CULTURE: JAPAN’S GRAND SUMO WRESTLING

Written by Michael Thervil

Video courtesy of Sumo Prime Time

Move over WWF and WWE, Sumo Wrestling is where it is at. Believe it or not, Sumo Wrestling is not only still a thing but it’s the national sport of Japan. Although Sumo Wrestling competitions occur throughout the year in Japan in the months of  January, march, July, September, and November. This month the Japanese sport has its Grand Sumo Wrestling competition in Ryogoku, Kokugikan near the sumo museum; which officially starts on May 11th and is set to end on May 25th.

According to Japanese history, “sumo” was a ritual that was used to pray for a good harvest and as a way to entertain the Shinto deities during the 17th and 18th century Edo period of Japan. Over time the competitive action in the sumo ring not only became refined but ended up being the main attraction of the ritual. The ring in which Sumo Wrestlers compete in is called the “Dohyo” and the rules of Sumo Wrestling are very simple: use whatever approved technique you can in order to either push your opponent out of the ring or take him off his feet to put him to the ground.

This May’s Grand Sumo Wrestling competition has over 600 wrestlers called “Rikishi” contestants which compete for the highest ranking called “Yokozuna”. This is where the world-famous WWF character got its name from. The title Yokozuna means  “horizontal rope” in Japanese, and it identifies the  “Tsuna” or rope worn around the Yokozuna’s waist. The one thing that captivates everyone from around the world whether they are fans of Sumo Wrestling or not is the massive size of Sumo Wrestlers. Sumo Wrestlers weigh anywhere from 140kg (309 lbs.) To 250kg (550lbs).

It was reported that the biggest Sumo wrestler in the world was “Russian Orora” who weighed 292.6kg (634 lbs.) At his heaviest. In order for Sumo Wrestlers to “bulk up” in size, the average Sumo wrestler eats an estimated 20,000 calories of food a day. The ironic thing is despite their gargantuan size; Sumo Wrestlers have a different kind of body fat make up. While unhealthy fat people tend to have fat around their organs, Sumo Wrestlers in comparison tend to have fat just under the skin. It should also be noted that Sumo Wrestlers have very little sugar in their diets. It should be noted that unlike boxing and other contact sports of the same caliber, Sumo Wrestling does have weight classes. All are equal in the Dohyo.

Out of Japanese cultural tradition, women are not allowed to compete or enter the Dohyo. One of the rules and cultural norms is that Sumo Wrestlers are not allowed to drive cars. This is because of safety issues and the traditional norm of Sumo Wrestlers living a non-secular lifestyle. Sumo Wrestlers must also wear traditional Japanese hairstyles as well as wear kimono or yukata with sandals when walking outside.

Another culturally significant fact is that Sumo Wrestlers must have practiced a religion (Shinto)) and they belong to a Sumo house and cannot compete on their own. The average bout between Sumo Wrestlers only lasts between 20-30 seconds. While American basketball players and other American major league sports players earn millions per contract signing, Japanese Sumo Wrestlers earn significantly less. On the low-end sumo Wrestlers tend to get stipends. But top Sumo Wrestlers tend to get $30,000 per month and $100,000 after winning a tournament. All of a Sumo’s earnings must go back to their prospective houses until they turn pro. For Japanese men who aspire to become Sumo Wrestlers, they must leave the homes of their parents and live in the lodging house.

Who will win this month’s Grand Sumo tournament? It's very hard to tell because again, there are over 600 Sumo Wrestlers competing in this tournament and it's just getting started. But the one thing we can tell you, watching Sumo Wrestling is truly a sight that you don’t want to miss as it’s really an entertaining sport.