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The Grand Sumo Tournament

Location: This Historic London Venue, the British Capital. Schedule: October 15th through 19th

Understanding Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies the traditional sport of Japan, combining custom, rigorous training and ancient spiritual practices with origins over a millennium.

This combat sport involves two competitors – called rikishi – battling inside a raised circular ring – the dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.

Traditional ceremonies are performed before and after every match, emphasizing the traditional nature of the sport.

Customarily before a match, a hole is made in the center of the dohyo and filled with symbolic offerings by Shinto priests.

The hole gets sealed, containing within divine presence. The rikishi subsequently execute a ceremonial stomp with hand clapping to drive off bad spirits.

Professional sumo is governed a rigid ranking system, and the wrestlers who participate dedicate their entire lives to the sport – living and training communally.

The London Location

This Major Sumo Event is taking place outside of Japan only the second occasion, as the tournament occurring in London beginning October 15th through October 19th.

London and The Royal Albert Hall also hosted the 1991 tournament – the first time such an event was staged outside Japan in the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, sumo leadership expressed he wanted to share with London audiences the appeal of Sumo – a historic Japanese tradition".

The sport has experienced substantial growth in popularity among international fans in recent years, with overseas events could further boost the popularity of traditional Japan abroad.

How Sumo Matches Work

The fundamental regulations of sumo are quite simple. The bout concludes when a rikishi gets pushed from the ring or touches the floor with anything other than their foot soles.

Matches might end almost instantly or last over two minutes.

There exist two primary techniques. Aggressive pushers generally push their opponents out of the ring by force, whereas grapplers choose to grip the other rikishi and use throwing techniques.

High-ranking rikishi often master various techniques and can adapt against different styles.

Sumo includes 82 winning techniques, including dramatic throws strategic evasions. The variety of techniques and strategies maintains fan interest, so surprises and upsets may happen in any bout.

Weight classes are not used in sumo, making it normal to observe wrestlers of varying dimensions. The ranking system decides opponents instead of physical attributes.

While women can participate in amateur sumo globally, they cannot enter elite competitions including major venues.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities known as heya, under a stable master.

Everyday life for wrestlers centers completely on sumo. Early mornings dedicated to training, followed by a large meal of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi eats approximately multiple servings each sitting – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of massive eating exist in sumo history.

Wrestlers intentionally gain weight for competitive advantage during matches. Despite their size, they demonstrate remarkable flexibility, quick movements and explosive power.

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 determines earnings, accommodation options and even personal assistants.

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

Competitive standings get determined through performance during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records move up, while those losing descend in standing.

Before each tournament, updated rankings gets published – a traditional document displaying all wrestlers' positions in professional sumo.

The highest level exists the rank of Yokozuna – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the essence of the sport – beyond mere competition.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

There are approximately 600 rikishi in professional sumo, with most from Japan.

International competitors have participated significantly for decades, with Mongolian athletes achieving dominance in recent times.

Top champions feature global participants, including wrestlers from various nations reaching elite status.

Recently, young international aspirants have traveled to the homeland pursuing wrestling careers.