The Reason This Major Sumo Event is Being Held in London
The Grand Sumo Tournament
Venue: The Royal Albert Hall, the British Capital. Dates: October 15th through 19th
Exploring Japan's National Sport
Sumo represents Japan's iconic national sport, combining tradition, discipline and ancient spiritual practices with origins more than 1,000 years.
This combat sport features two wrestlers – known as rikishi – competing inside a raised circular ring – a dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.
Various rituals take place before and after every match, emphasizing the traditional nature in sumo.
Traditionally prior to competition, an opening is created at the center of the dohyo and filled with symbolic offerings through Shinto ceremonies.
This opening gets sealed, enshrining inside divine presence. Sumo wrestlers subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to drive off bad spirits.
Elite sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, and the wrestlers who participate dedicate their entire lives to the sport – residing and practicing communally.
Why London?
The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held outside of Japan only the second occasion, with the competition occurring in London beginning October 15th until Sunday, 19 October.
The British capital with this iconic venue previously held the 1991 tournament – the first time such an event took place beyond Japan in sumo history.
Explaining the reasoning for the international competition, the Japan Sumo Association chair expressed he wanted to "convey to the people of London the appeal of Sumo – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".
The sport has experienced a significant rise in popularity globally recently, with overseas events could further boost the appeal of Japanese culture abroad.
Sumo Bout Mechanics
The fundamental regulations of sumo are straightforward. The match concludes once a wrestler gets pushed from the ring or makes contact with anything other than the sole of his feet.
Bouts can conclude in a fraction of a second or continue over two minutes.
Sumo features two main fighting styles. Pusher-thrusters generally push their opponents out of the ring by force, while belt-fighters prefer to grapple the other rikishi employing judo-like throws.
Elite wrestlers often master various techniques and can adapt to their opponents.
Sumo includes dozens of victory moves, including dramatic throws to clever side-steps. This diversity of techniques and strategies keeps audiences engaged, meaning unexpected results may happen in any bout.
Size categories are not used in sumo, so it's common to observe wrestlers of varying dimensions. Sumo rankings determine matchups instead of physical attributes.
While women do compete in amateur sumo worldwide, they're excluded from professional tournaments or the main arenas.
Rikishi Lifestyle
Professional rikishi live and train together in training stables called heya, led by 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 designed for weight gain – and an afternoon nap.
The average wrestler consumes between multiple servings per meal – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of massive eating are documented.
Wrestlers intentionally gain weight for competitive advantage in the ring. Although large, they possess surprising agility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.
Nearly all elements of rikishi life get controlled by their stable and governing body – creating a distinctive existence among athletic professions.
A wrestler's ranking affects earnings, living arrangements and even personal assistants.
Junior or lower ranked wrestlers handle chores around the heya, whereas senior competitors receive special privileges.
Competitive standings get determined through performance during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records advance, unsuccessful ones drop down in standing.
Before each tournament, a new banzuke gets published – a traditional document displaying all wrestlers' positions within the sport.
At the summit features the title of Grand Champion – the pinnacle position. Yokozuna embody the spirit of sumo – beyond mere competition.
Who Becomes a Rikishi
There are approximately several hundred wrestlers competing professionally, primarily from Japan.
Foreign wrestlers have been involved significantly over years, including Mongolian wrestlers achieving dominance currently.
Top champions feature global participants, including wrestlers from various nations achieving high ranks.
In recent news, young international aspirants have journeyed to Japan seeking professional sumo careers.
