part0014

The idea that throws thrash and takedowns compound is based around the difference between the two techniques. A throw, by definition, means casting something away from yourself, especially to project or propel from one’s hand using a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist. That means that something you once held has suddenly left your grip but you are likely to remain at or near the spot from which you initiated the throw. Therefore, when we throw an opponent down onto the ground, we remain standing and in doing so gain a significant advantage.

A takedown, on the other hand, is a martial arts application that involves both combatants progressing from a standing position down onto the ground. One combatant may well be in control, say landing on top of the other, but at the end of the movement both people are on the ground. Using the example of hurling a ball, a takedown would involve throwing the ball to the ground at your feet without letting go. Slamming yourself into the ground while holding a ball in your hand makes for a ridiculous picture and simultaneously an undesirable tactic for karateka .

A throw maintains very little if any control of the adversary when he or she hits the ground. Imagine the classic judo throw ippon-seoi-nage (one-arm shoulder throw). Often the first throw taught to beginners, ippon-seoi-nage involves pulling one of your opponent’s arms to unbalance him or her, turning into the opponent in an attempt to load him/her onto your back, carrying him/her up over your back, and then slamming him/her down onto the ground. This is all done while you remain standing. Often you will keep your grip on the opponent’s arm you initially grasped in order to facilitate a finishing move, but you can just as easily let go.

Because judo is a sport and only a clean throw wins a full point, a follow-up technique such as a pin is almost always attempted. For more advanced practitioners these two moves, the throw and the pin, can be done near seamlessly. This makes the throw and the pin appear to be one smooth movement. This appearance can be deceiving for those who observe it, as the two distinct actions may appear as one. During the throw the judoka has very little control over his or her opponent, hence must move to the ground to achieve it and win the match.

Most karate systems utilize ippon-seoi-nage too, albeit slightly more violently than our judo counterparts. In practice we might keep ahold of our partner’s arm to guide and soften their landing, but in combative application we almost always let go of our adversary after the throw, hoping that ground will knock the fight out of him or her while simultaneously assuring that we cannot be pulled down onto the ground with them. Depending on the unique circumstances we face we may additionally choose to close in and finish off the threat once they’ve hit the ground. The key point is that we have little control and slight contact with the adversary when executing this move, and only where and when we intend it.

Unlike a throw, a takedown has a very large degree of both contact and control. A good illustration of this is with a wrestler’s classic, double-leg takedown. The double-leg takedown involves deeply penetrating the opponent’s defenses, making hard contact with our shoulder, grabbing behind both of the opponent’s legs, and driving him or her backward onto the mat. Done properly this technique not only knocks our opponent backward, pulling his or her feet out from underneath, but also lands us on top in a position of control once the movement is complete.

A critical difference between takedowns and throws is use of the high ground. Throughout history, controlling the high ground has been key to warfare. That is why castles and other fortifications were built on high ground with clean lines of sight to any threatening incursions. It is both easier and more accurate to shoot an arrow or throw a spear downward than upward. And, boiling oil is only effective when poured downward onto adversaries.

As with siege fortifications, holding the high ground in a one-on-one fight increases our choices whereas being on the low ground limits our options. Standing over an opponent is much better than looking up at them. Consequently, while takedowns can be effective, they do not guarantee that we will land in a superior position when we hit the ground. Throws are strategically better in general, and for karate practitioners in particular more so, as we tend to be much better at upright fighting than rolling around on the ground.

Going to the ground is dangerous in a fight, particularly when there is more than one adversary, hazardous terrain (e.g., rocks, broken glass, passing vehicles, discarded needles), or weapons involved. Consider the ancient battlefield. When a warrior lost his footing in battle, he often lost control of his primary weapon as well. That meant facing a highly-trained, armed, and armored opponent empty-handed from a position of severe disadvantage. To counter this, jujitsu evolved among the warrior class in feudal Japan specifically to deal with this challenge.

Let’s say you were a samurai and found yourself disarmed during a battle. If you could not retrieve your own sword, a top priority would be obtaining another one, often taking it from an attacker. One way of doing that was to use a throw. You would close distance, getting inside the sweep of the other guy’s sword and in doing so positioning yourself for a hip or shoulder throw. A skilled adversary would try to block your technique or break his fall so as to not lose all advantage, of course, but if he failed and landed improperly the ground itself would cause damage. Either way you would be in an advantageous position to use your attacker’s weapon against him or, failing that, break off your attack and try a different approach. Chances are at least decent that you would prevail.

A second option would be to go for a double leg takedown. As you close distance you risk both a killing blow from his sword as well as a disabling strike from its pommel. Assuming you make it through and are successful, you both tumble onto the ground. Even if you land in a dominant position, you risk assassination by one of his fellow soldiers as you struggle to gain control of his weapon because you cannot easily move or disengage. In fact, you will find yourself on near even odds grappling with a skilled adversary which means that even if you prevail you are likely to be injured in the process. With less options, your chances of survival are reduced.

In other words, throws thrash while takedowns compound. Compounding an event adds complexity, making the quick win we seek far more challenging. The bottom line: if we’re in a fight and the situation calls for dumping the other guy onto the ground, we must use a throw not a takedown.

It’s extremely challenging to get a throw in tournament competition, but paradoxically can be easier in real life confrontation. That is because not only are we likely to face a somewhat less skilled opponent, but we can also cheat to win. Punching the adversary in the face (which is outlawed in judo competition) and then executing a throw while he or she is momentarily stunned is far easier than throwing alone.

As Iain Abernethy puts it, “Blow before throw.” Karate is primarily a striking art, so we must train to use punches, kicks, smashes, slaps, and other percussive movements to set up our throws for success. Even though throws are not a “go to” technique in most striking arts, they are an important tool in our repertoire so they should be practiced from time-to-time using the strength of our art to set them up as well as to finish off our opponent afterward.