Sumo
From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source
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Sumo is a Japanese type of wrestling that dates back to the early Shinto period in ancient Japan. This martial art is a combination of sport and ancient Shinto religious rituals such as salt cleansing and dancing. Although it is an ancient art, the Japanese consider this sport a gendai budo, or "modern martial art."
Contact is the main element of this art. Sumo wrestlers face off in a circular area called the dohyo. There are two rules that are observed in order to declare a winner:
- the first participant to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet loses;
- the first wrestler to touch the ground outside the circle loses.
On rare occasions, the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first; this happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at more or less the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning as, due to the superior "sumo" of his opponent, he was already in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being shini-tai (“dead body”) in this case.
There are also a number of other rarely used rules that can be used to determine the loser:
- using an illegal technique, or kinjite;
- a participant whose mawashi, or belt, becomes completely undone;
- a wrestler failing to turn up for his bout, even if he has a prior injury, or fusenpai.
After the winner is declared, an off-stage gyoji, (referee), determines the kimarite (winning technique) used in the bout, which is then announced to the audience.
Sumo matches often last only seconds, because it is common that a wrestler is quickly ousted from the dhoyo or thrown to the ground. It is seldom that you see a Sumo match last several minutes. At the beginning of each match, the wrestlers participate in an elaborate ceremonial ritual to honor the Shinto gods and proclaim sportsmanship in dealing with the opponent.
The wrestlers themselves are renowned for their great girth, as body mass is often a winning factor in Sumo, though with skill, smaller wrestlers can topple far larger opponents.
Contents |
History
Professional Sumo Wrestling (Osumo)
Amateur Sumo Wrestling
Ranks and Weights
The Sumo Life
| Japanese Martial Arts | |
|---|---|
| Aikido | Aikijutsu | Atemi Jitsu | Battojutsu | Bojutsu | Dai Jutsu Do | Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu | Goshin Jujitsu | Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu | Iaido | Jodo | Judo | Jujutsu | Juttejutsu | Kashima Shinryu | Kendo | Kenjutsu | Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo | Kyokushin | Kyudo | Naginata Do | Nanbudo | Ninjutsu | Shidokan | Shinkendo | Shintaido | Shoot boxing | Shooto | Shorinji Kempo | Shugijutsu | Sumo | Taido | Tantojutsu | Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu | Yabusame | Yagyu Shingan Ryu | |
