other-martial-arts
Izori
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Izori is an official sumo kimarite in which the attacker lowers the hips beneath an opponent leaning forward, raises both knees with the hands, and arches backward. The clearest cue is that both hands lift at the knees while the attacker disappears under the opponent and falls back. Izori uses both knees as the lifting points; the other sorite variants add shoulder carriage, a leg hook, or a route beneath one arm. The practical English gloss “Backward knee-lift 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 | 居反り |
|---|---|
| Reading | いぞり |
| Group | Backward body drops (反り手) |
| English guide | Backward knee-lift drop |
| Official no. | 39 |
What happens
The result is recorded when the attacker lowers the hips beneath an opponent leaning forward, raises both knees with the hands, and arches backward.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action both hands lift at the knees while the attacker disappears under the opponent and falls back.
- Result the attacker lowers the hips beneath an opponent leaning forward, raises both knees with the hands, and arches backward.
- Compare Izori uses both knees as the lifting points; the other sorite variants add shoulder carriage, a leg hook, or a route beneath one arm.
Similar techniques
Izori uses both knees as the lifting points; the other sorite variants add shoulder carriage, a leg hook, or a route beneath one arm. The related pages Shumokuzori and Kakezori offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Izori is written 居反り and read いぞり. It belongs to Backward body drops (反り手); “Backward knee-lift drop” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Izori 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 20 Izori results, 0.01% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 61st 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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