other-martial-arts
Kakenage
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Kakenage is an official sumo kimarite in which one leg hooks into the opponent’s inner thigh and springs upward as the upper body turns the opponent over. The clearest cue is that the inside leg hook rises through the opponent’s thigh during the throw. Kakenage uses the hooked leg as the spring; Yaguranage lifts on the thigh, while Nichōnage hooks from outside at the knee. The practical English gloss “Inner-thigh hooking throw” 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 | 掛け投げ |
|---|---|
| Reading | かけなげ |
| Group | Throwing techniques (投げ手) |
| English guide | Inner-thigh hooking throw |
| Official no. | 19 |
What happens
The result is recorded when one leg hooks into the opponent’s inner thigh and springs upward as the upper body turns the opponent over.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action the inside leg hook rises through the opponent’s thigh during the throw.
- Result one leg hooks into the opponent’s inner thigh and springs upward as the upper body turns the opponent over.
- Compare Kakenage uses the hooked leg as the spring; Yaguranage lifts on the thigh, while Nichōnage hooks from outside at the knee.
Similar techniques
Kakenage uses the hooked leg as the spring; Yaguranage lifts on the thigh, while Nichōnage hooks from outside at the knee. The related pages Kotenage and Sukuinage offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Kakenage is written 掛け投げ and read かけなげ. It belongs to Throwing techniques (投げ手); “Inner-thigh hooking throw” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Kakenage 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 288 Kakenage results, 0.2% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 29th 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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