Abstract: A motor drive method is provided which is capable of preventing suspension of operation of an industrial robot, and preventing deviation of the track of movement from a command track, attributable to an overload state of a motor. Output torque command values for motors for various axes of the robot are detected (S1). When any one of the detected values exceeds a predetermined value, which is determined in accordance with the maximum output torque of each corresponding one of the motors for the various axes, an amount of move command per unit time, for every one of the axes, is reduced. The amount of move command per unit time is reduced by using the torque command values thus increased, the product of an override value and a coefficient obtained in accordance with the differential of the torque command values (S3, S6 and S14), whereby the overload state of the motor is prevented.