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The Grand Sumo Tournament

Location: The Royal Albert Hall, the British Capital. Schedule: 15-19 October

Exploring Japan's National Sport

Sumo represents the traditional sport of Japan, blending tradition, discipline and ancient spiritual practices with origins over a millennium.

This combat sport features two wrestlers – known as rikishi – battling inside a raised circular ring – the dohyo – spanning 4.55 meters across.

Various rituals take place before and after every match, emphasizing the ceremonial aspects of the sport.

Customarily prior to competition, an opening is created at the center of the ring then filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake through Shinto ceremonies.

This opening is closed, containing within a spirit. Sumo wrestlers subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to scare away negative energies.

Professional sumo operates under a strict hierarchy, with competitors involved commit completely to it – living and training in group settings.

The London Location

This Major Sumo Event is taking place outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition occurring in London beginning October 15th through October 19th.

The British capital and The Royal Albert Hall also hosted the 1991 tournament – the first time a tournament was staged outside Japan in the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, sumo leadership stated he wanted to share to the people of London sumo's attraction – a historic Japanese tradition".

Sumo has seen substantial growth in international interest globally recently, with overseas events potentially enhancing the appeal of traditional Japan abroad.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are straightforward. The match is decided once a wrestler gets pushed of the dohyo or makes contact using anything besides their foot soles.

Matches can conclude in a fraction of a second or continue several minutes.

Sumo features two main fighting styles. Aggressive pushers typically shove their opponents out of the ring through strength, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple their opponent employing judo-like throws.

Elite wrestlers frequently excel in various techniques adjusting against different styles.

There are 82 winning techniques, including audacious throws strategic evasions. The variety of techniques and strategies keeps audiences engaged, meaning unexpected results may happen during any match.

Size categories are not used within sumo, making it normal to see rikishi with significant size differences. The ranking system decides opponents rather than body measurements.

Although female athletes can participate in amateur sumo globally, they're excluded from professional tournaments including major venues.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Sumo wrestlers reside and practice in communal facilities known as heya, led by a stable master.

The daily routine of a rikishi focuses entirely around the sport. They rise early for intense practice, then consuming a substantial lunch of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi eats approximately multiple servings per meal – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of extreme consumption exist in sumo history.

Rikishi intentionally gain weight to enhance leverage in the ring. Despite their size, they possess surprising agility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.

Nearly all elements of wrestlers' existence get controlled by their stable and the Sumo Association – creating a distinctive existence in professional sports.

Competitive standing determines earnings, accommodation options and even personal assistants.

Younger less established wrestlers perform duties around the heya, whereas senior ones enjoy preferred treatment.

Sumo rankings get determined by results in six annual tournaments. Successful competitors move up, while those losing drop down the rankings.

Before each tournament, updated rankings are released – a traditional document showing everyone's status within the sport.

The highest level exists the rank of Grand Champion – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna embody the spirit of sumo – beyond mere competition.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

The sport includes 600 rikishi competing professionally, with most being Japanese.

Foreign wrestlers have participated prominently over years, with Mongolian athletes reaching top levels in recent times.

Current Yokozuna include international representatives, including wrestlers multiple countries reaching elite status.

Recently, foreign prospects have journeyed to the homeland pursuing professional sumo careers.