The Sumo Tournament

Today, we enjoyed a slow morning and then traveled to a Sumo Tournament. We were first taught about the history of Sumo and the lifestyles of the rikishi. “Rikishi” translates to “men of strength,” and this is what sumo wrestlers are formally referred to as. Here are some more things we learned:

Rikishi Depicted in Art

To become a sumo, you must live in a "stable" training center to eat, nap, and train several hours a day to attain the skills and physique a rikishi must possess. You must go to school until age 14 to enter a training center, and you must also be 5’8” in height and 148 lbs in weight. More people qualify to train as a sumo wrestler than you might think!

The wrestlers stand ready to compete in the Division 1 & 2 rounds.

There are several different Sumo ranks. We watched the fights for the professional divisions. These are the only four ranks of rikishi that make a salary and, therefore, can move out of the training stables. The wrestlers are either promoted or demoted within the ranks based on whether they win most of their matches within 15-day tournaments every other month.

Hoshoryu, the 74th Yokozuna, blesses the ring.

The highest sumo ranking is that of "Yokozuna" or "Grand Champion". A rikishi receives this title when he has won two consecutive grand tournaments. In the 1,500-year history of the sport, only 74 Yokozunas have been declared.

A typical match lasts only 15-20 seconds.

A match winner is declared once any part of their opponent's body, other than the soles of their feet, has touched the floor. You can also lose by being pushed out of the ring or being exposed to the audience when your belt is ripped off by the other wrestler. It is a matter of whatever happens first.

Witnessing such an old and interesting sport was a true privilege! I left feeling more knowledgeable about Sumo's sporting tradition and more appreciative of its athletes' skill.