okay so i have never seen much difference in floating hip and major hip throws, why have them both? they have the same grabs, the same positioning and the same force direction...what's the big difference?
I think which one you use is based on fit and personal preference. Uki goshi seems easier for me to fit, as it is a half-hip throw, but it also seems a bit more likely to get countered.
With O goshi you actually take the other guy off of the ground and drop him. Uki goshi is more like you 'bump' him, breaking his balance and you use your arm motion to knock him over.
While we are at it, why Uchi Mata, and Hane Goshi, or De Ashi Harai, and Okuri Ashi Barai, or Hiza Guruma and Sasai Tsuri Komi Ashi, or Pliers and Vice Grips for that matter? There are many series of throws that coexists, and confuse the casual observer, but that doesn't make their worth any less to the person performing the throw. Essentially the only reason for naming the throws at all is to make it easier to teach them. In fact I was at a referees clinic once and we were reviewing competition video, and I was blown away by the fact that on many throws we were split on exactly which throw was being executed. It wasn't that the people in the room didn't know much about Judo in fact it was quite the contrary, but everyone could seem something or the absence of something else that helped them to form their conclusion. But, competition is a results oriented activity. The goal is to throw ones opponent largely on their back. The name of the throw used to do it really doesn't affect the outcome. As a result if 20 of the throws in the Go Kyu No Waza were simply called Hip Throw, it really wouldn't matter during competition. However I am sure that you would agree it would be a lot more difficult to teach those 20 throws. "What throw are we going to work on today Sensei? I think Hip Throw, now go practice." Incidentally Uki Goshi was Kano's favorite throw, and if you have ever seen the pictures of him doing it, it is most certainly not O Goshi. Now are you going to be the one to tell the Kodokan that they need to take the founders Tokui Waza out of the Go Kyu No Waza. "My two cents, now where is my change. Respectfully, Russ (The Judo Guy) The JudoGi Store www.judogis.com My Your Way Be Gentle.
Judoguy got me thinking, and it's something I've known for a long time but never vocalised. All these 'little differences' are the little tweaks that you have to make in randori to make something work, it's good that you're taught the 'tweaked' throws as it means you don't have to invent them yourself in randori, just get to them
When I learned Uki Goshi I learned it with half my hip in, unlike OGoshi. When you throw OGoshi, you turn your full hip in... when I throw Uki Goshi I basically put the side of my hip into the middle of my uke, bump them and throw them. Here is a quick movie of it: http://www.hatredalive.com/nicks/mma/uki.wmv As you can see on here, there is QUITE a different between this and OGoshi. I know that some people are taught to turn their full hip in for Uki Goshi, ut I never was, so I can't comment on the difference other than to say that Uki Goshi is (As stated already) a bump and throw.
