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The Grand Sumo Tournament

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

Understanding Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies Japan's iconic national sport, blending custom, rigorous training and Shinto religious rituals dating back over a millennium.

This combat sport features two wrestlers – known as rikishi – competing inside a raised circular ring – 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.

Customarily before a match, an opening is made in the center of the dohyo then filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.

The hole gets sealed, enshrining inside a spirit. The rikishi subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to drive off negative energies.

Professional sumo operates under a strict hierarchy, with competitors who participate dedicate their entire lives to it – living and training communally.

Why London?

The Grand Sumo Tournament is taking place outside of Japan only the second occasion, with the competition occurring in London from Wednesday, 15 October until Sunday, 19 October.

The British capital with this iconic venue also hosted the 1991 tournament – the first time such an event was staged outside Japan in sumo history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, the Japan Sumo Association chair expressed the intention to "convey to the people of London sumo's attraction – a historic Japanese tradition".

The sport has seen substantial growth in popularity among international fans recently, and a rare international tournament potentially enhancing the appeal of traditional Japan internationally.

How Sumo Matches Work

The basic rules of sumo are straightforward. The match concludes once a wrestler gets pushed from the ring or makes contact using anything besides their foot soles.

Bouts might end in a fraction of a second or continue over two minutes.

There exist two main fighting styles. Pusher-thrusters typically shove competitors from the arena through strength, while belt-fighters choose to grip their opponent and use judo-like throws.

Elite wrestlers frequently excel in various techniques and can adapt to their opponents.

There are dozens of victory moves, including audacious throws to clever side-steps. This diversity in moves and tactics keeps audiences engaged, so surprises and upsets can occur in any bout.

Weight classes are not used within sumo, so it's common to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. The ranking system decides opponents instead of body measurements.

While women do compete in non-professional sumo worldwide, they cannot enter professional tournaments or the main arenas.

Life as a Sumo Wrestler

Professional rikishi live and train together in training stables called heya, led by a head trainer.

Everyday life for wrestlers centers completely around the sport. They rise early dedicated to training, followed by a substantial lunch the traditional stew – a high-protein dish aimed at building mass – and an afternoon nap.

The average wrestler consumes between multiple servings per meal – approximately 10,000 calories – although legendary stories of massive eating are documented.

Wrestlers intentionally gain weight to enhance leverage in the ring. Despite their size, they possess surprising agility, quick movements and explosive power.

Virtually every aspect of wrestlers' existence are regulated through their training house and the Sumo Association – creating a distinctive existence among athletic professions.

Competitive standing affects their payment, living arrangements including support staff.

Younger less established wrestlers handle chores in the stable, whereas senior ones enjoy special privileges.

Sumo rankings get determined through performance in six annual tournaments. Wrestlers with winning records advance, while those losing descend in standing.

Before each tournament, updated rankings are released – a traditional document displaying all wrestlers' positions within the sport.

At the summit features the title of Yokozuna – the pinnacle position. These champions represent the spirit of the sport – transcending winning.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

There are approximately several hundred wrestlers in professional sumo, primarily being Japanese.

International competitors have been involved prominently for decades, with Mongolian athletes achieving dominance currently.

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

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