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This Prestigious Sumo Competition

Venue: This Historic London Venue, London. Dates: 15-19 October

Exploring Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies Japan's iconic national sport, blending custom, discipline and Shinto religious rituals with origins over a millennium.

This combat sport involves two competitors – known as rikishi – competing within a circular arena – a dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.

Various rituals take place both preceding and following each bout, emphasizing the ceremonial aspects of the sport.

Traditionally before a match, an opening is made in the center of the ring then filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.

The hole gets sealed, enshrining inside divine presence. Sumo wrestlers subsequently execute a ceremonial stomp and clap to drive off bad spirits.

Elite sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, and the wrestlers involved commit completely to the sport – residing and practicing communally.

The London Location

The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held outside of Japan for just the second time, as the tournament taking place in London from Wednesday, 15 October through October 19th.

London and The Royal Albert Hall previously held the 1991 edition – marking the initial occasion such an event was staged outside Japan in the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, sumo leadership stated he wanted to "convey to the people of London the appeal of Sumo – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".

The sport has seen substantial growth in popularity among international fans recently, and a rare international tournament could further boost the popularity of traditional Japan abroad.

How Sumo Matches Work

The fundamental regulations in sumo wrestling are quite simple. The match is decided when a rikishi gets pushed from the ring or makes contact with anything other than their foot soles.

Bouts can conclude in a fraction of a second or last over two minutes.

There exist two primary techniques. Aggressive pushers generally push competitors from the arena by force, whereas grapplers choose to grip their opponent employing judo-like throws.

High-ranking rikishi often master various techniques and can adapt to their opponents.

Sumo includes 82 winning techniques, including dramatic throws to clever side-steps. The variety in moves and tactics keeps audiences engaged, meaning unexpected results can occur during any match.

Size categories do not exist in sumo, so it's common to observe wrestlers of varying dimensions. Sumo rankings decides opponents instead of physical attributes.

Although female athletes can participate in non-professional sumo worldwide, they're excluded from elite competitions or the main arenas.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Sumo wrestlers reside and practice in communal facilities called heya, under a head trainer.

Everyday life for wrestlers focuses entirely around the sport. They rise early dedicated to training, followed by a large meal the traditional stew – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi consumes between six to 10 bowls per meal – approximately 10,000 calories – although legendary stories of massive eating exist in sumo history.

Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage in the ring. Although large, they possess remarkable flexibility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.

Nearly all elements of rikishi life get controlled by their stable and the Sumo Association – making a distinctive existence in professional sports.

Competitive standing affects their payment, living arrangements and even personal assistants.

Younger less established rikishi handle chores in the stable, whereas senior competitors receive special privileges.

Sumo rankings are established through performance during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records advance, while those losing descend in standing.

Before each tournament, a new banzuke are released – a ceremonial list showing all wrestlers' positions in professional sumo.

At the summit features the title of Grand Champion – the pinnacle position. Yokozuna embody the spirit of the sport – transcending winning.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

There are approximately 600 rikishi competing professionally, primarily from Japan.

Foreign wrestlers have participated significantly over years, including Mongolian wrestlers achieving dominance currently.

Top champions feature international representatives, with competitors multiple countries reaching elite status.

Recently, foreign prospects have journeyed to the homeland pursuing wrestling careers.