other-martial-arts
Tottari
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Tottari is an official sumo kimarite in which both hands seize one opponent arm and the attacker opens the body, twisting that arm toward the attacker. The clearest cue is that two hands fix one arm and draw it across the turning attacker. Tottari initiates the two-handed arm capture; Sakatottari is the counter in which the captured wrestler reverses that control. The practical English gloss “Arm-bar twist-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 | とったり |
|---|---|
| Reading | とったり |
| Group | Twist-down techniques (捻り手) |
| English guide | Arm-bar twist-down |
| Official no. | 47 |
What happens
The result is recorded when both hands seize one opponent arm and the attacker opens the body, twisting that arm toward the attacker.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action two hands fix one arm and draw it across the turning attacker.
- Result both hands seize one opponent arm and the attacker opens the body, twisting that arm toward the attacker.
- Compare Tottari initiates the two-handed arm capture; Sakatottari is the counter in which the captured wrestler reverses that control.
Similar techniques
Tottari initiates the two-handed arm capture; Sakatottari is the counter in which the captured wrestler reverses that control. The related pages Sakatottari and Katasukashi offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Tottari is written とったり and read とったり. It belongs to Twist-down techniques (捻り手); “Arm-bar twist-down” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Tottari 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 373 Tottari results, 0.2% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 25th 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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