American football / Ballet dancing / Hot air ballooning / Lawn bowling / Sumo wrestling

Sumo wrestling history, the Ancient Japanese sport

With the proliferation of sports channels it's more than likely you've clicked across a Sumo match and wondered at this strange sport. But there's more to Sumo than just two men wrestling in the ring - in fact, it's an ancient and treasured sport in Japan. And it's becoming more and more popular outside of its homeland as the world grows ever smaller in this new age of technology.

Sumo is the traditional national sport of Japan. Baseball and soccer are close seconds, but Sumo reigns supreme as the favorite. With the growth of its popularity outside of Japan there have also been changes - the most recent Grand Champion is a man called Akebono- a Hawaiian who took up the sport at a young age and excelled in it; surprising Japanese and Americans alike who wondered at this stranger taking on the traditional sport and excelling at it. Due to Akebono's success, more international competitors are entering the ring, all aware of their participation in a sport that is older than most of the countries that they come from.

The earliest written mention of Sumo is found in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a book from the year 712, which is the oldest example of Japanese writing. The Kojiki relates a legend about how possession of the Japanese islands was determined by a Sumo match 2,500 years ago between the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata. The two men grappled on the shores of Izumo along the Japan Sea coast until the latter finally lost. Thus control of the archipelago was ceded to the Japanese people led by Takemikazuchi, who is said to have established the imperial family from which the present emperor traces his ancestry. Thus Sumo from the start was different from most other sporting matches; each match a historical recreation.

Since the Japanese didn't keep any written records until the 8th century, it is impossible to know, aside from legend, exactly when Sumo first developed in Japan. However, ancient wall paintings indicate that its origins are very old indeed. In prehistoric times, Sumo appears to have been performed mainly as an agricultural ritual to pray for a good harvest; much like the Native Indians of North America and other cultures who have their own performances and rituals to show their appreciation to their gods. .

Sumo in its early days tended to be violent with no holds barred--often a veritable fight to the finish. The Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), from 720, records the first bout between lowly mortals as taking place in 23 BC. Emperor Suinin (r. 29BC - AD70) is said to have made a special request to Nomi no Sukune, a potter from Izumo, to fight Taima no Kehaya. The two wrestled for quite a while until Sukune finally delivered a set of devastating kicks to Kehaya's stomach and torso. Kehaya was mortally wounded, and Sukune, the victor, has been immortalized ever since as the 'father of Sumo.' Obviously, times have changed and now injuries are rare inside the Sumo ring.

Over the years Sumo grew to become the favored sport of royalty in Japan, with one of its most famous patrons being Oda Nobunaga (1534-82), a major feudal lord. In February 1578, he assembled over 1,500 competitors from across the country for a tournament held at his castle. Until then there had been no definite boundaries to the arena in which Sumo was held; the space was delineated simply by the people standing around in a circle watching or waiting for their own turn to fight. Apparently because many bouts were to be held on the same day at Nobunaga's Azuchi Castle, circular boundaries were drawn on the ground for the first time to speed up the proceedings. These boundaries also had the effect of making Sumo safer for its spectators. Years later rice straw bales began to be placed around the edges of the circle, keeping the boundaries secure. This continues to the present day.

Later on special ceremonial aprons were designed for the mighty Sumo wrestlers; each embroidered with the feudal lord they served. Being chosen to carry the name of a daimyo into battle held prestige and fame, and many fought for the right to obtain and wear these aprons. This has also continued down to the present day where at the opening ceremonies of each tournament (basho in Japanese) the contestants parade for the audience wearing the apron that denotes their birthplace and their ranking, along with the gym they belong to.

The rules of Sumo are not many - the objective is to toss your opponent out of the ring. Two men meet in a ring that is 4.55 meters across. They wear thick silk belts around their waists, consisting of a long length of cloth that has been folded many times to create the belt. Upon entering the ring you will see the contestants toss salt around the ring to purify it - Sumo still holds to its religious roots strongly and each wrestler asks for the help of the gods to win the battle. The ring is also blessed by a priest as well before every battle and after, the winner showing no expression of joy or adulation, unlike many other sports. You will never see a Sumo wrestler jump up and down in happiness or scream for the crowd's approval.

The size of the wrestler is based on a diet mainly consisting of rice - the heavier the fighter, the lower his center of gravity and therefore harder to push or toss out of the ring. The Grand Champions weigh many hundreds of pounds and eat heavily each meal while the younger and newer fighters are slim in appearance.

The object is to force your opponent out of this ring (dohyo) or to make any part of his body (excepting the soles of the feet) touch the playing surface. There is a referee and several judges watching the action to call the winner. The bouts are very brief, averaging only a few seconds, although some matchups can go on for two or three minutes. The combatants cannot pull hair, gouge eyes, or strike with a closed fist, making injuries rare inside the ring. Pushing, tripping, slapping and various body throws are commonly seen in Sumo. You will often see a flurry of hands as the opponents slap each other in the face, trying to break the concentration and force them to make a bad move. Much of Sumo is mental warfare; the art of winning before the first move is even made. Wrestlers will stare at each other for long minutes to try and gain the advantage before the actual physical contact.

Sumo wrestling is interested to watch and follow as the rankings are directly based on production - you win, you go up in rank. You lose, you are demoted. There are no second chances here, no appeals and your worth is directly related to your results. Thus the sport attracts both women and men from all walks of life and now internationally, as people around the world discover the thrill and attraction of Sumo - Japan's Ancient Sport.