Sumo 相撲
大相撲 平成名勝負
聡ノ富士 弓取り式
Sumo
This is traditional Japanese wrestling and in 1909 was established as the national sport. In ancient times, it was practiced as agricultural and Shinto rituals, so it still today includes many ceremonial elements. In a sumo match, two wrestler's wearing only a sumo wrestler's loincloth enter the ring, and they fight until one either leaves the ring or touches the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his feet. The Japan Sumo Association puts on six annual tournaments of the professional sumo per year, and these are broadcast on both television and radio. Since the 1960s, overseas tours of the tournaments of the professional sumo have frequently made, and have become so popular internationally that an English sumo magazine called "Sumo World" is avidly read in a number of countries. In addition, the accomplishments of foreign wrestlers recently have attracted attention.
Shiko (Stamp)
When sumo wrestlers enter the ring, they repeat an action of stamping down the dirt. This is an important, basic action for wrestlers to train the lower half of the body. It is called shiko and is done repeatedly before and after practice. However, shiko is not simply a preparatory exercise. Since ancient times in Japan, there was the belief that stamping the earth swept away evil spirit and summoned right spirit; sumo wrestlers doing shiko also derived from a Shinto ritual of stamping underfoot evil spirits that lurk in the ground.
Shikiri (Toeing the mark)
Shikiri refers to the fighting posture taken by the wrestlers as they face each other in the ring, just prior to the start of the match. Insumo, the brief instant of standing up to wrestle decides the match, so, when the wrestlers are not in sync with each other, they repeat their toeing the mark any number of times. They repeat shikiri with scrupulous care, starting the match only when they are completely ready. The French poet Jean Cocteau once praised this synchrony of toeing the mark as a miracle of balance.
Yokozuna (Grand champion)
Yokozuna is the highest rank for sumo wrestlers. The rope that wrestlers of yokozuna wear on the wrestler's belt with elaborately embroidered apron also called yokozuna and is a modification of a sacred Shinto rope. Only those wrestlers who win two consecutive tournaments, or achieve similar results, as the second highest rank can become yokozuna. The professional sumo have a history of more than two hundred years, but, with only 64 wrestlers having been promoted to yokozuna(by August 1993), it is an exceedingly narrow gate to that rank. In 1993, Akebono, an American, was promoted as the 64th yokozuna and became the first foreigner to reach the top rank.
Dohyoiri (Display of sumo wrestlers in the ring)
To indicate their purity of body and to pledge to the god of the ring that they will fight fairly, wrestlers of the professional sumo ranked junior grade and above participate, before wrestling, in dohyoiri. The junior and senior grade wrestlers enter the ring in order of rank and make a circle; grand champions, however, are each accompanied by a sword bearer and a herald and perform the ceremony one at a time. The individual character of each grand champion is expressed particularly through the dohyoiri, in which one can see the splendor and appeal of their respective styles.
Sumo Beya (Sumo stables)
The wrestlers of the professional sumo from the different stables contest each other. The wrestlers always belong to sumo-beya and practice daily under oyakata who is a stable master. Sumo-beya form a solid vertical relationship between master and disciple, which resembles the situation of human relationships in the old feudal society. Those lowest on the ranking list are assigned to serve those higher up, doing such things as making the sumo wrestlers' dish. The madam of the stable, who is a wife of the stable master, fulfills a large role, carrying out negotiations with the outside and looking after the problems of the wrestlers as a surrogate mother. Moreover, wrestlers are not the only ones who belong to sumo-beya. There are also stables with sumo referees, callers, professional sumo hairdressers, and people who do promotions for provincial tours and do manual labor.
mylink Judo / 柔道
maylink Kyudo