Sumo
Sumo
Sumo is a Japanese martial art with ancient origins and rituals. It is performed in the modern world as a competitive contact sport in circular area by two wrestlers called rikishi.
History Sumo was closely associated with Shinto religion in Japan. A form of sumo called Sumai was mentioned in earliest legends and texts of Japan. It is believed that these involved unarmed fights to the death. Rules such as pushing the opponent out to win were later additions.
Shinto ritual where a man ceremoniously wrestles with the deity called Kami is still performed in some shrines. In ancient times it was also performed at Court and representatives from provinces were ordered to participate in the fight which was called Sumai no sechie.
The wrestling ring came into being in sixteenth centaury and other rules and dress (a stiff lion cloth called mawashi) were evolved during Edo period.
There are related and similar wrestling martial arts in the neighboring countries like Korean Ssireum, Chinese Shuai jiao, and Mongolian wrestling.
Wrestling Raised wrestling ring used in sumo is called dohyo and contain clay with sand spread over it. It is built for each tournament by a group of people called yobidashi.
Victory in Sumo is determined by making the opponent touch the ground with any part of the body other than soles of his feet or by making opponent touch the ground outside the circular wrestling area.
In some special cases, as when both rikishi touching the ground together, the winner is determined by the judges. Illegal techniques called kinjite, and belt becoming undone may also result in defeat.
After the winner has been determined, an off stage referee called gyoji announce the winning techniques used.
Sumo matches are finished in a matter of seconds when one of the wrestlers pushes the opponent out or throws him to the ground. It is unusual for a match to last few minutes though this occasionally happens.
High body mass is a critical advantage in Sumo with the result that Sumo wrestlers are famous for their huge size. However skillful smaller wrestlers can overcome bigger opponents.
Professional Sumo Japan Sumo Association is the governing body for professional Sumo wresting. Members of this called oyakata, all of them former wrestlers, are the only ones allowed to train professional Sumo wrestlers. Practicing wrestler must belong to a stable called heya run by an oyakata. At present there are about seven hundred Sumo wrestlers organized in to fifty four stables.
Professional sumo is practiced only in Japan, though foreigners can practice the sport there. In fact several foreigners have reached higher divisions of the sport. Sumo wrestler may take a wrestling name called shikona not related to their real names
Ranking of wrestlers is done according to their performance in the matches and their previous ranking. Wrestlers are both promoted and demoted. Full ranking list is published two weeks before tournaments.
Wrestlers are grouped in six divisions according to rank with number of wrestlers in the divisions fixed for higher divisions. Only wrestlers in top two divisions (consisting of seventy wrestlers in total) are paid a salary. Others have to perform various cores on behalf of the stable for a subsistence allowance. Wrestlers in top division are ranked within it. The top most rank in the top division is called the Yokozuna.
Amateur Sumo is also gaining popularity and International Sumo Federation is trying to promote it around the world with some success. Matches are held according to weight categories and are comparatively free of ritual. Successful amateur sumo wrestlers are allowed to enter professional Sumo at higher divisions.