The hip toss is one of those techniques that transcends styles, showing up everywhere from Judo dojos to college wrestling mats to BJJ tournaments. With this move, you get your opponent’s weight onto your hip, use your legs to drive through, and let gravity do the rest. A well-timed hip toss can score points, stun your opponent, and put you on top, in control, and ready to dominate.
How to Do a Hip Toss Step by Step
The hip toss may look flashy, but it’s just a combination of timing and leverage. Below is a repeatable recipe for success
1) Grip and Control Setup
Start by locking in solid upper-body control. In the gi, use a collar-and-sleeve or back grip; in no-gi, go for an underhook with inside bicep control. The key is to win the outside position so your opponent can’t post. Pull them slightly forward to make them light on their feet, and keep your elbows tight so you’re connected to their centerline.
2) Hip Placement and Balance
Step across and slide your hips directly under theirs — this is where the magic happens. Keep your knees bent and your belt line lower than your opponent’s so you can lift with your legs, not your back. Stay tall through your chest and press your head against their body to maintain balance and stop them from sprawling.
3) Executing the Toss
Once your hips are set, commit. Clamp your grips, drive through your legs, and rotate your torso in one smooth motion. As you turn, pull their arm across your hip and guide their body up and over. In the hop-toss variation, add a small hop to lift them cleanly off the mat before turning them through the air.
4) Safe Landings and Follow-Through
Control the descent — never spike or lose contact. Keep your chest close and follow them down, holding the near-side arm to prevent a scramble. Land ready to transition immediately into side control, mount, or kesa gatame. The goal isn’t just to throw — it’s to land in control and stay there.
Hip Toss Variations Across Martial Arts
Every grappling art has its own flavor of the hip toss. Here’s how each discipline puts its spin on one of the oldest tricks in the book.
Judo Hip Toss (O Goshi)
The OG of hip throws, O Goshi, uses kuzushi (off-balance) and timing instead of muscle. The grip is deep on the back or belt, the hips slide perfectly under the opponent’s center, and the throw happens in one smooth arc.
Wrestling Hip Toss
In wrestling, there are no gis or fancy grips, just underhooks, head position, and raw drive. You’ll see it used from over-under ties, failed shots, or counters. It’s less about lift and more about torque, using your hips as a pivot while pulling the upper body across your line.
BJJ Hip Toss
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blends both worlds. In the gi, it’s Judo-influenced: think O Goshi or Koshi Guruma setups with sleeve-and-collar control. In no-gi, it’s all about wrestling-style ties and trips. The main difference is that a hip toss in BJJ is usually softer, focusing on ending in a dominant position rather than impacting your opponent with force.
Hip Toss in MMA and WWE
In MMA, fighters use the hip toss from the clinch to change levels, score takedowns, or set up ground-and-pound. In WWE, the motion is the same, but fighters add a whole lot of dramatic flair.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The hip toss is one of the most satisfying moves in grappling, but it’s also one of the easiest to botch if your timing or positioning is off. These are the most common pitfalls that separate a clean throw from a clumsy scramble.
Poor Hip Positioning
If your hips aren’t underneath your opponent’s, the throw simply won’t work. Too many grapplers try to muscle through the toss with their upper body, forgetting that the power comes from the legs and hips. When your hips are too high, you end up lifting instead of rotating, which wastes energy and kills your leverage.
Overcommitting to the Toss
One of the biggest mistakes is throwing without proper off-balancing. If you turn in too early or try to force the throw without setting it up, your opponent can easily sidestep or take your back. Slow down, set the trap, and only commit once their weight is shifting in your direction. When your timing is right, the throw almost happens on its own.
Timing and Balance Errors
The hip toss is all about rhythm. Step too early, and they post out. Step too late, and they sprawl on top of you. Most timing issues come from moving flat-footed or failing to create that critical off-balance moment before the throw. The more you practice flowing with a partner, the easier it becomes to feel that window where everything lines up.
Is the Hip Toss Legal in All Sports?
Hip Toss in Wrestling Rules
In both folkstyle and freestyle wrestling, the hip toss is 100% legal as long as it’s controlled. You can’t spike or slam your opponent, but if you rotate them safely and keep contact on the way down, you’ll score big. It’s one of the cleanest, highest-percentage throws in the book, especially from over-under ties or countering a bad shot.
Hip Toss in Football
Football players might want to hip toss, but the refs aren’t having it. Grabbing, rotating, or throwing another player to the ground counts as unnecessary roughness or a horse-collar-style tackle. It’s great for highlights, terrible for penalties.
Training Tips to Improve Your Hip Toss
Here’s how to sharpen your toss and build the power behind it.
Drills for Power and Balance
Start with simple entry drills: stepping in, pivoting, and placing your hips without actually tossing your partner. This helps you groove the motion until it’s second nature. Once that feels natural, add resistance bands or grip drills to simulate tension. Balance drills, like standing on one foot or using a wobble board, build the stability you need when your opponent fights back.
Practicing with Partners Safely
Big throws can go wrong fast if you’re careless. Always start slow, control the rotation, and make sure your partner knows how to fall correctly. Use crash mats when you’re drilling higher amplitude throws, and never force a toss that isn’t there. The more relaxed and fluid your movement, the more your opponent will feel like they’re flying on their own.
Strength and Conditioning for Hip Throws
The power for a great hip toss comes from your legs, core, and hips. Focus your gym time on explosive movements like squats, kettlebell swings, deadlifts, and rotational core work. Medicine ball slams and hip bridges are especially useful for building that snap through your midsection. The stronger and more coordinated your base, the easier it becomes to launch opponents without breaking a sweat.
Building the Champion’s Skillset
The hip toss is a classic for a reason; it’s power, precision, and control wrapped into one clean motion. It connects the dots between styles, showing how much Judo, wrestling, and BJJ share when it comes to true grappling mastery. Every time you drill it, you’re building the timing, balance, and confidence that separate good competitors from great ones.
Keep that momentum going. Explore more NAGA technique guides, learn new setups, and expand your stand-up arsenal. Every rep takes you one step closer to competitive excellence.