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The Grand Sumo Tournament

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

Understanding Japan's National Sport

Sumo embodies the traditional sport of Japan, combining tradition, discipline and ancient spiritual practices dating back over a millennium.

This combat sport involves two competitors – known as rikishi – competing inside a raised circular ring – a dohyo – spanning 4.55 meters across.

Various rituals take place before and after every match, highlighting the ceremonial aspects in sumo.

Customarily before a match, a hole is made at the center of the dohyo then filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.

The hole is closed, enshrining inside a spirit. The rikishi then perform a ceremonial stomp with hand clapping to scare away bad spirits.

Elite sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, with competitors who participate dedicate their entire lives to it – living and training communally.

The London Location

This Major Sumo Event is taking place internationally for just the second time, with the competition taking place in London from Wednesday, 15 October through October 19th.

The British capital and The Royal Albert Hall previously held the 1991 edition – the first time a tournament was staged beyond Japan in the sport's history.

Clarifying the decision for the international competition, sumo leadership stated the intention to share to the people of London sumo's attraction – an ancient traditional Japanese culture".

The sport has experienced substantial growth in international interest among international fans in recent years, with overseas events could further boost the appeal of Japanese culture internationally.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are quite simple. The bout is decided when a rikishi gets pushed from the ring or touches the floor with anything other than their foot soles.

Bouts can conclude in a fraction of a second or continue over two minutes.

Sumo features two main fighting styles. Pusher-thrusters typically shove their opponents from the arena through strength, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple their opponent and use throwing techniques.

Elite wrestlers often master multiple combat styles and can adapt to their opponents.

There are 82 winning techniques, including dramatic throws strategic evasions. This diversity of techniques and strategies maintains fan interest, so surprises and upsets may happen during any match.

Size categories are not used within sumo, so it's common to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. The ranking system determine matchups rather than physical attributes.

While women can participate in amateur sumo worldwide, they're excluded from elite competitions or the main arenas.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Professional rikishi live and train together in training stables known as heya, led by a stable master.

The daily routine of a rikishi centers completely around the sport. Early mornings dedicated to training, then consuming a substantial lunch of chankonabe – a high-protein dish aimed at building mass – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi eats approximately multiple servings each sitting – approximately 10,000 calories – although legendary stories of massive eating are documented.

Wrestlers purposely increase mass for competitive advantage during matches. Although large, they possess surprising agility, quick movements with strong bursts.

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

A wrestler's ranking determines their payment, accommodation options including personal assistants.

Younger or lower ranked rikishi perform duties in the stable, while higher ranked competitors receive special privileges.

Sumo rankings are established by results during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records move up, unsuccessful ones drop down the rankings.

Before each tournament, a new banzuke gets published – a traditional document displaying all wrestlers' positions within the sport.

The highest level features the title of Grand Champion – the pinnacle position. These champions embody the essence of the sport – beyond mere competition.

Sumo Wrestlers Demographics

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

International competitors have participated significantly over years, with Mongolian athletes achieving dominance in recent times.

Top champions feature international representatives, with competitors from various nations reaching elite status.

In recent news, young international aspirants have traveled to Japan pursuing professional sumo careers.