
Tracing along the opponent's extended arm to secure a grip, then arching the body backward to bring them down.
Hoisting one of the opponent's legs onto the shoulder and arching backward to throw them — one of the rarest kimarite.
Cradling the opponent's leg with both arms and arching the body sideways to bring them down.
Hooking a leg around the opponent's while arching the body backward to topple them.
A variant of tasukizori where the wrestler approaches from the outside to hoist the opponent's leg and arch them backward.
捻り手
Pushing the opponent's shoulder or arm with one hand to unbalance and topple them sideways.
Pulling the opponent's arm over the shoulder to unbalance them and topple them forward.
Grabbing the opponent's extended arm with both hands and twisting them down.
Gripping the inside of the belt and twisting the body to bring the opponent down.
Gripping the outside of the belt and twisting the body to bring the opponent down.
Locking the opponent's arm and twisting it to bring them down.
Wrapping the opponent's arm against the body and pulling them off balance to the ground.
Swinging the opponent's arm in a wide arc, resembling a fisherman casting a net, to bring them down.
Grasping the opponent's extended arm with both hands and arching the body back to throw them — one of the rarest kimarite.
Wrapping around the opponent's head and twisting the body to bring them down (also written 頭捻り).
Reaping the opponent's inner thigh from the inside with the hand to unbalance and bring them down.
Cradling the opponent's neck with one arm — as if holding a sake bottle by the neck — and twisting them down.
Locking one arm around the opponent's neck and twisting them down.
Similar to tottari, but grabbing the opponent's opposite arm and twisting them down.
Similar to kotenage in gripping the opponent's extended arm, but twisting them down rather than throwing.
Taking a wide reverse grip on the opponent's extended arm and twisting them down.
Pulling the opponent's belt with both hands and bearing down with the full body weight to buckle their knees.
Clasping both hands together around the opponent's torso and twisting them down.
Similar to tottari, but grabbing the opponent's opposite arm and twisting them down (an alternate spelling).
Pulling the opponent's arm over the shoulder to unbalance and topple them forward (an alternate spelling of katasukashi).
Similar to uchimusou, but reaping the leg from the outside.
Wrapping around the opponent's head and twisting the body to bring them down (also read zubuneri).
特殊技
Slapping down on the shoulder or back of an advancing opponent to send them stumbling forward.
Pulling the opponent's arm or belt to unbalance them and bring them down forward.
Getting behind the opponent and pushing them from behind out of the ring.
Like okuridashi, but the opponent is toppled from behind rather than pushed all the way out.
Pinning both of the opponent's arms from the outside and pushing them out of the ring.
A dramatic reversal at the ring's edge — the wrestler twists their hips to throw an attacking opponent out, turning apparent defeat into victory.
Hooking and pulling the opponent's extended arm to unbalance and bring them down.
Gripping the opponent's belt with both hands and physically lifting them off the ground to carry them out of the ring — a spectacular display of raw strength.
Like kimedashi, but the opponent is toppled to the ground rather than pushed out of the ring.
Getting behind the opponent and throwing them using a grip on the arm or belt.
Striking the back of the opponent's neck with the edge of the hand to drive them down forward.
Getting behind the opponent and pulling them forward down to the ground from behind.
With the back turned to the opponent, leaning the body weight backward onto them to bring them down.
Lifting the opponent by the belt and dropping them straight down, rather than carrying them out of the ring.
Like okuritsuridashi, but the opponent is dropped to the ground from behind rather than carried out.
Pressing a hand against the outside of the opponent's knee to split their stance and push them out of the ring.
Getting behind the opponent, gripping the belt with both hands, and lifting and carrying them out of the ring from behind.
Getting behind the opponent and hooking a leg to topple them from behind.
Pulling the opponent off balance and then reversing the momentum to push them down — a technique in which the flow of the bout dramatically turns.
A dramatic reversal at the ring's edge — twisting the hips to throw an attacking opponent out (an alternate spelling of uchari).
勝負結果
The attacking wrestler oversteps their own momentum and steps out of the ring first, losing despite being on the offensive.
A loss recorded when a wrestler's knee touches the ground before any other part of the body except the soles of the feet.
A loss recorded when a wrestler's hand touches the ground before any other part of the body except the soles of the feet.
A loss where a wrestler collapses on their own, losing balance with little or no contact from the opponent.
A loss recorded when a wrestler's foot steps outside the ring on its own, rather than being forced out by the opponent.
独自
A win or loss awarded without an actual bout, when the opponent withdraws from the tournament due to injury or illness.
A loss awarded when a wrestler commits a foul, such as pulling the opponent's topknot or striking with a closed fist.
Rare Kimarite
Techniques with the fewest career decisions, listed from least used.
Wrestlers who have used it
- 白鵬 翔 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2015/11 Tournament Day 7 白鵬 翔
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 富士の輝 和季 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2018/9 Tournament Day 7 富士の輝 和季
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 海舟 麟太郎 (1 times)
- 石浦 鹿介 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2019/11 Tournament Day 8 石浦 鹿介
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 漣 陸 (1 times)
- 玉鷲 一朗 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2022/11 Tournament Day 9 玉鷲 一朗
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 白鵬 翔 (1 times)
- 清の花 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2023/11 Tournament Day 5 清の花
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 武の湖 (1 times)
- 真庭山 新 (1 times)
- 欧山田 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2024/3 Tournament Day 5 欧山田
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 翠富士 一成 (1 times)
- 新屋敷 (1 times)
- 照強 翔輝 (1 times)
- 津軽海 傳三 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2021/7 Tournament Day 4 津軽海 傳三
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 日馬富士 公平 (2 times)
- 石浦 鹿介 (1 times)
- 里山 浩作 (1 times)
- 新隆山 勝洸 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2021/3 Tournament Day 7 新隆山 勝洸
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 鐵雄山 卓 (1 times)
- 有明 吾郎 (1 times)
- 若勢道 央 (1 times)
- 朝日錦 孝汰 (1 times)
- 宇良 和輝 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2021/9 Tournament Day 5 宇良 和輝
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 朝乃丈 段平 (1 times)
- 宇良 和輝 (1 times)
- 照強 翔輝 (1 times)
- 奥武山 (1 times)
- 魁郷 (1 times)
- and 1 more
Most recently decided by 2022/9 Tournament Day 11 輝の里
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 片山 (1 times)
- 湧水 隆貴 (1 times)
- 照強 翔輝 (1 times)
- 真柏鵬 (1 times)
- 田中 (1 times)
- and 1 more
Most recently decided by 2023/11 Tournament Day 13 大辻 理紀
View all match results →Wrestlers who have used it
- 照強 翔輝 (2 times)
- 佐田の龍 (1 times)
- 鏡桜 秀興 (1 times)
- 海士錦 貢 (1 times)
- 慶天海 孔晴 (1 times)
Most recently decided by 2022/5 Tournament Day 15 慶天海 孔晴
View all match results →