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The Grand Sumo Tournament

Location: This Historic London Venue, the British Capital. Schedule: 15-19 October

Exploring Sumo Wrestling

Sumo embodies Japan's iconic national sport, combining tradition, discipline and Shinto religious rituals with origins over a millennium.

This physical contest involves two competitors – known as rikishi – battling within a circular arena – a dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) in diameter.

Various rituals are performed before and after every match, emphasizing the traditional nature in sumo.

Customarily prior to competition, an opening is created at the center of the ring and filled with nuts, squid, seaweed and sake by Shinto priests.

This opening gets sealed, enshrining inside a spirit. Sumo wrestlers subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to drive off bad spirits.

Elite sumo is governed a strict hierarchy, and the wrestlers involved commit completely to it – residing and practicing communally.

Why London?

The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition taking place in London beginning October 15th until Sunday, 19 October.

London and The Royal Albert Hall previously held the 1991 edition – the first time such an event took place outside Japan in the sport's history.

Explaining the reasoning for the international competition, sumo leadership expressed he wanted to "convey to the people of London the appeal of Sumo – a historic Japanese tradition".

Sumo has seen a significant rise in popularity among international fans in recent years, and a rare international tournament potentially enhancing the popularity of Japanese culture internationally.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are straightforward. The bout is decided when a rikishi gets pushed of the dohyo or touches the floor with anything other than the sole of his feet.

Bouts can conclude almost instantly or continue over two minutes.

There exist two main fighting styles. Aggressive pushers generally push competitors out of the ring by force, while belt-fighters prefer to grapple the other rikishi employing throwing techniques.

Elite wrestlers often master multiple combat styles adjusting against different styles.

Sumo includes 82 winning techniques, ranging from dramatic throws to clever side-steps. This diversity in moves and tactics keeps audiences engaged, so surprises and upsets may happen during any match.

Size categories do not exist within sumo, making it normal to observe wrestlers of varying dimensions. Sumo rankings determine matchups instead of physical attributes.

Although female athletes do compete in non-professional sumo globally, they're excluded from elite competitions including major venues.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Sumo wrestlers live and train in communal facilities known as heya, under a head trainer.

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

Typical rikishi consumes between multiple servings per meal – thousands of calories – although legendary stories of extreme consumption exist in sumo history.

Wrestlers purposely increase mass to enhance leverage in the ring. Despite their size, they demonstrate remarkable flexibility, rapid reflexes with strong bursts.

Virtually every aspect of rikishi life are regulated through their training house and the Sumo Association – creating a distinctive existence in professional sports.

Competitive standing determines earnings, living arrangements including support staff.

Younger less established rikishi perform duties in the stable, while higher ranked ones enjoy preferred treatment.

Competitive standings are established through performance during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records advance, while those losing drop down the rankings.

Before each tournament, updated rankings gets published – a ceremonial list displaying everyone's status within the sport.

At the summit exists the rank of Grand Champion – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the spirit of sumo – transcending winning.

Sumo Wrestlers Demographics

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

Foreign wrestlers have participated significantly over years, including Mongolian wrestlers achieving dominance in recent times.

Top champions feature global participants, including wrestlers from various nations reaching elite status.

Recently, foreign prospects have journeyed to Japan seeking professional sumo careers.