THE ART OF SUMO WRESTLING

What is Sumo Wrestling Sumo is a competitive contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force one another out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. The Japanese consider sumo a modern Japanese martial art,even though the sport has a history spanning many centuries.

Rankings Sumo wrestling is divided in to ranks, the higher the rank you are the more you get payed and the more you are respected as a sumo. Here are the rankings in order. A wrestler who is ranked below juryo is considered a trainee and does not receive payment. yokozuna ozeki sanyaku maegashira Juryo

Salary In order of highest to lowest ranking yokozuna: 2,820,000 yen or $24,500 US ozeki: 2,347,000 yen or $20,400 US sanyaku: 1,693,000 yen or $14,800 US maegashira: 1,309,000 yen or $11,300 US juryo: 1,036,000 yen or $9,000 US

Life as a professional sumo wrestler On entering sumo, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot, similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo Period. They are also expected to dress in traditional Japanese clothing when in public. Therefore, sumo wrestlers can be identified immediately when in public.

The Wrestling Ring Sumo matches take place in a dohyo, a ring 4.5 meters in diameter, made of rice and straw bales on top of a platform made of clay mixed with sand. Its area is 1600 meters squared and its perimeter is 20 meters. At the center are two white lines. A roof resembling a Shinto shrine may be suspended over the dohyo.

Bout Preparation In the changing room the wrestlers change into their fighting mawashi (clothing) and wait for their bouts. The wrestlers reenter the arena two bouts prior to their own and sit down at the side of the ring. There are no weight divisions in sumo, and considering the range of body weights in sumo, an individual wrestler can sometimes face an opponent twice his own weight. When it is their turn they will be called into the ring by a announcer and they will mount the dohyo. When mounting the dohyo the wrestler performs a number of rituals derived from Shinto practice. Facing the audience, he claps his hands and then performs the leg-stomping exercise to drive evil spirits from the dohyō. Finally the wrestlers crouch down at the starting lines, each trying to stare the other down. When both reach unspoken agreement, they spring from their crouch for the initial charge, In the upper divisions, they almost never charge on the first occasion. Instead, after staring they return to their corners for more mental preparation.

Winning A Match The winner of a sumo bout is either the first wrestler to force his opponent to step out of the ring. Or first wrestler to force his opponent to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his feet. Matches often last only a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is quickly ousted from the circle or thrown to the ground. However, they can occasionally last for several minutes. Each match is preceded by an elaborate ceremonial ritual. The wrestlers themselves are renowned for their great girth, as body mass is often a winning factor in sumo, though with skill, smaller wrestlers can topple far larger opponents.

A Sumo Wrestlers Diet A sumo wrestler eats between 8000 and 20000 calories a day, their main meal consists of a stew made with broth, fish, chicken, rice and vegetables. Also a sumo will drink a lot of alcohol mainly beer as it has a a high amount of calories.

The End