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History and Facts of Sumo Wrestling

Sumo originated as a Shinto ritual dance performed to bring good harvests. It later became a contest of strength and a way for samurai to display skill. In the Edo period, sumo developed rules and a professional system of stables and divisions. Today, there are six annual tournaments where over 600 rikishi, or wrestlers, compete using techniques like pushing opponents out of the ring. Sumo preserves traditions but also spreads Japanese culture internationally through tours.

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Cameberly Dalupines
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104 views2 pages

History and Facts of Sumo Wrestling

Sumo originated as a Shinto ritual dance performed to bring good harvests. It later became a contest of strength and a way for samurai to display skill. In the Edo period, sumo developed rules and a professional system of stables and divisions. Today, there are six annual tournaments where over 600 rikishi, or wrestlers, compete using techniques like pushing opponents out of the ring. Sumo preserves traditions but also spreads Japanese culture internationally through tours.

Uploaded by

Cameberly Dalupines
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Sumo

Sumo in Myths and Legends


Martial arts like sumo have been performed worldwide throughout history. Some that remain
today are ssireum in South Korea, boke in Mongolia, and yagli gures in Turkey. In Japan, figurines
of sumo wrestlers have been unearthed dating back to the Kofun period (between the third and
seventh centuries), and the sport is mentioned in the myths and legends of the Kojiki (712) and
Nihonshoki (720) Japanese history books. When it was time to plant rice, sumo bouts were
performed as a way to pray for a bountiful crop or to predict whether that year's harvest would be
good. In the Nara period (710–794) and Heian period (794–1185), sumo became an event
conducted at the imperial court, and bouts were performed in front of the emperor.

During the age of the samurai, physical strength was an important skill for warriors, and samurai
families began to employ sumo wrestlers. According to the document known as the Shincho koki
(from around 1610), one of Japan's most famous warlords, Oda Nobunaga, was such a devotee of
the sport that he gathered wrestlers together to hold tournaments every year.

The Edo Period Saw the Current Rules and System of Sumo Take Form
Sumo basically took its present form in the Edo period (1603–1867). Matches were held to raise
money to construct shrines and temples or to replace bridges, and thus the professional sumo
wrestlers were born. A sport that was once enjoyed only by the rich and powerful became popular
among the masses. Sumo events were often held in Edo (now Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto, and the
sport's popularity grew with the sales of color woodblock prints (nishiki-e) featuring sumo scenes
and pictures of wrestlers. The government of the time, though, often issued orders banning sumo
since there was constant arguing and fighting that came with the [Link] this reason, the
organizers of sumo decided on a set of rules, including the creation of a list of 48 kimarite
(winning techniques) and the round ring that is still used today. A system of stables was created
to train wrestlers.

As many aspects of old Japan remain in sumo, such as topknots, traditional dress, and ancient
customs, professional sumo is more than just a sport; it is a living example of traditional Japanese
culture. As ambassadors of the sport, sumo wrestlers are contributing the spread of Japanese
culture through overseas tours (The History of Sumo | Virtual Culture | Kids Web Japan | Web Japan, n.d.).

Sumo is said to have its roots in a Shinto ritual dance where the most powerful men displayed
their strength in front of the kami (gods or spirits) as a sign of respect and gratitude to bring in a
good harvest. Later it was used as a way to compare strength and determine those fighters most
adept in hand-to-hand combat. It wasn’t until the Edo period that professional sumo wrestlers
emerged from the ranks of amateurs and regular competitions began to take place. The best
fighters began to gain a celebrity-like status and sumo’s popularity quickly spread amongst the
masses—the true beginning of the sport as it is known today. The sumo wrestlers are known as
rikishi in Japanese (the two characters of the kanji meaning “strength” and “warrior”). There are
around 650 rikishi in the six divisions of sumo:

● maku-uchi
● juryo
● makushita
● sandame
● jonidan
● jonokuchi
Sumo is a martial art involving 42 maku-uchi rikishi, with the grand champion being the yokozuna,
who wins two major tournaments in a row. The top two divisions (sekitori) wrestle daily in major
tournaments. The pre-match ceremony and pageantry are unique, with the dohyo being cleaned
the day before each tournament to pray for the rikishi's safety. The rikishi enter the ring from the
east and west, performing a ritual called shiko, which attracts the gods and crushes evil spirits.
After shiko, rikishi cleanse themselves with chikara-mizu, or "strength water," and kiyome-no-shio,
or cleansing salt.

The rikishi, or fighters, enter a ring with their fists resting on or behind a white line called the
shikirisen. The fight begins when both rikishi have clenched fists. The rikishi decide the start of
the bout, and the pre-bout deliberations are intense. There are 82 techniques called kimari-te, or
deciding hand, by which a rikishi can win the match. Once a winner emerges, both rikishi bow to
each other before the gyōji officially declares the winner. The competition starts with lower
ranking bouts and ends with a special procession called dohyō-iri, where rikishi perform a ritual to
ensure gods are watching and show they have no weapons. (Japanistry, 2021)

Tournaments
The governing body of professional sumo is the Japan Sumo Association. Six tournaments are
held every year: three in Tokyo (January, May and September) and one each in Osaka (March),
Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Each tournament lasts 15 days during which wrestlers
compete in one bout per day except lower ranked wrestlers who compete in fewer bouts. (Sumo,
2023)

Some Sumo Facts


 Longest match? 32 minutes with two mizu-iri (short breaks when action has reached a
impasse)
 Most consecutive victories? 69 wins held by Futabayama Sadaji (1912–1968).
 Heaviest sumo wrestler in history? Orora Satoshi a Russian wrestler from the Republic
of Buryatia (a region above Mongolia), who weighed 271 kilograms.
 How much do they earn? Base salary is decided by rank. Yokozuna make about ¥2.8
million per month with juryo division wrestlers earning about ¥1 million per month.
 What do they eat? It’s hard to write about sumo without mentioning the staple food of
their diet, chanko-nabe: a protein-rich Japanese stew consisting of fish, meat and
vegetables in a chicken broth designed specifically to help the rikishi gain weight. You don’t
have to be a sumo wrestler to eat chanko-nabe—there are restaurants that specialise in
this type of stew.
(Japanistry, 2021)

REPORTER

ARELLANO, JANZ FRANCIS KHYLE L.


LASTIMOSO, JOHN REY

REFERENCES

The History of Sumo | Virtual Culture | Kids Web Japan | Web Japan . (n.d.). Web Japan.
[Link]

Japanistry. (2021b, June 11). Sumo: The History & Rules of Japan’s National sport |
[Link]. [Link]. [Link]

Sumo. (2023, May 6). [Link]

Common questions

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Sumo wrestlers train rigorously in stables and maintain a diet centered on chanko-nabe, a calorie-dense stew that helps them gain the substantial weight necessary for the sport. Their lifestyle and unusual physical stature contribute to a celebrity-like status and societal reverence, with ranks dictating earnings that reflect their reputation and skill .

Sumo's ranking system directly impacts wrestlers' status and income, with higher ranks like Yokozuna achieving prominence and substantial earnings, approximately ¥2.8 million monthly, compared to ¥1 million in lower ranks such as juryo. This hierarchy reflects skill and prestige, motivating rikishi to ascend ranks for greater recognition and financial prosperity .

Sumo incorporates cultural elements such as the shiko, a ritual to attract gods and dispel evil; chikara-mizu, a cleansing ritual; and kiyome-no-shio, throwing salt for purification. These rituals, along with the pageantry before the matches and traditional clothing, make sumo a representation of Japanese culture and Shinto beliefs, rather than just a sport .

The Edo period marked the professionalization of sumo, wherein wrestlers were organized into systems of stables and tournaments were held to raise funds, leading to a codified set of rules and techniques. This period also saw sumo gain popularity among the public, forming the blueprint for the modern sumo organizational structure seen today with regulated tournaments and ranking systems .

Professional sumo's development in the Edo period was driven by economic endeavors to raise funds for infrastructure such as shrines and bridges, necessitating organized public tournaments and professional wrestlers. This commercialization expanded sumo from elite entertainment to a mass spectator sport, contributing to its rapid spread across major cities like Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto .

During the Edo period, standardization of rules and techniques aimed to moderate disputes and formalize matches, ensuring fair competition and public enjoyment. The adoption of 48 winning techniques and the establishment of the round ring laid a foundation for modern sumo, where they remain integral for maintaining the sport's integrity and consistency today .

Sumo serves as a living example of traditional Japanese culture, and it helps spread this cultural knowledge through overseas tours conducted by sumo wrestlers. By acting as cultural ambassadors, wrestlers introduce Japanese traditions and rituals to international audiences, enhancing global understanding and appreciation of Japan .

Sumo was an imperial court entertainment in the Nara and Heian periods, as attested by its performance before emperors. During the samurai era, its significance is underscored by Oda Nobunaga's fondness for hosting sumo tournaments, and samurai families employing wrestlers for training, demonstrating sumo's integration into social and military structures .

Sumo originated as a ritual to pray for good harvests, performed in front of gods during the Kofun period. It evolved into a court entertainment in the Nara and Heian periods, and samurai families used sumo to train warriors during the age of the samurai. In the Edo period, sumo became a professional sport with set rules, popular among the masses, moving from rich and powerful domains to public events .

Before matches, rikishi perform shiko to invite the gods and ward off evil spirits, cleanse with chikara-mizu and kiyome-no-shio, and engage in the shikirisen stance to signify readiness. After the match, they bow to each other as a show of respect. These practices hold spiritual significance, embedding the sport within Shinto rituals and emphasizing honor and respect .

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