other-martial-arts
Shumokuzori
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Shumokuzori is an official sumo kimarite in which the attacker enters beneath the opponent, carries the opponent across a shoulder, and arches backward. The clearest cue is that the opponent is visibly loaded across the attacker’s shoulder before the backward fall. Shumokuzori is a shoulder-carrying variation; Izori lifts at the knees without the same shoulder load. The practical English gloss “Shoulder-carry backward drop” 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 | 撞木反り |
|---|---|
| Reading | しゅもくぞり |
| Group | Backward body drops (反り手) |
| English guide | Shoulder-carry backward drop |
| Official no. | 40 |
What happens
The result is recorded when the attacker enters beneath the opponent, carries the opponent across a shoulder, and arches backward.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action the opponent is visibly loaded across the attacker’s shoulder before the backward fall.
- Result the attacker enters beneath the opponent, carries the opponent across a shoulder, and arches backward.
- Compare Shumokuzori is a shoulder-carrying variation; Izori lifts at the knees without the same shoulder load.
Similar techniques
Shumokuzori is a shoulder-carrying variation; Izori lifts at the knees without the same shoulder load. The related pages Kakezori and Tasuki-zori offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Shumokuzori is written 撞木反り and read しゅもくぞり. It belongs to Backward body drops (反り手); “Shoulder-carry backward drop” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Shumokuzori 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 recorded no Shumokuzori result in its bounded sample of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament. This is a dated sample, not a timeless probability; check the association’s live page for later totals.
Sources
Last updated:
