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The Grand Sumo Tournament

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

Understanding Sumo Wrestling

Sumo represents Japan's iconic national sport, blending custom, discipline and ancient spiritual practices with origins more than 1,000 years.

This physical contest features two wrestlers – called rikishi – competing inside a raised circular ring – the dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) in diameter.

Traditional ceremonies are performed before and after every match, highlighting the traditional nature of the sport.

Traditionally before a match, an opening is made at the center of the dohyo and filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake through Shinto ceremonies.

This opening gets sealed, enshrining inside a spirit. Sumo wrestlers then perform a ceremonial stomp with hand clapping to scare away bad spirits.

Elite sumo operates under a rigid ranking system, with competitors involved dedicate their entire lives to the sport – residing and practicing in group settings.

Why London?

The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held outside of Japan for just the second time, as the tournament taking place in London beginning October 15th through October 19th.

The British capital and The Royal Albert Hall previously held the 1991 tournament – the first time a tournament was staged outside Japan in sumo history.

Explaining the reasoning for the international competition, the Japan Sumo Association chair stated he wanted to share to the people of London sumo's attraction – a historic Japanese tradition".

The sport has experienced substantial growth in international interest globally recently, and a rare international tournament could further boost the appeal of Japanese culture internationally.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are straightforward. The bout concludes when a rikishi is forced out 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 last several minutes.

Sumo features two primary techniques. Pusher-thrusters typically shove competitors from the arena by force, whereas grapplers choose to grip their opponent and use throwing techniques.

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

There are dozens of victory moves, ranging from dramatic throws strategic evasions. The variety of techniques and strategies maintains fan interest, meaning unexpected results may happen during any match.

Weight classes are not used in sumo, making it normal to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. Sumo rankings decides opponents rather than body measurements.

Although female athletes do compete in non-professional sumo worldwide, they're excluded from professional tournaments including major venues.

Life as a Sumo Wrestler

Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities called heya, under a head trainer.

The daily routine of a rikishi centers completely around the sport. They rise early for intense practice, followed by a large meal the traditional stew – a protein-rich preparation designed for weight gain – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi consumes between six to 10 bowls each sitting – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of massive eating exist in sumo history.

Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage during matches. Although large, they demonstrate surprising agility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.

Nearly all elements of rikishi life get controlled through their training house and governing body – making a distinctive existence among athletic professions.

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

Younger less established wrestlers handle chores around the heya, whereas senior ones enjoy preferred treatment.

Competitive standings get determined by results in six annual tournaments. Successful competitors move up, unsuccessful ones descend in standing.

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

At the summit features the title of Yokozuna – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the essence of the sport – transcending winning.

Who Becomes a Rikishi

The sport includes several hundred wrestlers in professional sumo, primarily from Japan.

Foreign wrestlers have been involved significantly over years, including Mongolian wrestlers reaching top levels in recent times.

Current Yokozuna include international representatives, with competitors from various nations reaching elite status.

In recent news, foreign prospects have traveled to the homeland pursuing professional sumo careers.