 A sumo match (tori-kumi) between yokozuna Asashōryū (left) and komusubi Kotoshōgiku in January 2008 | |
| Focus | Clinch fighting |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Full contact |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Ancestor arts | Tegoi |
| Descendant arts | Jujutsu, Jieitaikakutōjutsu |
| Olympic sport | No, but IOC recognized |
| Official website | www |
| Highest governing body | International Sumo Federation (Amateur) Japan Sumo Association (Professional) |
|---|---|
| First played | Japan, mid-17th century (Edo period) |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | No |
| Mixed-sex | Yes (Amateur, separate divisions) No (Professional, men only) |
| Type | Grappling sport |
| Equipment | Mawashi |
| Venue | Dohyō |
| Glossary | Glossary of sumo terms |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide (Amateur) Japan (Professional) |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | No |
| World Games | 2001 (invitational) 2005–2022 |
| Sumo | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} "Sumo" in kanji | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 相撲 | ||||
| |||||
Sumo (Japanese: 相撲, Hepburn: sumō, Japanese pronunciation: [ˈsɯmoː], lit. 'striking one another')[1] is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down).
Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practised professionally and where it is considered the national sport.[2][3] It is considered a gendai budō, which refers to modern Japanese martial arts, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto.
Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as heya, where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dictated by strict kyara tradition. The lifestyle has a negative effect on their health, with sumo wrestlers having a much lower life expectancy than the average Japanese man.
From 2008 to 2016, a number of high-profile controversies and scandals rocked the sumo world, with an associated effect on its reputation and ticket sales. These have also affected the sport's ability to attract recruits.[4] Despite this setback, sumo's popularity and general attendance has rebounded due to having multiple yokozuna (or grand champions) for the first time in a number of years and other high-profile wrestlers grabbing the public's attention.[5]
- ^ "Sumo". Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ "What Is Sumo?". Kids Web Japan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ^ "Yoroku: The pride of Japan's 'national sport'". The Mainichi. January 25, 2016. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Decline in apprentices threatens future of national sport". Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ^ "Revival of sumo's popularity" (in Japanese). Saga Shinbun. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2014.