The Reason This Major Sumo Event is Being Held in London
This Prestigious Sumo Competition
Venue: The Royal Albert Hall, the British Capital. Schedule: 15-19 October
Understanding Japan's National Sport
Sumo embodies Japan's iconic national sport, blending tradition, discipline and ancient spiritual practices with origins over a millennium.
This combat sport involves two competitors – called rikishi – competing within a circular arena – the dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.
Traditional ceremonies take place both preceding and following every match, emphasizing the ceremonial aspects of the sport.
Traditionally before a match, a hole is made at the center of the ring and filled with symbolic offerings by Shinto priests.
This opening gets sealed, enshrining inside a spirit. The rikishi subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to scare away bad spirits.
Elite sumo operates under a rigid ranking system, and the wrestlers who participate commit completely to the sport – residing and practicing communally.
Why London?
This Major Sumo Event is being held outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition taking place in London from Wednesday, 15 October until Sunday, 19 October.
London with this iconic venue previously held the 1991 edition – the first time such an event took place beyond Japan in the sport's history.
Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, sumo leadership expressed he wanted to share with London audiences sumo's attraction – a historic Japanese tradition".
The sport has seen substantial growth in international interest among international fans recently, and a rare international tournament could further boost the popularity of traditional Japan internationally.
How Sumo Matches Work
The fundamental regulations in sumo wrestling are straightforward. The bout is decided when a rikishi gets pushed from the ring or makes contact with anything other than the sole of his feet.
Matches can conclude in a fraction of a second or continue over two minutes.
There exist two primary techniques. Aggressive pushers typically shove their opponents out of the ring through strength, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple their opponent and use throwing techniques.
Elite wrestlers often master multiple combat styles and can adapt against different styles.
There are 82 winning techniques, ranging from dramatic throws to clever side-steps. The variety in moves and tactics maintains fan interest, meaning unexpected results may happen in any bout.
Weight classes do not exist within sumo, making it normal to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. Sumo rankings decides opponents instead of physical attributes.
Although female athletes can participate in amateur sumo worldwide, they cannot enter professional tournaments including major venues.
Rikishi Lifestyle
Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities known as heya, under a head trainer.
The daily routine of a rikishi centers completely on sumo. Early mornings for intense practice, followed by a large meal of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – with rest periods.
Typical rikishi consumes between multiple servings each sitting – thousands of calories – with notable instances of massive eating exist in sumo history.
Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage during matches. Despite their size, they possess remarkable flexibility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.
Nearly all elements of wrestlers' existence are regulated through their training house and governing body – creating a distinctive existence in professional sports.
Competitive standing affects their payment, accommodation options including support staff.
Junior less established wrestlers handle chores around the heya, while higher ranked competitors receive preferred treatment.
Sumo rankings get determined through performance during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records advance, unsuccessful ones drop down the rankings.
Before each tournament, a new banzuke gets published – a traditional document showing everyone's status in professional sumo.
At the summit exists the rank of Grand Champion – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna embody the essence of the sport – transcending winning.
Who Becomes a Rikishi
The sport includes several hundred wrestlers competing professionally, primarily being Japanese.
International competitors have participated prominently for decades, including Mongolian wrestlers achieving dominance currently.
Current Yokozuna include global participants, including wrestlers multiple countries reaching elite status.
In recent news, foreign prospects have journeyed to Japan pursuing wrestling careers.
