Understanding Sumo: An Introduction to Sumo

With its religious origins, extreme training system, and deep connection to traditional Japanese culture, it is difficult to find a sport comparable to sumo. In an age when athletes are measuring their body fat to the decimal, sumo dares to be big. It would be a mistake, however, to underestimate the athleticism of sumo wrestlers. They collide with the same force as NFL linebackers while wearing little more than a silk loincloth. This article is an introduction to the world of professional sumo.

A Brief History

The history of sumo is long, reaching back over 1000 years. Sumo was originally part of the harvest rituals that can still be found in every part in Japan in the modern form of festivals. Wrestlers would fight to gain the favor of the gods and plead for a bountiful harvest. Ancient sumo probably resembled pre-Queensbury boxing, with very few rules and a great deal of brutality. This changed when sumo was integrated into the pomp and ceremony of the Imperial Court.

To meet the tastes of the Emperor and other nobles, formalized rules removed some of the more brutal practices like eye-gouging and high kicks. Open-handed strikes to the throat and face, arm-locks, head-butting were deemed civil enough and are still acceptable techniques today. As Japan’s population became more concentrated in cities, the demand for entertainment increased. A class of professional sumo wrestlers emerged to provide it. Newly formed governing bodies organized regular tournaments outside of the traditional imperial schedule, furthering sumo’s popularity and making it Japan’s national sport.

Ceremony

Modern sumo has kept many of the trappings from its religious past. The clay ring, called dohyo, is specially constructed beneath a hanging shrine, blessed, and then purified by each wrestler before they enter. Wrestlers toss a handful of salt into the ring each time they step over the bales. Similarly, both the opening and closing ceremonies on tournament days follow the traditional formula. The yokozuna performs the opening ritual (dohyo-iri) before the upper divisions begin their matches, and the bow dance (yumitori-shiki) brings a close to the day.

Rules

The rules have also survived from the Imperial Court with very little alteration. A wrestler can win in two ways: a) he forces his opponent out of the ring or b) his opponent touches the ground with any part of his body, excepting his feet of course. The most common techniques are the push-outs (yorikiri, tsukidashi, and other variations) and throws using the mawashi (silk belt) for leverage. A wrestler cannot strike with a closed fist, kick an opponent above the knees, grab on to the portion of the mawashi covering his opponents sensitive bits, or pull on an opponent’s top not.

Training

Most professional sumo wrestlers have been doing sumo since childhood. Generally they begin with a sumo club in elementary school and, if they rank highly in national tournaments, a training stable will pick them up after junior high school. From that point on, wrestlers live at their stables and train daily. The training regime is very harsh and, in 2007, a young wrestler died as the result of a disciplinary beating that are a part of many wrestler’s daily life. Some wrestlers have come to professional sumo through university sumo programs, but they seem to have a difficult time adjusting to the physical punishment that accrues over a 15-day tournament compared to the single day team matches that make up a university-level tournament. A growing number also come from abroad, with Mongolia being one of the most prominent exporters of sumo talent.

Tournaments

There are six tournaments a year: one in January, March, May, July, September, and November. All of the wrestlers are ranked and split into their divisions. The five highest ranks fight in the top makuuchi division. From highest to lowest, these are: yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi, and maegarishi. In the January 2008 tournament, there will be two yokozuna, four ozeki, two, sekiwake, two komusubi, and thirty-two maegarishi. The lower divisions are similarly organized.

During tournaments, the sumo wrestlers in the upper division have one match a day and, at the end of the tournament, the wrestler with the best record wins the Emperor’s Cup. Other awards are also given out to exceptional wrestlers. Wrestlers are promoted up the ranks when they turn in consistent majority wins. If a wrestler can win two tournaments in a row while ranked at ozeki, he may be promoted to the rank of yokozuna.

Conclusion

Sumo is unique among modern sports because it has carried its origins with it as it has grown. It also one of the few sports where a combatant can find himself pitted against an opponent twice his size. If you are interested in learning more about this sometimes brutal, but always fascinating sport, we will look at each aspect more in-depth in later articles.

Related: Sumo Techniques