Fireman's carry

Fireman's carry is a tricky but effective takedown. There are many variations in judo, where it is also called drop kata guruma (shoulder whirl/wheel). One common method involves shooting in under your opponent and heaving him over your shoulders as you execute the throw:

1. Control the opponent's right elbow using an overhook or whizzar. The takedown is often set up when your opponent pushes into you, when he steps his near leg back (e.g. combo after osoto gari), or to counter his underhook (make sure to regain dominate posture at the proper angle with your head in his neck).

   Arm control (overhook) should be tight when clinched - allowing you to move your opponent to the front, backwards, or in a spinning motion. After the throw your arm hold should still firmly in place. On the other hand, you need your other arm are free to control the opponent's leg.

2. Draw him off-balance by pulling his elbow up and out. In a kimono, it is like looking at your watch.

3. Swiftly lower your level and take a deep penetration step. You can land with both knees on the ground, or just on your right knee. In either case, land perpendicular to the opponent (on the same side as your overhook) so you can get a good rotation.

   The NCEP fireman's carry instructional says that it doesn't require a deep penetration step; rather pulling the elbow draws the opponent over your shoulders.

   Some people suggest driving your shoulder into his solar plexus to further disrupt his balance. Your head should be placed outside of his hip in either case.

4. Shoot your right arm through the center of the opponent's stance like in a high crotch.

5. Pull down on his elbow and hoist the opponent on your shoulders in an action-reaction movement against your body. You should not need to lower your own shoulder much or lift him very high.

6. In the same motion, swiftly wheel him over top and dump him to the ground. Punch your hi-c arm over your head like throwing a baseball to help rotate the opponent. Pop your hips to help dive him over. The power comes using your legs to lift and drive him over instead of just using your upper body.

7. You usually land with the opponent on his back, and your back on his chest with your head near his armpit. After the throw, rotate your head out of his armpit onto his chest. This way when you rotate back to side control you don't get caught in a guillotine or a scramble with your head in his armpit.

8. Follow through and land in kesa gatame. Don't give him a chance to scramble back to his belly!

Whenever possible, throw the opponent in one continous action and follow up with the pin. If the opponent sprawls out and you can't wheel him over your head very well, simply dump him forward by pulling on his leg and arm. You throw him in front of your head instead of over your shoulder. There are many variations of kata guruma:

• The drop-version of kata guruma described above is a very combat effective version. Here's a demonstration in judo and another from wrestling.
• In a cross-body version of fireman's carry, you attack the far leg instead when he sprawls to prevent the attack of the near leg, but you have to grip outside in an awkward motion for myself.
• In the canonical kata guruma, you lift the person and stand up before throwing.
• Eugene is a fan of the sacrifice kata guruma.
• Gene Mills shows a fireman's carry from a Russian. Very cool.
• Brian Picklo showed a cool lapel-only kata guruma version at the 2007 OKCDT summer camp.
• The Kodokan's kata guruma tutorial contains descriptions of several variations.
• Lucha Mexico produced an excellent tutorial on fireman's carry by Marisol Hernandez.

Inokuma calls fireman's carry a very grand throw, but he warns of being crushed if you do not achieve enough kuzushi. The fireman's carry is one of the most effective takedowns when set up and executed at the proper time.