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This Prestigious Sumo Competition

Location: The Royal Albert Hall, London. Dates: October 15th through 19th

Understanding Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies the traditional sport of Japan, blending custom, rigorous training and ancient spiritual practices with origins more than 1,000 years.

This physical contest involves two competitors – called rikishi – competing within a circular arena – a dohyo – spanning 4.55 meters across.

Traditional ceremonies take place before and after every match, highlighting the ceremonial aspects of the sport.

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

The hole is closed, containing within a spirit. The rikishi then perform a ritual stamp and clap to drive off bad spirits.

Professional sumo operates under a rigid ranking system, and the wrestlers involved dedicate their entire lives to it – living and training communally.

Why London?

The Grand Sumo Tournament is taking place internationally for just the second time, as the tournament occurring in London beginning October 15th 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 the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning behind going overseas, sumo leadership stated he wanted to share to the people of London sumo's attraction – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".

The sport has seen a significant rise in international interest globally recently, and a rare international tournament potentially enhancing the popularity of Japanese culture internationally.

How Sumo Matches Work

The fundamental regulations in sumo wrestling are quite simple. The match concludes once a wrestler is forced out from the ring or makes contact using anything besides their foot soles.

Matches might end in a fraction of a second or last several minutes.

There exist two main fighting styles. Aggressive pushers generally push their opponents from the arena through strength, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple the other rikishi employing judo-like throws.

High-ranking rikishi often master various techniques and can adapt to their opponents.

Sumo includes 82 winning techniques, ranging from audacious throws to clever side-steps. The variety in moves and tactics maintains fan interest, so surprises and upsets can occur during any match.

Size categories are not used in sumo, so it's common to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. Sumo rankings determine matchups instead of physical attributes.

Although female athletes do compete in amateur sumo worldwide, they're excluded from professional tournaments or the main arenas.

Life as a Sumo Wrestler

Sumo wrestlers live and train in communal facilities called heya, under a stable master.

Everyday life for wrestlers focuses entirely on sumo. Early mornings for intense practice, then consuming a substantial lunch of chankonabe – a protein-rich preparation designed for weight gain – and an afternoon nap.

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

Rikishi purposely increase mass to enhance leverage in the ring. Although large, they demonstrate remarkable flexibility, rapid reflexes and explosive power.

Virtually every aspect of rikishi life get controlled by their stable and governing body – making a distinctive existence in professional sports.

A wrestler's ranking determines earnings, accommodation options and even personal assistants.

Younger less established wrestlers perform duties around the heya, whereas senior ones enjoy preferred treatment.

Sumo rankings get determined by results in six annual tournaments. Successful competitors advance, unsuccessful ones descend in standing.

Prior to events, a new banzuke gets published – a traditional document displaying all wrestlers' positions in professional sumo.

The highest level features the title of Grand Champion – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the essence of the sport – beyond mere competition.

Sumo Wrestlers Demographics

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

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

Top champions include global participants, including wrestlers multiple countries reaching elite status.

Recently, young international aspirants have journeyed to Japan pursuing wrestling careers.