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Tasuki-zori
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Tasuki-zori is an official sumo kimarite in which the attacker controls an inside arm at the elbow, ducks underneath, lifts the inner leg, and arches backward. The clearest cue is that one hand fixes the arm while the other lifts the inner leg across the attacker’s body. Tasukizori controls the arm and the inner leg on a crossing line; Sototasukizori reaches from above to the same-side inner thigh. The practical English gloss “Arm-and-leg 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 | たすき反り |
|---|---|
| Reading | たすきぞり |
| Group | Backward body drops (反り手) |
| English guide | Arm-and-leg backward drop |
| Official no. | 42 |
What happens
The result is recorded when the attacker controls an inside arm at the elbow, ducks underneath, lifts the inner leg, and arches backward.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action one hand fixes the arm while the other lifts the inner leg across the attacker’s body.
- Result the attacker controls an inside arm at the elbow, ducks underneath, lifts the inner leg, and arches backward.
- Compare Tasukizori controls the arm and the inner leg on a crossing line; Sototasukizori reaches from above to the same-side inner thigh.
Similar techniques
Tasukizori controls the arm and the inner leg on a crossing line; Sototasukizori reaches from above to the same-side inner thigh. The related pages Soto-tasuki-zori and Tsutaezori offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Tasuki-zori is written たすき反り and read たすきぞり. It belongs to Backward body drops (反り手); “Arm-and-leg backward drop” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Tasuki-zori 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 12 Tasuki-zori results, 0.01% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 67th 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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