other-martial-arts
Yaguranage
Image: TokyoWaltz / Original illustration · All rights reserved
Yaguranage is an official sumo kimarite in which the attacker pulls on the mawashi, inserts a knee or thigh against the opponent’s inner thigh, lifts, and swings the opponent over. The clearest cue is that the opponent rises onto the attacker’s thigh while the belt grip guides the arc. Yaguranage visibly lifts the opponent on the knee or thigh; Kakenage uses an inside leg hook without the same elevated platform. The practical English gloss “Inner-thigh lifting 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 | 櫓投げ |
|---|---|
| Reading | やぐらなげ |
| Group | Throwing techniques (投げ手) |
| English guide | Inner-thigh lifting throw |
| Official no. | 18 |
What happens
The result is recorded when the attacker pulls on the mawashi, inserts a knee or thigh against the opponent’s inner thigh, lifts, and swings the opponent over.
How to spot it
Watch the decisive action, then confirm the result and the closest alternative.
- Action the opponent rises onto the attacker’s thigh while the belt grip guides the arc.
- Result the attacker pulls on the mawashi, inserts a knee or thigh against the opponent’s inner thigh, lifts, and swings the opponent over.
- Compare Yaguranage visibly lifts the opponent on the knee or thigh; Kakenage uses an inside leg hook without the same elevated platform.
Similar techniques
Yaguranage visibly lifts the opponent on the knee or thigh; Kakenage uses an inside leg hook without the same elevated platform. The related pages Kakenage and Kotenage offer useful visual comparisons.
Name
Yaguranage is written 櫓投げ and read やぐらなげ. It belongs to Throwing techniques (投げ手); “Inner-thigh lifting throw” is a practical English guide, not an official translation.
Context
Yaguranage 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 1 Yaguranage results, 0.01% of 190,450 bouts from January 2013 through the final day of the July 2026 tournament, and listed the technique 81st in that bounded dataset. This is a dated sample, not a timeless probability; check the association’s live page for later totals.
Sources
Last updated:
