Sumo Kimarite: All 82 Winning Techniques Explained

What Is Kimarite?

In professional sumo (ozumo), kimarite (決まり手, literally "deciding hand" or "winning technique") is the official term for the technique used to win a bout. After every match, a referee called the gyoji announces the winner and the kimarite to the arena audience, and the call is displayed on the scoreboard. Commentators, record-keepers, and fans use kimarite to analyze wrestlers' styles, track trends across tournaments, and celebrate spectacular victories.

The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officially recognizes 82 kimarite plus five non-technique results. These techniques cover pushes, throws, trips, lifts, twists, and more — reflecting the remarkable tactical depth hiding beneath sumo's seemingly simple objective: force your opponent out of the ring or make them touch the ground with anything other than the soles of their feet.

Understanding kimarite transforms the experience of watching sumo. Rather than seeing a chaotic scramble, you begin to recognize the precise moment a wrestler's grip shifts, a hip rotates, or a foot hooks an ankle — and suddenly a seemingly evenly matched bout ends in a single decisive instant.

For a broader introduction to how sumo matches are structured and what the rules are, see our guide on how sumo works.

A Brief History of Kimarite Classification

The formal classification of sumo techniques has evolved over centuries. Traditional sumo texts dating back to the Edo period (1603–1868) catalogued techniques, with some early lists numbering 48 techniques — a figure known as the "48 hands" (shijūhatte). These 48 were traditionally described as four groups of twelve: throws, leg trips, backward body drops, and twists.

As professional sumo developed through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, the list expanded and was periodically revised. The Japan Sumo Association fixed an official list of 68 techniques in 1955 (70 from 1960). In 2000 it added 12 techniques and expanded the list of non-technique results to five, creating the current system of 82 kimarite, in use since 2001.

Today the JSA's official kimarite list is the authoritative standard, used in every official bout record. Each technique has a precise Japanese name and a formal definition.

The Six Categories of Kimarite

In Japan, the 82 official kimarite are grouped into six categories: kihon-waza (basic techniques, 7), nage-te (throws, 13), kake-te (leg trips and hooks, 18), sori-te (backward body drops, 6), hineri-te (twists, 19) and tokushu-waza (special techniques, 19). Understanding these groups gives you a mental framework for recognizing techniques in real time.

Basic Techniques (Kihon-waza): Pushes, Thrusts and Force-Outs

These are the bread-and-butter wins. Pushing and thrusting wrestlers (oshi-zumo or tsuki-oshi specialists) drive forward with open-palm thrusts to the chest, shoulders, and neck, or powerful two-hand pushes, winning by oshidashi or tsukidashi. Belt wrestlers grip the mawashi and walk the opponent out — the most fundamental sumo win, yorikiri, belongs here. These techniques reward speed, grip strength, leg drive and positional awareness.

Throws (Nage-te)

Throw techniques use the momentum of the opponent, rotation of the body, or leverage on a limb or belt to send the opponent to the clay. Throws can be executed with an underarm grip, overarm grip, an armlock, or a hold around the head. Spectacular throws that send a wrestler airborne are among the most celebrated moments in sumo.

Leg Trips and Hooks (Kake-te)

These techniques use the legs to hook, trip or sweep an opponent's leg, or the hands to pick up a leg, disrupting balance and sending them down. They are often combined with a simultaneous push or throw for devastating effect.

Backward Body Drops (Sori-te)

The rarest group: the attacker bends backward, often getting under the opponent, and drops him over or behind. Several of these techniques go years without appearing in the top division.

Twists (Hineri-te)

Twisting techniques turn the opponent down using an arm, the head or the belt. The group includes some very common finishes such as tsukiotoshi (thrust-down) and katasukashi (under-shoulder swing-down).

Special Techniques (Tokushu-waza): Pulls, Lifts and Rear Attacks

This group collects pull-downs such as hatakikomi and hikiotoshi, lifts such as tsuridashi, attacks from behind (okuri- techniques) and the edge-of-the-ring reversal utchari. Pull-downs are sometimes criticized when combined with a henka (sidestep) at the tachi-ai, but they are legitimate kimarite requiring excellent timing and awareness of the dohyo edge.

The Most Common Winning Techniques

While 82 techniques are officially recognized, sumo bouts are dominated by a relatively small number of highly effective moves. The following are the most frequently seen kimarite in top-division (Makuuchi) competition. Percentages are our own count of all Makuuchi results from January 2024 through September 2026 (5,138 bouts, source: sumo-api.com); they shift from year to year.

Yorikiri — The Signature Sumo Win

Yorikiri (寄り切り) is the quintessential sumo technique and the single most common way to win a bout. The winner grips the opponent's mawashi — typically with at least one hand on the belt — and drives forward, forcing the opponent across the straw bales (tawara) and out of the ring while remaining on their feet. The key distinction from yoritaoshi is that in yorikiri, the loser steps or is pushed over the tawara and out, whereas in yoritaoshi, both wrestlers tumble over with the loser hitting the ground first.

Yorikiri rewards a strong belt grip, low center of gravity, and powerful leg drive. Belt-fighting yokozuna such as the legendary Hakuho won a large share of their bouts this way. Learn more about how yokozuna and other ranks are structured in our sumo ranks guide.

Oshidashi — The Pusher's Victory

Oshidashi (押し出し) is the push-out win, the domain of the hard-charging oshi style wrestlers. Without touching the belt, the winner pushes the opponent backward and out of the ring. Distinguished from tsukidashi (thrust-out) primarily by the continuous nature of the push versus discrete thrusting strikes.

Hatakikomi — The Slap Down

Hatakikomi (叩き込み) is performed by slapping down on the back of the opponent's neck, shoulder, or upper body as they charge forward, redirecting them face-first to the clay. Often deployed in response to an overly aggressive charge, hatakikomi is controversial when executed immediately from the tachi-ai (opening charge), as it can appear unsporting — but it is entirely legal and frequently effective.

Rare and Spectacular Techniques

Some kimarite are so rarely seen that their appearance in a tournament bout draws gasps from even experienced sumo fans. These techniques often require precise timing, an unusual body position, or an unexpected chain of events.

Non-Technique Decisions: Beyond the 82

In addition to the 82 kimarite, the Japan Sumo Association recognizes five hiwaza (non-techniques) — results where the loser essentially beat himself:

• Isamiashi (勇み足) — The attacking wrestler, pressing forward, accidentally steps out of the ring before his retreating opponent does, and loses.
• Koshikudake (腰砕け) — The loser falls backward without any real technique being applied, usually from over-committing.
• Tsukite (つき手) — The loser stumbles and touches the clay with a hand without significant contact from the opponent.
• Tsukihiza (つきひざ) — The loser stumbles and touches the clay with a knee without significant contact.
• Fumidashi (踏み出し) — The loser steps back out of the ring without being attacked.

Separately, a bout can be decided by fusen (forfeit, when a wrestler does not appear) or hansoku (disqualification for a foul such as pulling the hair or punching with a closed fist; a mawashi coming completely undone also counts as a loss). These outcomes are recorded in the official results but are not counted among the 82 kimarite.

Full List of All 82 Official Kimarite

Below is the complete list of the 82 officially recognized kimarite, grouped into the six categories used in Japan (7 basic techniques, 13 throws, 18 leg trips, 6 backward body drops, 19 twists and 19 special techniques). English glosses are approximate; some techniques differ only in subtle details, such as whether the belt grip is overarm or underarm.

Kihon-waza (基本技) — Basic Techniques (7)

• Tsukidashi — Frontal thrust-out
• Tsukitaoshi — Frontal thrust-down
• Oshidashi — Frontal push-out
• Oshitaoshi — Frontal push-down
• Yorikiri — Frontal force-out
• Yoritaoshi — Frontal crush-out (force-out where the opponent falls)
• Abisetaoshi — Backward force-down — leaning the body weight onto the opponent

Nage-te (投げ手) — Throws (13)

• Uwatenage — Overarm throw
• Shitatenage — Underarm throw
• Kotenage — Armlock throw (no belt grip)
• Sukuinage — Beltless arm throw
• Uwatedashinage — Pulling overarm throw
• Shitatedashinage — Pulling underarm throw
• Koshinage — Hip throw
• Kubinage — Headlock throw
• Ipponzeoi — One-armed shoulder throw
• Nichonage — Leg-sweeping body drop
• Yaguranage — Inner thigh throw
• Kakenage — Hooking inner thigh throw
• Tsukaminage — Lifting (grabbing) throw

Kake-te (掛け手) — Leg Trips and Hooks (18)

• Uchigake — Inside leg trip
• Sotogake — Outside leg trip
• Chongake — Pulling heel hook
• Kirikaeshi — Twisting backward knee trip
• Kawazugake — Hooking backward counter throw
• Kekaeshi — Minor inner foot sweep
• Ketaguri — Pulling inside ankle sweep
• Mitokorozeme — Triple attack
• Watashikomi — Thigh-grabbing push-down
• Nimaigeri — Ankle-kicking twist-down
• Komatasukui — Over-thigh scooping body drop
• Sotokomata — Over-thigh scooping body drop (from outside)
• Omata — Thigh scooping body drop (from the other side)
• Tsumatori — Rear toe pick
• Kozumatori — Ankle pick
• Ashitori — Leg pick
• Susotori — Rear ankle pick
• Susoharai — Rear foot sweep

Sori-te (反り手) — Backward Body Drops (6)

• Izori — Backward body drop
• Shumokuzori — Bell hammer backward body drop
• Kakezori — Hooking backward body drop
• Tasukizori — Reverse backward body drop
• Sototasukizori — Outer reverse backward body drop
• Tsutaezori — Underarm forward body drop

Hineri-te (捻り手) — Twists (19)

• Tsukiotoshi — Thrust-down
• Makiotoshi — Twist-down
• Tottari — Arm-bar throw
• Sakatottari — Arm-bar throw counter
• Katasukashi — Under-shoulder swing-down
• Sotomuso — Outer thigh propping twist-down
• Uchimuso — Inner thigh propping twist-down
• Zubuneri — Head-pivot throw
• Uwatehineri — Twisting overarm throw
• Shitatehineri — Twisting underarm throw
• Amiuchi — Fisherman's throw
• Sabaori — Forward force-down
• Harimanage — Backward belt throw
• Osakate — Backward twisting overarm throw
• Kainahineri — Two-handed arm-lock twist-down
• Gasshohineri — Clasped-hand twist-down
• Tokkurinage — Two-handed head twist-down
• Kubihineri — Head-twisting throw
• Kotehineri — Arm-locking twist-down

Tokushu-waza (特殊技) — Special Techniques (19)

• Hikiotoshi — Hand pull-down
• Hikkake — Arm-grabbing force-out
• Hatakikomi — Slap-down
• Sokubiotoshi — Head chop-down
• Tsuridashi — Lift-out
• Okuritsuridashi — Rear lift-out
• Tsuriotoshi — Lifting body slam
• Okuritsuriotoshi — Rear lifting body slam
• Okuridashi — Rear push-out
• Okuritaoshi — Rear push-down
• Okurinage — Rear throw
• Okurigake — Rear leg trip
• Okurihikiotoshi — Rear pull-down
• Waridashi — Upper-arm force-out
• Utchari — Backward pivot throw
• Kimedashi — Arm-barring force-out
• Kimetaoshi — Arm-barring force-down
• Ushiromotare — Backward lean-out
• Yobimodoshi — Pulling body slam

Note: The five non-technique results (isamiashi, koshikudake, tsukite, tsukihiza and fumidashi), plus forfeits and disqualifications, are recorded separately and are not counted among the 82. The complete official list with precise definitions is maintained by the Japan Sumo Association.

How Kimarite Is Announced and Recorded

After each bout, the gyoji immediately raises his fan (gunbai) toward the winner's side of the ring. He then announces the winner's name and the kimarite used. If the kimarite is disputed — for example, if the winning technique happened simultaneously with the loser stepping out — the five ringside judges (shimpan) may confer to clarify the official call.

The announced kimarite is entered into the JSA's official records, where it joins an extensive historical database tracking every technique used in professional sumo going back many decades. This database allows researchers, journalists, and fans to analyze patterns — for instance, tracking how frequently hatakikomi is used at different ranks, or which yokozuna relied most heavily on belt techniques.

In broadcast coverage, the kimarite announcement is often accompanied by a slow-motion replay specifically framed to highlight the decisive technique, allowing viewers at home to study exactly what happened in the fractions of a second the bout was decided.

Understanding the ranking system that determines which wrestlers face each other — and therefore what tactical matchups produce which kimarite — is explained in our detailed sumo ranks guide.