Entry Turn Only: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Entry Turn Only is a Martial Arts Drills exercise performed by practicing the hip-turn entry for the shoulder throw in isolation, pulling the opponent onto the balls of their feet and dropping the hips below theirs, without continuing into the load or the throw. Dropping the hips low before turning in is the detail this drill repeats until it is automatic.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A cooperative training partner to turn in on is what this drill depends on.
Why It Matters
Turning in to break an opponent’s base while keeping control of one’s own footing asks the body to manage someone else’s weight and its own position at the same time. The lower back muscles (erector spinae) support the turn, and the largest glute muscle (gluteus maximus) and the front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) drive the hip drop and the pivot. A muscle across the upper back and neck (trapezius) and the muscles along the sides of the abdomen (obliques) control the upper-body rotation, and the muscles along the inside of the forearm (forearm flexors) maintain the grip through the turn.
When to Do It
Entry Turn Only works well within a throws-focused session, added before the full shoulder throw gets drilled, so the entry is tested before the load and the finish are added. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace for building this entry, always with a partner who can absorb the pull and turn safely.
Anyone with a current low-back or shoulder issue should get individual guidance before adding repeated turning entries, since the sustained grip and the hip drop both place load on those areas.
Getting Ready
Securing the grip on a partner’s sleeve and collar for a moment without turning yet checks the hold this entry depends on. A few slow, half-speed turns preview the full pull-and-drop before pace is added.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Secure the grip. Take a standard grip on the partner’s sleeve and collar.
- Pull them forward. Draw the opponent onto the balls of their feet, breaking their base.
- Drop the hips. Bend the knees deeply to get the hips below the opponent’s.
- Turn in. Rotate the body fully into the entry position, then reset without throwing.
How Many, How Often
Entry Turn Only is dosed by reps, with each full pull-and-turn counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to dropping the hips before turning | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side |
| Intermediate | The pull, the drop and the turn connect smoothly | 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side |
| Advanced | Comfortable entering cleanly at a working pace | 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side |
Getting the hips below the opponent’s before turning matters more here than how many entries are completed in a set, since turning first with high hips generates no leverage and leaves the back exposed.
Modifications and Variations
The entry turn is the first step toward the throw, with nothing easier before it. A slower pace with a fully cooperative partner is the way to scale it down.
As a harder version, Shoulder Throw Drill continues out of this same entry into the full load and throw, where the hip-drop timing has to hold up once the opponent’s weight comes onto the back.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Turning in before dropping the hips. Rotating into position while the hips stay level with or above the opponent’s strips out the leverage the drop is meant to create. The knees bend deeply before the turn starts.
Pulling with the arms alone. Relying on arm strength to break the opponent’s base tires out the grip fast and still fails to move a heavier partner. The turn of the whole body does most of the work, and the arms maintain the grip.
Standing too far away on entry. Turning in from too much distance leaves a gap that lets the opponent recover their base before the entry finishes. Stepping in close enough to be chest to chest is what makes the entry take hold.
After Your Set
A few slow hip circles in each direction release the hips after repeated entries. Holding one ankle behind the body for a few breaths on each side lengthens the thighs loaded by the deep bend.
Going Deeper
Timing the hip drop with the pull asks for coordination a grip-and-pull does not. The turn tends to start before the hips finish dropping, especially once a partner resists even a little. Slowing back down and exaggerating the hip drop before adding the turn fixes this faster than repeating a rushed entry against resistance.
Someone new to this drill generally manages a clean entry against a fully cooperative partner within the first few sessions, then works toward a consistent entry at a working pace over the following couple of weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A hip drop that finishes before the turn starts
- A pull that comes from the whole body’s turn, not the arms alone
- An entry that closes the distance to chest to chest
- A grip and turn that both hold up as the partner adds light resistance
The order of drop then turn matters more than how many entries are completed.
Muscles Worked
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, holding the back upright through the turn-in)
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, controlling how far the hips drop)
- Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, bending the knees to get under their hips)
- Trapezius (the broad muscle spanning the upper back and neck, holding the pull that brings them onto their toes)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, rotating the torso to face away)
- Forearm Flexors (the muscles of the inner forearm, keeping the grips locked through the entry)
FAQ
Why isolate the entry before practicing the full throw? Isolating the pull and the hip drop keeps the focus on getting low before turning in, so that habit is set before the load and the finish are added.
Is a partner needed for the entry turn? Yes, a cooperative partner to pull onto the balls of the feet gives the entry a body to off-balance and turn under, which a solo version can’t replicate.
Is some hip or grip fatigue after this drill normal? Yes, a worked feeling through the hips and the grip after several sets of entries is expected. A sharp pain in the low back or shoulder calls for backing off and checking in with a doctor or physical therapist.
When is it time to add the full throw? Once the hip drop finishes fully before the turn on every rep, continuing out of this entry into Shoulder Throw Drill is a reasonable next step.
How often should the entry turn be drilled? Two to three times a week, with a cooperative partner, suits most people building toward a reliable, low hip-drop entry.
Related to Shoulder Throw Drill as the harder version that continues into the full load and throw.