Kata guruma

Kata guruma is the judo name for the fireman’s carry — the shoulder-mounted throw in which the attacker rotates the opponent across their own shoulders, ending the throw with the opponent landing in front and below.

Etymology. Kata (肩) means “shoulder”; guruma (車) means “wheel,” referring to the rotational arc the opponent travels around the attacker’s shoulders during the throw. The technique sits in Kodokan judo’s nage-waza (throwing techniques) catalogue under te-waza (hand techniques), where the lifting and turning mechanics are classified by what generates the throw’s primary motion. The English “fireman’s carry” name reflects the visual similarity to the firefighter’s transport carry, but the mechanical principle — the wheel-like rotation around the shoulders — is what gives the technique its judo name.

Mechanics. The throw requires the attacker to drop under the opponent’s centre of gravity, secure both the opponent’s arm and lead leg, and rotate the body so the opponent travels across the shoulders. Level change is the prerequisite for getting under the centre of gravity; the rotational arc requires sustained loading of the attacker’s standing leg as the lift drives through.

Cross-reference. English-speaking no-gi and wrestling use “fireman’s carry”; freestyle wrestling occasionally uses “Cement mixer” for related carries. Full mechanical coverage on Fireman’s Carry.