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The Grand Sumo Tournament

Venue: This Historic London Venue, the British Capital. Dates: 15-19 October

Exploring Sumo Wrestling

Sumo embodies Japan's iconic national sport, blending custom, rigorous training and ancient spiritual practices with origins over a millennium.

This combat sport involves two competitors – called rikishi – competing within a circular arena – a dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.

Various rituals take place both preceding and following every match, emphasizing the traditional nature of the sport.

Traditionally before a match, an opening is created at the center of the dohyo and filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.

This opening gets sealed, enshrining inside divine presence. The rikishi then perform a ceremonial stomp with hand clapping to scare away bad spirits.

Professional sumo operates under a rigid ranking system, and the wrestlers who participate dedicate their entire lives to it – residing and practicing communally.

The London Location

The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held internationally only the second occasion, with the competition occurring in London beginning October 15th through October 19th.

The British capital and The Royal Albert Hall also hosted the 1991 edition – marking the initial occasion a tournament was staged beyond Japan in sumo history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, the Japan Sumo Association chair stated he wanted to "convey with London audiences the appeal of Sumo – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".

The sport has experienced substantial growth in popularity globally in recent years, and a rare international tournament could further boost the popularity of traditional Japan abroad.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The fundamental regulations of sumo are quite simple. The bout is decided when a rikishi gets pushed from the ring or touches the floor using anything besides the sole of his feet.

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

Sumo features two primary techniques. Aggressive pushers typically shove their opponents out of the ring by force, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple the other rikishi and use throwing techniques.

Elite wrestlers frequently excel in multiple combat styles and can adapt against different styles.

Sumo includes 82 winning techniques, including dramatic throws to clever side-steps. This diversity of techniques and strategies keeps audiences engaged, meaning unexpected results can occur during any match.

Weight classes do not exist within sumo, making it normal to see rikishi of varying dimensions. The ranking system determine matchups instead of body measurements.

While women can participate in non-professional sumo worldwide, they cannot enter professional tournaments including major venues.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Professional rikishi reside and practice together in training stables called heya, led by a stable master.

The daily routine of a rikishi focuses entirely on sumo. They rise early for intense practice, followed by a substantial lunch of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation aimed at building mass – and an afternoon nap.

Typical rikishi consumes between multiple servings per meal – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of massive eating are documented.

Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage during matches. Although large, they possess surprising agility, quick movements with strong bursts.

Nearly all elements of rikishi life get controlled by their stable and the Sumo Association – creating a unique lifestyle among athletic professions.

A wrestler's ranking affects their payment, accommodation options and even support staff.

Junior or lower ranked rikishi perform duties in the stable, while higher ranked ones enjoy preferred treatment.

Competitive standings get determined through performance during yearly events. Successful competitors advance, while those losing drop down the rankings.

Prior to events, a new banzuke are released – a traditional document showing everyone's status in professional sumo.

At the summit exists the rank of Grand Champion – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the essence of the sport – transcending winning.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

There are approximately several hundred wrestlers in professional sumo, primarily from Japan.

Foreign wrestlers have been involved prominently for decades, with Mongolian athletes reaching top levels currently.

Current Yokozuna include global participants, with competitors from various nations reaching elite status.

Recently, young international aspirants have journeyed to the homeland seeking professional sumo careers.