Why This Major Sumo Event is Being Held in London
The Grand Sumo Tournament
Location: This Historic London Venue, London. Schedule: 15-19 October
Exploring Sumo Wrestling
Sumo represents the traditional sport of Japan, blending custom, rigorous training and ancient spiritual practices dating back more than 1,000 years.
This physical contest involves two competitors – known as rikishi – competing inside a raised circular ring – the dohyo – spanning 4.55 meters across.
Various rituals are performed before and after every match, emphasizing the traditional nature of the sport.
Customarily before a match, a hole is made in the center of the ring and filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.
This opening is closed, enshrining inside a spirit. Sumo wrestlers then perform a ceremonial stomp with hand clapping to scare away bad spirits.
Elite sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, with competitors who participate dedicate their entire lives to the sport – residing and practicing in group settings.
The London Location
This Major Sumo Event is taking place outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition occurring in London from Wednesday, 15 October until Sunday, 19 October.
The British capital with this iconic venue previously held the 1991 tournament – the first time such an event took place beyond Japan in the sport's history.
Clarifying the decision behind going overseas, sumo leadership expressed he wanted to share with London audiences sumo's attraction – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".
Sumo has experienced substantial growth in popularity globally in recent years, with overseas events potentially enhancing the popularity of Japanese culture internationally.
Sumo Bout Mechanics
The fundamental regulations in sumo wrestling are quite simple. The match is decided when a rikishi is forced out from the ring or touches the floor using anything besides the sole of his feet.
Matches can conclude in a fraction of a second or continue several minutes.
There exist two main fighting styles. Pusher-thrusters generally push competitors from the arena through strength, while belt-fighters choose to grip their opponent and use judo-like throws.
Elite wrestlers frequently excel in multiple combat styles and can adapt against different styles.
Sumo includes dozens of victory moves, including dramatic throws strategic evasions. The variety in moves and tactics keeps audiences engaged, so surprises and upsets may happen during any match.
Size categories are not used within sumo, making it normal to see rikishi with significant size differences. Sumo rankings decides opponents instead of body measurements.
Although female athletes do compete in non-professional sumo globally, they cannot enter professional tournaments or the main arenas.
Life as a Sumo Wrestler
Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities called heya, led by a head trainer.
Everyday life of a rikishi centers completely around the sport. They rise early dedicated to training, then consuming a substantial lunch the traditional stew – a protein-rich preparation designed for weight gain – with rest periods.
The average wrestler consumes between multiple servings each sitting – approximately 10,000 calories – with notable instances of massive eating are documented.
Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage in the ring. Although large, they demonstrate remarkable flexibility, quick movements and explosive power.
Nearly all elements of wrestlers' existence are regulated by their stable and governing body – making a unique lifestyle in professional sports.
Competitive standing affects their payment, living arrangements including support staff.
Younger or lower ranked rikishi perform duties around the heya, whereas senior competitors receive preferred treatment.
Competitive standings are established by results in six annual tournaments. Wrestlers with winning records move up, while those losing drop down the rankings.
Before each tournament, a new banzuke gets published – a ceremonial list showing all wrestlers' positions within the sport.
The highest level exists the rank of Yokozuna – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna embody the spirit of the sport – transcending winning.
Who Becomes a Rikishi
There are approximately several hundred wrestlers in professional sumo, with most being Japanese.
Foreign wrestlers have participated significantly over years, with Mongolian athletes reaching top levels currently.
Current Yokozuna include international representatives, with competitors from various nations reaching elite status.
In recent news, foreign prospects have traveled to the homeland seeking wrestling careers.