The unusual Tomoe Nage of Tsunoda and Deguchi

Japan’s Natsumi Tsunoda is a very unusual player. She is one of those rare players who actually moved down a weight (rather than up, which is the norm). Tsunoda used to compete at U52kg and got a silver medal at 2017 World Championships. From November 2019 though, she started competing at the lower weight of U48kg and has found even more success there. She is a double World Champion in this weight class. We will compare her Tomoe-Nage with the one of Christa Deguchi

Tsunoda's tokui-waza is tomoe-nage. And unlike many of her compatriots who do this type of technique, her version is more of a classical version than the more common yoko-tomoe-nage. The way she enters into the technique is also rather unusual.

She holds left-handed with her left hand usually holding onto uke right lapel. Her right hand will usually hold near uke’s left triceps. This is her standard grip although sometimes she likes to go for a double-sleeve grip.

Her entry into tomoe-nage is that of a slip entry where she scoots deep in between uke legs. She keeps both legs bent as she enters but it’s her left leg that does the kicking. Her right leg is often bent completely, sumi-gaeshi-style. Both legs come into play in the final moment of the throw and it can be said that her tomoe-nage is double-footed.

Although she has other techniques, Tsunoda attacks with tomoe-nage most of the time. In terms of the throw itself, sometimes it goes straight over the top but oftentimes it lands to the side, scoring a waza-ari rather than an ippon. Not surprisingly, many of her matches end up with waza-ari-awasete-ippon from two tomoe-nage throws.

Christa Deguchi’s version of Tomoe-Nage

Christa Deguchi's tomoe-nage has some similarities to Natsumi Tsunoda's version in that both involve a classical entry into the technique rather than the more common side entry seen in yoko-tomoe-nage.

Unlike Tsunoda who tends to hold left-handed, Deguchi adopts a right-handed grip, though sometimes she will attack even with a double-sleeve grip.

Like Tsunoda, she throws with her left leg. She does make use of her right leg as well, though not quite in the same way Tsunoda does.

With Tsunoda, the right leg comes up to aid with the throw, making her throw very much a double-footed tomoe-nage. With Deguchi, however, the right leg acts more as a block, and uke is often thrown to the side rather than straight over-the-top.

Deguchi uses tomoe-nage quite often though not nearly as much as Tsunoda, who counts tomoe-nage as her favorite technique. Deguchi has a wider range of techniques and tomoe-nage is just one of the tools in her arsenal.