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Sumo Wrestling
From Virtual Japan
Sumo Wrestling is a Japanese martial art and one of the most important national sports in Japanese history. Today, sumo wrestling lives on, and is still important, but the audience for sumo in modern Japan tends to be older, with many young Japanese having more interest in sports like Japanese baseball, soccer, and other activities like video games and television.
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Western Misconceptions
If you say the word "sumo" to some people, they might get a vision in their head of large Asian men wearing what many call a diaper, squaring off against each other in a large circle ring, trying to push the other sumo wrestler out. Sumo, however, is so much more than the stereotypical picture that many envision. The roots of Sumo are ancient and deep, making it one of the most ancient style of martial arts that exists today.
Sumo Wrestling History
The first time the word "sumo" is mentioned is in a book that was written in 712 A.D., which also happens to be when the oldest Japanese writing in existence was created. The book, known as the Kojiki, or Record of Ancient Matters, discusses how it was believed that the possession of the islands in Japan was determined due to one, single sumo match. The book tells the legend of two gods, Takeminakata and Takemikazuchi, who fought to see which god would be in charge of the Japanese islands. No one quite knows, however, exactly how sumo started. It can be traced back through a number of dynasties and paintings on cave walls give archeologists reason to believe that the origins of sumo are extremely old.
Sumo Wrestling Today
Today sumo is just as important to the Japanese culture as it was many years ago. There are strict rules as to how those engaged in professional sumo are to dress, eat, and even live. Those wishing to become professional sumo wrestlers much live in what are known as sumo training stables and must work their way up the Banzuke, or professional ranking system. There are six Grand sumo tournaments, called basho’s, that are held each year, and three of those are in the capital of Tokyo.
Understanding the Lingo
If you want to enjoy sumo, the first thing you have to understand are the meanings of some of the Japanese terms. To begin with, the ring that the sumo wrestlers compete in is a dohyo, is always 4.55 meters across, and is made out of a clay that has been mixed with sand. It is very important to tradition that a new dohyō is built for every tournament. The tournaments are called a basho and during these tournaments there can be anywhere from seven to fifteen fights that are done over a two week time span. The belt that protects the sumo wrestlers genitals is called a mawashi, and the top sumo wrestler is addressed as Yokozuna. At this point, only 65 sumo wrestlers have held the title of yokozuna.
Sumo is enjoyed all around the world, not just in Japan. There are many television stations that will air Japanese sumo matches. There are also those in other countries around the world, including the United States, that practice sumo. It is not very difficult to understand the basics of sumo, but there are many nuances and rankings that are good for a sumo fan to learn, especially if they plan on becoming a practicing sumo themselves.