other-martial-arts
Ketaguri
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Ketaguri is an official sumo kimarite in which at the initial charge, the attacker opens the body, kicks a leg from inside to outside, and pulls an arm or strikes the shoulder. The clearest cue is that the ankle kick happens at tachiai as the attacker evades and redirects the upper body. Ketaguri is tied to the opening collision; Kekaeshi uses a similar kick but is not defined by that tachiai timing. The practical English gloss “Tachiai ankle kick-down” is a viewing aid rather than an official translation. Focus on the contact that causes the final movement and on whether the opponent is forced out, falls, or is thrown. Earlier exchanges may create the opening, but the kimarite names the action that actually decides the bout.
Overview
| Japanese | 蹴手繰り |
|---|---|
| Reading | けたぐり |
| Group | Leg techniques (掛け手) |
| English guide | Tachiai ankle kick-down |
| Official no. | 27 |
What happens
The result is recorded when at the initial charge, the attacker opens the body, kicks a leg from inside to outside, and pulls an arm or strikes the shoulder.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action the ankle kick happens at tachiai as the attacker evades and redirects the upper body.
- Result at the initial charge, the attacker opens the body, kicks a leg from inside to outside, and pulls an arm or strikes the shoulder.
- Compare Ketaguri is tied to the opening collision; Kekaeshi uses a similar kick but is not defined by that tachiai timing.
Similar techniques
Ketaguri is tied to the opening collision; Kekaeshi uses a similar kick but is not defined by that tachiai timing. The related pages Mitokorozeme and Watashikomi offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Ketaguri is written 蹴手繰り and read けたぐり. It belongs to Leg techniques (掛け手); “Tachiai ankle kick-down” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Ketaguri can emerge directly from the tachiai, after a prolonged exchange, or as a counter when posture and footing change. Left-right orientation, wrestler size, and camera angle can alter its appearance without changing the classification.
Statistics
The Japan Sumo Association table consulted on 12 September 2026 counted 23 Ketaguri results, 0.01% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 59th in that bounded dataset. This is a dated sample, not a timeless probability; check the association’s live page for later totals.
Sources
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