Sumo

The spoken word goes back to the verb , meaning 'compete' or 'fight' in Japanese. The written word goes back to the expression , which was a wrestling competition at the imperial court during the Heian period. The characters from , or today, mean 'to strike each other'. There are instances of "sumo" alternatively being written with the kanji "", as in the Nihon Shoki. Here, the first character means 'corner', but serves as a phonetic element, as one reading of it is , while the second character means 'power'. is also a general term for wrestling in Japanese. For example, means 'arm wrestling', and means 'finger wrestling'. The professional sumo observed by the Japan Sumo Association is called , or 'grand sumo'. ==History==

Antiquity (pre-1185) (living dolls), the Japanese tradition of making life-sized life-like dolls which were popular in misemono (exhibitions) during the Edo period of Japan and showed dramatic historical scenes. Prehistoric wall paintings indicate that sumo originated from an agricultural ritual dance performed in prayer for a good harvest. The first mention of sumo can be found in a manuscript dating back to 712, which describes how possession of the Japanese islands was decided in a wrestling match between the known as Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata. Takemikazuchi was a god of thunder, swordsmanship, and conquest, created from the blood that was shed when Izanagi slew the fire-demon Kagu-tsuchi. Takeminakata was a god of water, wind, agriculture and hunting, and a distant descendant of the storm-god Susanoo. When Takemikazuchi sought to conquer the land of Izumo, Takeminakata challenged him in hand-to-hand combat. In their melee, Takemikazuchi grappled Takeminakata's arm and crushed it "like a reed", defeating Takeminakata and claiming Izumo. The , published in 720, dates the first sumo match between mortals to the year 23 BC, when a man named Nomi no Sukune fought against Taima no Kuehaya at the request of Emperor Suinin and eventually killed him, making him the mythological ancestor of sumo. According to the Nihon Shoki, Nomi broke a rib of Taima with one kick, and killed him with a kick to the back as well. The first historically attested sumo fights were held in 642 at the court of Empress Kōgyoku to entertain a Korean legation. In the centuries that followed, the popularity of sumo within the court increased its ceremonial and religious significance. Regular events at the Emperor's court, the , and the establishment of the first set of rules for sumo fall into the cultural heyday of the Heian period. Japanese Middle Ages (1185–1603) With the collapse of the Emperor's central authority, sumo lost its importance in the court; during the Kamakura period, sumo was repurposed from a ceremonial struggle to a form of military combat training among . Since 1868 The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought about the end of the feudal system, and with it the wealthy as sponsors. Due to a new fixation on Western culture, sumo had come to be seen as an embarrassing and backward relic, and internal disputes split the central association. The popularity of sumo was restored when Emperor Meiji organized a tournament in 1884; his example would make sumo a national symbol and contribute to nationalist sentiment following military successes against Korea and China. The Japan Sumo Association reunited on 28 December 1925 and increased the number of annual tournaments from two to four, and then to six in 1958. The length of tournaments was extended from ten to fifteen days in 1949. File:Grand-Kanjin-Sumo-Tournament-by-Utagawa-Kunisada-1846.png|Kanjin Grand Sumo Tournament () File:Kunisada sumo 1851.jpg|Sumo wrestling scene File:Somagahana Fuchiemon restored.jpg|Somagahana Fuchiemon, File:The_Mission_of_Commodore_Perry_to_Japan_in_1854_(BM_2013,3002.1_105).jpg|American sailors of the Perry Expedition examining a sumo wrestler (1854) ==Rules and customs==

defeating Tochinishiki via the "overarm throw" () technique, 1953 The elementary principle of sumo is that a match is decided by a fighter first either being forced out of the circular (ring) (not necessarily having to touch the ground outside the ring with any part of the body; see Shini-tai), or touching the ground inside the ring with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet. The wrestlers try to achieve this by pushing, tossing, striking and often by outwitting the opponent. The Japan Sumo Association currently distinguishes 82 (winning techniques), some of which come from judo. The most common basic forms are grabbing the opponent by the (belt) and then forcing him out, a style called , or pushing the opponent out of the ring without a firm grip, a style called . Illegal moves are called , which include strangulation, hair-pulling, bending fingers, gripping the crotch area, kicking, poking eyes, punching and simultaneously striking both the opponent's ears. The (, which is constructed and maintained by the , consists of a raised pedestal on which a circle 15 , equivalent to in diameter is delimited by a series of rice-straw bales. In the middle of the circle there are two starting lines (), behind which the wrestlers line up for the , the synchronized charge that initiates the match. The direction of the match is incumbent on the , a referee who is supported by five (judges). In some situations, a review of the s decision may be needed. The may convene a conference in the middle of the ring, called a . This is done if the judges decide that the decision over who won the bout needs to be reviewed; for example, if both wrestlers appear to touch the ground or step out of the ring at the same time. In these cases, sometimes video is reviewed to see what happened. Once a decision is made, the chief judge will announce the decision to the spectators and the wrestlers alike. They may order a bout to be restarted, or leave the decision as given by the . Occasionally the will overrule the and give the bout to the other wrestler. On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first. This happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at nearly the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning, his opponent's superior sumo having put him in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being ("dead body") in this case. The maximum length of a match varies depending on the division. In the top division, the limit is four minutes, although matches usually only last a few seconds. If the match has not yet ended after the allotted time has elapsed, a (water break) is taken, after which the wrestlers continue the fight from their previous positions. If a winner is still not found after another four minutes, the fight restarts from the after another . If this still does not result in a decision, the outcome is considered a (draw). This is an extremely rare result, with the last such draw being called in September 1974. A special attraction of sumo is the variety of observed ceremonies and rituals, some of which have been cultivated in connection with the sport and unchanged for centuries. These include the ring-entering ceremonies () at the beginning of each tournament day, in which the wrestlers appear in the ring in elaborate , but also such details as the tossing of salt into the ring by the wrestlers, which serves as a symbolic cleansing of the ring, The average weight of top division wrestlers has continued to increase, from in 1969 to over by 1991, and was a record as of January 2019. ==Professional sumo==

Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association. To turn professional, wrestlers must have completed at least nine years of compulsory education and meet minimum height and weight requirements. In response to this, the JSA stated that they would no longer accept aspiring wrestlers who surgically enhanced their height, citing health concerns. In 2019, reported that the height requirement was , and the weight requirement was , although they also claimed that a "blind eye" is turned for those "just shy" of the minimums. In 2023 the Sumo Association loosened the height and weight requirements, announcing that prospective recruits not meeting the minimums could still enter sumo by passing a physical fitness exam. All sumo wrestlers take wrestling names called , which may or may not be related to their real names. Often, wrestlers have little choice in their names, which are given to them by their stablemasters, or by a supporter or family member who encouraged them into the sport. This is particularly true of foreign-born wrestlers. A wrestler may change his wrestling name during his career, with some changing theirs several times. In addition to the professional tournaments, exhibition competitions are held at regular intervals every year in Japan, and roughly once every two years, the top-ranked wrestlers visit a foreign country for such exhibitions. None of these displays are taken into account in determining a wrestler's future rank. Rank is determined only by performance in grand sumo tournaments. The topmost division receives the most attention from fans and has the most complex hierarchy. The majority of wrestlers are and are ranked from the highest level 1 down to about 16 or 17. In each rank are two wrestlers; the higher rank is designated as "east" and the lower as "west", so the list goes #1 east, #1 west, #2 east, #2 west, etc. Above the are the three champion or titleholder ranks, called the , which are only numbered if the number of wrestlers in each rank exceeds two. These are, in ascending order, , , and . At the pinnacle of the ranking system is the rank of . and a Japanese had not been named from 1998 until the promotion of Kisenosato Yutaka in 2017. This and other issues eventually led the Sumo Association to limit the number of foreigners allowed to one in each stable. Women and sumo Women are not allowed to compete in professional sumo. They are also not allowed to enter the wrestling ring (), a tradition stemming from Shinto and Buddhist beliefs that women are "impure" because of menstrual blood. A form of existed in some parts of Japan before professional sumo was established. The 2018 film depicts female sumo wrestlers at the time of civil unrest following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. ==Professional sumo tournaments==

in Tokyo during the May 2006 tournament Since 1958, six Grand Sumo tournaments or have been held each year: three at the Kokugikan in Tokyo (January, May, and September), and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November). Until the end of 1984, the Kokugikan was located in Kuramae, Tokyo, but moved in 1985 to the newly built venue at Ryōgoku. Each tournament begins on a Sunday and runs for 15 days, ending also on a Sunday, roughly in the middle of the month. The tournaments are organized in a manner akin to a McMahon system tournament; each wrestler in the top two divisions () has one match per day, while the lower-ranked wrestlers compete in seven bouts, about one every two days. Each day is structured so that the highest-ranked contestants compete at the end of the day. Thus, wrestling starts in the morning with the wrestlers and ends at around six o'clock in the evening with bouts involving the . The wrestler who wins the most matches over the 15 days wins the tournament championship () for his division. If two wrestlers are tied for the top, they wrestle each other and the winner takes the title. Three-way ties for a championship are rare, at least in the top division. In these cases, the three wrestle each other in pairs with the first to win two in a row taking the tournament. More complex systems for championship playoffs involving four or more wrestlers also exist, but these are usually only seen in determining the winner of one of the lower divisions. flags in Fukuoka, 2006 The matchups for each day of the tournament are determined by the sumo elders who are members of the judging division of the Japan Sumo Association. They meet every morning at 11 am and announce the following day's matchups around 12 pm. An exception are the final day 15 matchups, which are announced much later on day 14. ==Life as a professional sumo wrestler==

in Tokyo end their daily workout routine with a footwork drill (1998) A professional sumo wrestler leads a highly regimented way of life. The Sumo Association prescribes the behavior of its wrestlers in some detail. For example, the association prohibits wrestlers from driving cars, although this is partly out of necessity as many wrestlers are too big to fit behind a steering wheel. Breaking the rules can result in fines and/or suspension for both the offending wrestler and his stablemaster. On entering sumo, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot, or , similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo period. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the and traditional Japanese dress when in public, allowing them to be identified immediately as wrestlers. In recent years, however, this rule has been enforced less strictly than before. The type and quality of the dress depends on the wrestler's rank. in and below are allowed to wear only a thin cotton robe called a , even in winter. Furthermore, when outside, they must wear a form of wooden sandal called . Wrestlers in the and divisions can wear a form of traditional short overcoat over their and are allowed to wear straw sandals, called . The higher-ranked can wear silk robes of their own choice, and the quality of the garb is significantly improved. They also are expected to wear a more elaborate form of topknot called an (big ginkgo leaf) on formal occasions. Similar distinctions are made in stable life. The junior wrestlers must get up earliest, around 5 am, for training, whereas the may start around 7 am. When the are training, the junior wrestlers may have chores to do, such as assisting in cooking lunch, cleaning, and preparing baths, holding a s towel, or wiping the sweat from him. The ranking hierarchy is preserved for the order of precedence in bathing after training, and in eating lunch. Wrestlers are not normally allowed to eat breakfast and are expected to have a siesta-like nap after a large lunch. Many develop type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, and they are prone to heart attacks due to the enormous amount of body mass and fat that they accumulate. The excessive intake of alcohol can lead to liver problems, and the stress on their joints due to their excess weight can cause arthritis. In the 21st century, the standards of weight gain became less strict for the sake of the wrestlers' health. ==Salary and payment==

, the monthly salary figures (in Japanese yen) for the top two divisions were: • : ¥3 million, about US$1.8million • : ¥2.5 million, about US$1.57 million • : ¥1.8 million, about US$$1.13 million • : ¥1.4 million, about US$875,000 • : ¥1.1 million, about US$690,800 Wrestlers lower than the second-highest division, who are considered trainees, receive only a fairly small allowance instead of a salary. In addition to the basic salary, wrestlers also receive additional bonus income, called , six times a year (once every tournament, or ) based on the cumulative performance in their career to date. This bonus increases every time the wrestler scores a (with larger giving larger raises). Special increases in this bonus are also awarded for winning the top division championship (with an extra large increase for a "perfect" championship victory with no losses or ), and also for scoring a gold star or (an upset of a by a ). wrestlers also receive a relatively small additional tournament allowance, depending on their rank, and receive an additional allowance every second tournament, associated with the making of a new belt worn in their ring entering ceremony. Also, prize money is given to the winner of each divisional championship, which increases from ¥100,000 for a victory up to ¥10 million for winning the top division. In addition to prizes for a championship, wrestlers in the top division giving an exceptional performance in the eyes of a judging panel can also receive one or more of three special prizes (the ), which are worth ¥2 million each. Individual top division matches can also be sponsored by companies, with the resulting prize money called . Immediately after the match, the winner receives an envelope from the referee with half of his share of the sponsorship, while the other half is put in a fund for his retirement. No prize money is awarded for bouts decided by a or forfeit victory. ==Amateur sumo==

Japan Sumo is also practised as an amateur sport in Japan, with participants in college, high school, grade school or company workers on works teams. Open amateur tournaments are also held. The sport at this level is stripped of most of the ceremony. Most new entries into professional sumo are junior high school graduates with little to no previous experience, but the number of wrestlers with a collegiate background in the sport has been increasing over the past few decades. reported on this trend in November 1999, when more than a third of the wrestlers in the top two divisions were university graduates. Nippon Sport Science University and Nihon University are the colleges that have produced the most professional sumo wrestlers. The sport has long been popular on the West Coast and in Hawaii, where it has played a part in the festivals of the Japanese ethnic communities. Now, however, the sport has grown beyond the sphere of Japanese diaspora and athletes come from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and sporting backgrounds. Amateur sumo is particularly strong in Europe. Many athletes come to the sport from a background in judo, freestyle wrestling, or other grappling sports such as sambo. Some Eastern European athletes have been successful enough to be scouted into professional sumo in Japan, much like their Japanese amateur counterparts. The most notable of these to date is the Bulgarian Kotoōshū, who is the highest-ranking foreign wrestler who was formerly an amateur sumo athlete. Brazil is another center of amateur sumo, introduced by Japanese immigrants who arrived during the first half of the twentieth century. The first Brazilian sumo tournament was held in 1914. Sumo took root in immigrant centers in southern Brazil, especially São Paulo, which is now home to the only purpose-built sumo training facility outside Japan. Beginning in the 1990s, Brazilian sumo organizations made an effort to interest Brazilians without Japanese ancestry in the sport, and by the mid-2000s an estimated 70% of participants came from outside the Japanese-Brazilian community. It has additionally been a feature of the World Combat Games since their inception in 2010. ==Clothing==

Sumo wrestlers wear , a 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back. They have an official thickness and strength requirement. During matches, the wrestler will grab onto the other wrestler's and use it to help them make moves during a match. The they wear practicing versus in a tournament is essentially the same except for the material. The different that the wrestlers wear differentiate their rank. Top rated wrestlers wear different colors of silk during tournament, while lower rated wrestlers are limited to just black cotton. The topknot is a type of samurai hairstyle which was once popular in Japan during the Edo period. They must wear these traditional clothes all the time in public. What they can wear in public is also determined by rank. Lower rated wrestlers must wear a at all times, even in winter, where higher rated wrestlers have more choice in what they wear. ==Gallery==

File:Sumo May09 Tochinoshin.jpg|Initial full squat with heels up, in Japanese File:Sumo-Japan.jpg|Partial squat before engaging File:Yumitori shiki.ogv|Yumitori-shiki File:Reproduce of Sumo by Hiroshige.png|Reproduced, Utagawa Hiroshige's Sumo at Sumida River esplanade ==See also==