Sumo
Wrestling
Contributors: Fumiko Hiramatsu, Hikari Ohkura, Yuka Okuno, Yuki
Shiomi, Nami Sugimoto, Yoshiko Fushimi
Sumo
is a traditional Japanese sport that originated in the 7th century.
It was originally performed to entertain the Shinto gods. Sumo is
the pride of Japan.
It
is performed in a round ring made with a rope called a "dohyo."
The wrestlers throw purifying salt, a Shinto ritual, before the
performance. There are six grand sumo tournaments held each year.
Sumo
wrestlers wear "mawashi", which looks like "fundoshi."
Fundoshi is made of a long, narrow cloth which is rolled and fixed
around the loins. The sumo wrestler wears his hair in a top-knot
in the samurai style.
All
sumo wrestlers are fat because weight is advantageous. The average
weight is over 100 kg. Wrestlers must eat a lot of food. "Chanko
nabe," is a famous food eaten by sumo wrestlers. Chanko nabe
is a soup with meat, fish, and vegetables in it. It is very nutritious.
The
rules of sumo are easy. The person who pushes the other down on
the ground or out of the ring is the victor. Most bouts last just
a few seconds. There are no time limits on each play but if both
wrestlers stop moving at all, it is a replay. Some techniques are:
the frontal force out, slap down, frontal push out, inside leg trip,
ankle kicking twist down, and the underarm throw.
There
are many ranks which sumo wrestlers aspire to: yokozuna (grand champion),
ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi and maegasira.
Some
famous wrestlers are Takanohana, Wakanohana and Maino-umi. Takanohana
just retired recently.
These
days, young people have little interest in sumo and the sport is
beginning to wane.
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