Oftentimes, students have trouble getting a throw or takedown to work. Ninety percent of the time, the problem they’re having can be worked out using a teaching tool I use called, “The Triangle of Balance.”

The triangle of balance is as follows. Your partner, stands on two corners of a equilateral triangle, whether it is pointing forwards or backwards. The third, invisible corner (marked with a red X on both triangles) indicates the direction in which your partner’s balance is weakest.

The easiest way to off-balance your partner in order to throw them is to draw them in either of these two directions. Conversely, if you try to throw someone against the direction in which the triangle is pointing, whereby the two corners on which the partner is standing are in a line, it will be much harder to throw them.

Whenever a student is having trouble throwing or taking down a partner, it is usually because they have not sufficiently taken their partner off balance. Sometimes it is because the partner has stepped in an unexpected direction. Sometimes it is because the student attempting the throw has not positioned themselves properly in order to off-balance their partner. By using the triangle of balance, students can often figure out how to alter their position in order to more efficiently off-balance their partner for a throw.

While the triangle of balance was taught to me by my Sensei, Ed Hiscoe Shihan, there is a well-written book called The Science of Takedowns, Throws, and Grappling for Self-Defense that effectively demonstrates the main principles at play when it comes to throws and takedowns, including balance, position, momentum, and leverage. It provides a useful reference point for analyzing the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of your throws and takedowns.

Tags: balance | takedowns | throwing