Rules to play Sumo Wrestling

1. As with many professional sports, Sumo athletes have become larger with time. In the case of Sumo they have also become fatter.Today, there are no weight divisions in professional sumo. The weight of top wrestlers varies a great deal. Its common for one wrestler to be twice the weight of another. .....

Gaijin can sumo

2. Many of the top contenders in Sumo are recruited from abroad.At one time there was no restriction on the number of foreign Sumo wrestlers in professional sumo. In 1992, one Sumo stable recruited 6 Mongolians at the same time sending the league into a gaijin panic. The Sumo Association announced it was considering limiting the numbers of foreigners per stable. The stables responded with a 6 year self imposed moratorium on recruiting foreigners. To .....

Sumo wrestlers dance

3. The ring entering ritual of sumo often resembles a dance.When entering the ring the wrestler claps his hands and performs a leg stomping ritual to drive evil spirits from the ring. This is often rhythmic and stylized. .....

No one under 50 is interested in sumo

4. Interest in sumo has been in decline for a long time. Young generations of Japanese are more interested in soccer and baseball. The average age of spectators at a professional sumo match is well over 50. .....

Yakuza like sumo

5. The Yakuza like to keep a low profile and rarely show up on television. An exception was made in 2010 when the Yamaguchi gumi the largest yakuza group purchased a block of 50 prominent seats at a nationally televised Sumo match. Needless to say, they stuck out in the crowd. Rumor has it they did it to cheer up their incarcerated boss who was watching the match from jail.The Sumo Association has experienced numerous Sumo match fixing and gambling .....

Theres a tradition of female sumo in Japan

6. The Sumo Association doesnt allow women to enter a sumo ring its considered a violation of the purity of the ring. For example, the Governor of Osaka normally enters the ring to award the Governors Prize at the annual Osaka Sumo Tournament. However, when Osaka elected a female governor Fusae Ohta she wasnt allowed to enter.Historically, there was a tradition of female sumo at some Shinto shrines. This is downplayed by professional sumo. .....

Sumo wrestlers must live a traditional lifestyle

7. Sumo wrestlers are required to live in sumo training stables. They must dress in traditional Japanese clothing at all times. Every aspect of their life is dictated by strict rules. .....

Sumo originated at Shinto shrines

8. Sumo originated in Shinto religious rituals whereby a human would wrestle with a kami a Shinto divine spirit. There are still sumo rings on the grounds of many shrines in Japan. Shinto ritual guides every aspect of sumo. Shinto referees gyoji essentially act as priests in the ring. For example they perform purification rituals to rid the ring of evil spirits before a match. The wrestlers themselves throw salt into the ring before each match t .....

Fans express their disappointment by throwing cushions

9. Sumo fans sit on thin Japanese cushions. When theyre disappointed by a ruling or outcome they throw them into the ring. .....

Gaijin are obsessed with inflatable sumo costumes

10. For some reason, Gaijin especially those from America, France, Belgium, Australia and Canada are obsessed with inflatable sumo costumes. Nobody knows why least of all the Japanese. .....

Kappa can sumo wrestle

11. Kappa are terrible mythical Japanese river monsters. Kappa often challenge humans to sumo wrestle. Since theyre small they usually challenge children. .....

Ringside seats

12. Located closest to the ring, ringside seats are most expensive and most difficult to get. Ticket holders sit on cushions on the floor and are exposed to the risk of injury due to wrestlers flying into the spectators. .....

Box seats

13. The rest of the stadiums first floor consists of Japanese style box seats, which generally seat four people although there are a few with higher and lower capacities, as well. Shoes are removed, and spectators sit on cushions. Tickets are sold for entire boxes regardless of whether they are fully occupied or not, i.e. two people using a 4 seat box will still have to purchase all four tickets. Box seats are further classified into A, B and C boxes .....

Balcony seats

14. On the second floor balcony, there are several rows of Western style seats. Balcony seats, too, are further classified into A, B and C seats depending on distance to the ring. Furthermore, there is one section for exclusive use by holders of same day tickets, the cheapest ticket type that can only be purchased on the day at the stadium. .....

Sumo events

15. For those visiting Japan between sumo tournaments, there are a few other ways to see sumo matches. They include exhibition tournaments that are held across the country in between official tournaments and occasional retirement ceremonies of prominent wrestlers. Retirement ceremonies usually include an exhibition contest, some light hearted performances by wrestlers and a time consuming hair cutting ritual to sever the top knot that is symbolic to .....

Visiting a sumo stable

16. Perhaps the best way to appreciate sumo besides attending a tournament is to visit a sumo stable to witness a morning practice session. Sumo stables are where the wrestlers live and train together and where all aspects of life, from sleeping and eating to training and free time, are strictly regimented by the stable master. There are about forty stables, all of which are located in the Greater Tokyo Region, especially in Tokyos Ryogoku district. .....

Hiring an attendant

17. Attendant delivers and sets up Sumos for play, then stays to attend the game as a referee the contestants and announce the rules of the game to each. Attendant monitors safety. Unruly participants will not be allowed to play. After attendants time is complete, will pack up the sumos to leave. Attendant does NOT lift up participants from ground. .....

Winner of Sumo Wrestling Games

18. To win a Sumo Wrestling match you must force your opponent out of the ring or off their feet.If any part of the body other than the feet touches the mat, a winner is declared.If either opponent steps out of the ring at any time, a winner is declared. .....

Rates

19. The Sumo Wrestling Game is $50 an hour or $150 for the entire day 24 hour period. You can pick up yourself, we are located in Pleasant Grove or you can choose to have us deliver and/or set up and pick up. A Delivery fee may apply. .....

Match and Dressing the Wrestlers

20. We recommend that you have the wrestlers dress in a separate room from your audience. This creates more excitement when they come out, and it gives you a chance to explain the rules. To dress the wrestlers, you will need at least one person to help each wrestler get into the suit.Once the wrestlers are dressed, we recommend letting them do a few chest bumps while they are in the dressing room, just so they get used to the feel of it. This makes f .....

The wrestling ring

21. Sumo matches take place in a dohy a ring, 4.55 metres 14.9 ft in diameter and 16.26 square metres 175.0 sq ft in area, of rice straw bales on top of a platform made of clay mixed with sand. A new dohy is built for each tournament by the bout callers or yobidashi. At the center are two white lines, the shikiri sen, behind which the wrestlers position themselves at the start of the bout. A roof resembling that of a Shinto shrine may be suspended ov .....

Professional sumo

22. Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association. The members of the association, called oyakata, are all former wrestlers, and are the only people entitled to train new wrestlers. All practicing wrestlers are members of a training stable heya run by one of the oyakata, who is the stablemaster for the wrestlers under him. Currently there are 47 training stables for about 660 wrestlers. .....

Sumo divisions

23. There are six divisions in sumo makuuchi maximum 42 wrestlers, j?ry fixed at 28 wrestlers, makushita fixed at 120 wrestlers, sandanme fixed at 200 wrestlers, jonidan approximately 185 wrestlers, and jonokuchi approximately 40 wrestlers. Wrestlers enter sumo in the lowest jonokuchi division and, ability permitting, work their way up to the top division. A broad demarcation in the sumo world can be seen between the wrestlers in the top two division .....

Amateur sumo

24. Sumo is also an amateur sport, with participants in college, high school and grade school in Japan. In addition to college and school tournaments, there are also open amateur tournaments. The sport at this level is stripped of most of the ceremony. The most successful amateur wrestlers in Japan usually college champions can be allowed to enter professional sumo at makushita third division rather than from the very bottom of the ladder. This rank .....