Sumo wrestling
Head to Japan to sample the world's best sumo wrestling
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Thursday, 14, Jun 2007 12:00
With football off the radar for a few months, InTheNews takes the opportunity to look at some of the sports you may not know so much about - this week it's the fun and frolics of sumo wrestling.
The game
Simple really: The object of sumo wrestling is to defeat your opponent by either (a) pushing him out of the ring or (b) knocking him off his feet. This can be done in any way possible - the only rule is that you can't bite, punch, poke your opponent in the eye or engage in various other dishonourable practices, but bitch-slaps to the face are positively encouraged. Match-winning techniques usually include various throws, trips and pushes, and each wrestler will tend to have his favourites.
The big event
Japan is the only place to see professional Sumo, and there are currently six Grand Sumo tournaments that run throughout the year across the country. The most prestigious of these is the New Year Grand Sumo tournament that takes place in January. The tournament takes a round-robin format, with the 16 top ranked competitors wrestling once a day over a 15-day period. The wrestler with the best wins-to-losses record at the end of it is the winner.
The world's best
Asashoryu - a Mongolian with lightning speed and plenty of strength. Widely regarded as the greatest Sumo wrestler of all time, Asashoryu has won 20 tournaments in his career - a record seven of them back-to-back. He is currently ranked as Yokozuna (Grand Champion) - the highest rank possible in professional Sumo.
Stereotypical fan
The popularity of Sumo in Japan is declining somewhat, with more mainstream sports like football and baseball attracting the attentions of the younger crowd. Typically, therefore, Sumo fans are old Japanese men with no teeth, although they're no less fanatical because of their age.
Stereotypical player
Very fat Japanese, Mongolian, Hawaiian or eastern European men dressed in nappies. Because of their weight, it's easy to forget that most of the top-ranked wrestlers are barely out of their teens, and the layers of fat hide a lot of muscle from hours of training each day - these are consummate professionals.
Celebrity fans
Not many, I'd guess, although I heard Steven Segal is partial to a bit of a wrestle, and he can speak fluent Japanese too.
Why should I watch/play it?
Sumo wrestling is probably best watched rather than participated in unless you've put on a few too many pounds recently - but as a spectators sport it has to be one of the best in the world. For a start, there's the ritualistic build-up to each bout, steeped in centuries of Japanese tradition and the influence of Shinto - the national religion. The wrestling itself is fast-paced and generally full of drama. When upsets occur, the crowd goes wild.
Where do I go from here?
Head for Japan, where Grand Sumo tournaments (when they are on) are televised live on the national broadcaster NHK. Better still, buy a ticket and see the spectacle live for yourself.
If that's too far to go, YouTube has a pretty good collection of classic bouts, and there is plenty of information (in English) at the official homepage of the Sumo Association.
Edwin Lane