🔗 Share this article

The Grand Sumo Tournament

Venue: This Historic London Venue, London. Dates: 15-19 October

Understanding Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies the traditional sport of Japan, blending custom, discipline and Shinto religious rituals with origins more than 1,000 years.

This combat sport involves two competitors – known as rikishi – battling inside a raised circular ring – the dohyo – spanning 4.55 meters across.

Traditional ceremonies are performed both preceding and following every match, highlighting the ceremonial aspects of the sport.

Customarily prior to competition, an opening is made in the center of the dohyo then filled with symbolic offerings by Shinto priests.

The hole gets sealed, containing within divine presence. The rikishi subsequently execute a ceremonial stomp and clap to scare away bad spirits.

Professional sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, with competitors involved commit completely to it – residing and practicing in group settings.

The London Location

The Grand Sumo Tournament is taking place outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition occurring in London beginning October 15th through October 19th.

The British capital with this iconic venue previously held the 1991 tournament – marking the initial occasion a tournament took place beyond Japan in the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning for the international competition, sumo leadership stated he wanted to "convey with London audiences sumo's attraction – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".

Sumo has experienced a significant rise in popularity globally recently, with overseas events potentially enhancing the appeal of traditional Japan abroad.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are quite simple. The bout is decided when a rikishi is forced out from the ring or touches the floor with anything other than their foot soles.

Bouts might end almost instantly or continue over two minutes.

Sumo features two main fighting styles. Aggressive pushers typically shove their opponents out of the ring through strength, whereas grapplers choose to grip their opponent and use throwing techniques.

Elite wrestlers often master multiple combat styles and can adapt to their opponents.

Sumo includes dozens of victory moves, ranging from audacious throws to clever side-steps. The variety of techniques and strategies keeps audiences engaged, meaning unexpected results may happen during any match.

Weight classes do not exist in sumo, so it's common to see rikishi of varying dimensions. Sumo rankings decides opponents instead of physical attributes.

Although female athletes can participate in non-professional sumo globally, they cannot enter elite competitions or the main arenas.

Life as a Sumo Wrestler

Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities known as heya, under a stable master.

Everyday life of a rikishi focuses entirely on sumo. They rise early for intense practice, then consuming a large meal of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – and an afternoon nap.

Typical rikishi eats approximately multiple servings each sitting – approximately 10,000 calories – although legendary stories of massive eating are documented.

Wrestlers purposely increase mass for competitive advantage in the ring. Although large, they demonstrate surprising agility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.

Virtually every aspect of wrestlers' existence get controlled by their stable and governing body – making a distinctive existence in professional sports.

A wrestler's ranking affects their payment, accommodation options and even personal assistants.

Junior less established wrestlers handle chores in the stable, while higher ranked competitors receive special privileges.

Sumo rankings get determined through performance in six annual tournaments. Wrestlers with winning records advance, while those losing descend in standing.

Prior to events, updated rankings gets published – a traditional document showing all wrestlers' positions in professional sumo.

The highest level exists the rank of Yokozuna – the pinnacle position. These champions represent the essence of sumo – beyond mere competition.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

There are approximately 600 rikishi competing professionally, primarily from Japan.

International competitors have participated significantly for decades, with Mongolian athletes achieving dominance currently.

Current Yokozuna feature international representatives, with competitors from various nations reaching elite status.

Recently, foreign prospects have traveled to the homeland pursuing wrestling careers.