I watched with great interest the sumo wrestling of Japan. It is very different from the wrestling in the United States. Sumo is one of the oldest forms of martial arts. You can always tell a sumo wrestler by his weight, they range from about 275 to 500 pounds. They get this big by eating great amounts of food (no kidding). The great weight gives them a lower center of gravity which helps them in shoving their opponents outside the dohyo (sumo ring).
A young boy enters a sumo stable (school) around the age of 15. He is controlled by the leader, a retired champion. The follow very strict training. They compete against all sumo wrestlers. They are not able to divide into groups by weight. So these big guys have to be fast, agile and flexible.
If you've ever seen sumo on television, you see they appear with little clothing. I went to a sumo event where they explained it all. Unfortunately, they spoke in Japanese, so we just watched. It was fun. They showed how they put on the sumo belt and do their hair. It was fun to watch.
Sumo is very much traditional. You can see that the ring, which is about 12 feet, is covered with a roof shaped like that of a Shinto shrine. The ground is covered with smooth earth. The referee wears a silk kimono and carries a fan to show his authority.
The object of sumo is
to get your opponent out of the ring first. It's fun to watch on
television, but even more fun in person.
