The fights of sumatori (sumo wrestlers) take place on a doha: a special adobe platform covered with fine sand. In the center of the square (7.27 x 7.27 m) platform there is a circle with a diameter of 4.55 m. The sumo wrestler must either push the opponent out of this circle, or force him to touch the surface of the circle with any part of the body - except for the feet. Wrestlers are forbidden to strike with their fists, ribs of the palms and legs, choke each other, pull the hair - from the side, the sumo wrestlers look like a persistent “pushing” of each other. At the same time, sumo fights are extremely fleeting: they usually last one or two minutes, fights lasting more than five minutes are very rare.
The course of the fight is monitored by 4 side judges, the chief arbiter and the referee on the platform.
For sumatori, their own weight is important. Modern sumo wrestlers are people of large build. And since the technical arsenal of this type of wrestling does not include painful holds and aggressive attacking actions, the bulk of the body of sumo wrestlers is not muscles, but body fat, which gives the fights a unique originality: in fact, huge fat men perform in front of the audience, most of which do not differ in athletic physique. Along with physical strength, a sumo wrestler must also have a good reaction and a sense of balance, which to keep during the fight, given big weight rivals is very difficult.
The equipment of sumo wrestlers includes only special belts - mawashi, which are tied through the groin at the waist. The absence of any clothes on sumo wrestlers is not accidental, this emphasizes the “clean” nature of this noble, by Japanese standards, wrestling: rivals are not able to hide weapons in folds, for example, kimonos, in which judo wrestlers perform. The mawashi of an opponent is often used by a sumo wrestler when carrying out grips and throws, since it is simply impossible to grab hold of most parts of the body of an athlete weighed down with a large fat mass. Deliberately tearing off a belt from an opponent is prohibited, and the loss of a belt through the fault of the wrestler himself leads to his disqualification (although this happens extremely rarely).
A simple and unpretentious sumo seems only to an uninitiated viewer. It is not easy to knock a giant sumo wrestler onto the platform or push him out of the circle. This is hindered by the gigantic weight of the wrestlers. In addition, in sumo, as in any other type of wrestling, there is a set of techniques that allow the athlete to technically competently attack and defend. In modern Japanese sumo there are 82 basic techniques. Among the most common are such techniques as "yorikiri" - a mutual capture, in which the athlete, who turned out to be with his back to the border of the circle, is forced out by the enemy (on average, about 30% of victories in modern sumo are achieved with this particular technique), and "kakezori" - Throw the opponent through the thigh. One of the most difficult and, at the same time, the most beautiful and spectacular techniques is “ipponzoi”, a grip with both hands of one of the opponent’s hands and then throwing him over the back (for the period from 1990 to 2001, this most difficult technique brought victory to only one sumo wrestler - Kayo, who with its own weight of 170 kg, managed to transfer the 220-kg Musashimaru).
Unlike international tournaments in sumo, where fights are held in weight categories, in classic Japanese sumo wrestlers participate in fights, regardless of their weight. This gives it exceptional spectacle - and clearly demonstrates that not only weight is important in sumo, but also the athlete's technique.
The duel is like a ritual.
Japanese sumo, being a national sport with a long history, is extremely conservative in nature. The duel is held according to the traditions that have developed centuries ago. Its ceremonial side is of no small importance.
Before the start of the fight, athletes are required to perform the traditional ceremony of shaking off the mortal dust from their hands: they fold their palms in front of them, and then spread them apart, thereby showing their intention to fight “cleanly”. Then the wrestlers do half-squats, resting their hands on half-bent knees and looking into each other's eyes (the so-called sonke position). At present, such movements are nothing more than a tribute to tradition, but in ancient times it was a kind of psychological duel between wrestlers who tried to mentally suppress the opponent with a stern look and formidable posture. Such a "psychological confrontation" lasts, as a rule, several minutes - 3-4 times longer than the duel itself. The wrestlers sit down opposite each other 2-3 times, and then straighten up and move apart, thereby increasing the tension in the hall. These ceremonial preparatory actions are accompanied by the throwing of salt: the participants in the duel throw handfuls of it in front of them on the platform, which is a symbol of the expulsion of demonic spirits from sports ground. Only after such a - long enough - ceremony, the wrestlers sit down in last time, rest their fists on the platform and, at the signal of the judge, rush at each other.
At the end of the fight, the winner again takes the sonke position - waiting for the official decision of the judges. After his announcement, the wrestler takes aside right hand palm down and only then leaves the platform.
Professional Japanese sumo.
Competitions.
In modern Japan, professional sumo tournaments (or as it is called “ozumo” - literally “big sumo”) largely determine the national calendar, setting the cyclical rhythm of the life of the whole country. The regularity of the tournaments gives the Japanese confidence in the inviolability of ancient traditions and the stability of their own existence. Tournaments are held 6 times a year (on odd months, starting from January). Their venues are also constant: in January, May and September - in Tokyo, in March - in Osaka, in July - in Nagoya, in November - in Fukuoka. The duration of one tournament is 15 days. Sunday is the first and last day of the tournaments. Fights are held in six "rating" categories with a total of almost a thousand athletes. The highest category - makuuchi - currently includes 40 sumatori, who hold one fight a day, wrestlers of lower "divisions" fight once every 2 days. The winner of the tournament is the wrestler who has achieved the largest number of victories in duels (maximum - 15). If two or more wrestlers have won the same number of victories during the competition, additional fights are held between them to determine the strongest. Fights between the recognized leaders of sumo - "ozeki" (wrestlers of the 2nd rank) and "yokozuna" (wrestlers of the 1st or higher rank) usually begin at 16.30 and end by 18.00, when the traditional NHK evening newscast is aired , which for many years owns the exclusive right to broadcast sumo tournaments on television.
The disadvantage of these competitions has long been considered the fact that representatives of the same sumo schools (or “rooms” - Jap. Heya) cannot fight each other in them. According to tradition, representatives of one or another “room” (now there are more than 50 of them) should only oppose wrestlers from other schools, but not their comrades. The only exceptions are additional fights in the final of the tournament.
In addition to six official tournaments, professional sumo wrestlers take part in demonstration performances in various cities in Japan and abroad.
Yokozuna.
The title of "yokozuna" (lit. great champion) is awarded for excellent sports results that a wrestler achieves over a long period of time (at least 3-5 years), as well as for outstanding achievements in the field of sumo. The title is assigned by a special commission, which long and meticulously studies each candidate. Unlike ozeki, yokozuna is a lifetime title. It is awarded infrequently: over the past 300 years, only about 70 sumo wrestlers have been awarded it.
According to the rules, no more than five yokozuna can participate in one sports season. At the same time, there are seasons when not a single yokozuna is among the participants in the tournaments.
If the current yokozuna begins to "lose ground", he must retire from sumo.
Sumo is a fat man's sport.
It is believed that the “exterior” of sumo wrestlers corresponds to the Japanese ideas about the male ideal. Like the ancient Russian heroes, Japanese sumo wrestlers personify the greatness of the mighty flesh and the good spirit clothed in this flesh.
It should be noted that the weight of sumo wrestlers has become truly gigantic only in recent decades. Moreover: until 1910, the Japanese, who weighed more than 52 kg, were not allowed to sumo. In 1926, those whose weight did not exceed 64 kg were allowed to compete in tournaments, and in 1957 the minimum allowable weight of a sumo wrestler was officially introduced - 66.5 kg, the Japanese Sumo Association (former in 1927) refused the maximum limit.
Currently, sumo schools accept teenagers with a height of at least 173 cm and a weight of at least 75 kg. Average weight of a modern professional wrestler fluctuates between 120–140 kg, although recent history sumo knows how unique giants (for example, the Hawaiian Konishiki in different years of his sports career weighed from 270 to 310 kg), and lively "kids" (one of the few sumo wrestlers with a higher education, Mainoumi weighed less than 95 kg).
The basis of sumo wrestlers' nutrition is, as a rule, fatty type-setting hot soups with meat and vegetables, which wrestlers eat twice a day up to 3 kg in one sitting, washed down with beer.
As practice shows, after the end of a sports career, most sumo wrestlers lose weight: their weight drops to 85–90 kg.
History reference.
Initially, sumo was a hand-to-hand combat of warrior fighters, identical to those that existed in the Tatar-Mongolian troops. Its historical roots are still not precisely defined, but most researchers are inclined to believe that the chronology of sumo is at least 2000 years old, and it came to Japan from Mongolia in the 6th-7th centuries. (There is also a “Japanese” version of the origin of sumo, according to which the Shinto god Takamikazuchi won a hand-to-hand duel with a barbarian deity, after which the heavens allowed the Japanese to settle on Honshu, the main island of the Japanese archipelago.) The first mention of sumo in Japanese historical documents dates back to 642 year.
Since the XII century, there has been a division of sumo into combat and sports. In the XIII-XIV centuries. it acquired the status of Japanese folk wrestling, competitions were held according to the agricultural calendar - in connection with the end of autumn field work, and later on other "economic reasons". In addition, sumo tournaments began to coincide with individual religious (Shinto) holidays.
The heyday of sumo falls on the 17th century, when tens of thousands of Japanese became its avid fans, and sumoists became the favorites of the public. Competitions were held on the occasion of state and local holidays. It was in the 17th century that the basic principles of sumo were fully formed as wrestling, the rules for holding tournaments were clearly regulated, which are observed to this day.
For a long time, Japanese sumo remained a sport exclusively “for its own”. Until the end of the 60s. In the 20th century, non-Japanese were not allowed there: a rare exception was naturalized foreigners - Chinese and Koreans. From the end of the 60s. “ordinary” foreigners also began to perform in Japanese sumo. Starting from the second half of the 80s, some of them, primarily from the Hawaiian Islands, began to achieve noticeable success on Doha.
At the end of the 20th century, amateur sumo received noticeable development in different countries. Established in 1992 International Federation sumo (ISF): initially it included 25 countries, in 2002 there were already 82 of them. In the same 1992, the world sumo championship also debuted. Three years later, the European championship was played for the first time. At first, representatives of other types of martial arts participated in such competitions, who simultaneously mastered the technique of sumo wrestling, but by the end of the 90s, an elite of “pure” sumo masters had formed.
Amateur tournaments are held in four weight categories: light (up to 85 kg), medium (85-115 kg), heavy (over 115 kg) and absolute (athletes participate in fights regardless of their weight). Women sumo wrestlers have the same categories: light (up to 65 kg), medium (65–80 kg), heavy (over 80 kg) and absolute. Amateur competitions are held both in individual and team competitions.
Currently, the strongest sumo wrestlers in the world, apart from the Japanese themselves, are fighters from Brazil, Mongolia, Russia, Poland, Germany and the USA.
Sumo is included in the program of the World Games (World Games - competitions in sports disciplines that are not included in the official program Olympic Games have been held since 1980). The issue of granting it the status of an Olympic sport is being considered. According to the rules of the IOC, a sport is declared Olympic only if male and female varieties of this sports discipline are cultivated in various countries of the world. Now women's sumo is actively developing in the USA, Germany, Russia and many other countries - except for Japan. There, sumo is still considered clean. masculine appearance sports. There are individual sumo wrestlers in the country, but so far they cannot count on universal recognition and holding their own tournaments. And therefore the imminent recognition of sumo olympic view sport is very problematic.
Sumo in Russia.
Initially, a sumo section functioned under the Russian Judo Federation. In 1998, the Sumo Federation of Russia was established, which currently holds the championships of Moscow and St. Petersburg, a number of other regional competitions, and also plays a national championship.
Our sumo wrestlers successfully perform on international competitions in amateur sumo. The Russian team had no equal at the European Championships of 2000 and 2001, as well as at the 2000 World Championship. The most titled Russian sumo wrestlers today are Ayas Mongush and Olesya Kovalenko.
In recognition of the merits of our sumo wrestlers, Russia received the right to host the 2002 European Championship and the 2003 World Championship.
In 2000, 16-year-old Buryat schoolboy Anatoly Mikhakhanov was the first Russian to make his debut in professional sumo - under the name Asahi Mitsuri. In 2002, two more immigrants from Russia joined him - the brothers Soslan and Batraz Boradzov.
Alexandra Vlasova
They wear loincloths, exercise for three hours every morning, eat 8,000 calories a day, and sleep with oxygen masks on.
Sumo (相撲) is a type of martial arts in which two wrestlers reveal the strongest on a round platform.
The birthplace of this sport is Japan.
The Japanese consider sumo to be a martial art. The tradition of sumo has been going on since ancient times, so each fight is accompanied by numerous rituals. Japan is the recognized center of sumo and the only country where professional rikishi competitions are held. In the rest of the world, only amateur sumo exists. Modern professional sumo combines elements of sports, martial arts, shows, traditions and business.
According to the legend given there, 2500 years ago the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata fought in a sumo duel for the right to own the Japanese islands.
According to legend, Takemikazuchi won the first fight. It is from this hero of antiquity that the emperor of Japan traces his genealogy.
In addition to its primary purpose, sumo has been associated with the ritual of the Shinto religion. To this day, in some monasteries, one can see the ritual battle between man and God.
Sumo was an important ritual of the imperial court. Representatives of all provinces had to participate in the competition at the court. The role of sumo in combat training is also known: sumo training made it possible to develop the ability to stand firmly on one's feet in battle. Sumo rules developed in the Heian era (794-1185). It was forbidden to grab each other by the hair, kick and hit each other in the head.
It is believed that modern playground for sumo - dohyo, appeared around the 16th century, but the shape and size of the dohyo changed over time. So, often the usual shape was a square.
It is known that since at least the 18th century, professional sumo wrestlers began to organize semblances of traveling circuses, making tours of provinces and cities, and showing their art for money. Traces of this practice remain, so the tournament lists of wrestlers still contain the phrase about temple permission to perform, and tours of the provinces are still practiced in the intervals between the main tournaments of the year.
The self-organization of wrestlers, coaches and judges gave rise to fighting associations that competed with each other and led their own tournaments and ratings. By the second half of the 20th century, after a series of splits and mergers, only one association remained, the Tokyo one, which began to be considered all-Japanese.
There were various sumo-like wrestling games in the merry quarters, such as duels between women (often with obscene wrestling names), duels between women and the blind, comic wrestling, and the like.
Street sumo was repeatedly banned, because street fights sometimes escalated into mass brawls and urban riots.
Women's sumo was also subject to restrictions and practically disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century, only being preserved as a rare temple ritual and at an amateur level.
Dohyo is made of a special grade of rammed clay and topped with a thin layer of sand. The duel takes place in a circle with a diameter of 4.55 m (15 shaku), the boundaries of which are laid with special braids of rice straw (the so-called "tawara"). In the center of the dohyo are two white stripes, indicating the starting positions of the wrestlers.
The sand around the circle ("snake's eye") is carefully leveled with brooms before the start of each fight, so that it can be determined from the footprints in the sand whether one of the rivals has touched the ground outside the circle. On the sides of the dohyo, steps are made in clay in several places so that wrestlers and gyoji (judges) can climb it.
The site itself and the many objects surrounding it are full of Shinto symbols: the sand that covers the clay dohyo symbolizes purity; thrown salt symbolizes purification, the expulsion of evil spirits; the canopy over the dohyo (yakata) is made in the style of a roof in a Shinto shrine.
The purple flags around the roof represent the drifting clouds and the changing seasons. The referee (gyōji), among other duties, plays the role of a Shinto priest.
The only clothing worn by a wrestler during a duel is a special belt called "mawashi".
This is a dense wide fabric ribbon 9 meters long and 80 cm wide. Mawashi is wrapped, as a rule, in 5 turns around the naked body and between the legs, the end of the belt is fixed behind the back with a knot.
An unwound mawashi leads to the disqualification of the wrestler.
Wrestlers high level mawashi silk. Hanging ornaments are suspended from the belt - “sagari”, which do not perform any other function than purely decorative.
In the tournament, the lower division wrestlers always have gray mawashi, the older ones have dark shades, although the older wrestlers sometimes do not follow this tradition.
The wrestlers of the two highest divisions have another, special, kesho-mawashi belt (化粧回し, 化粧廻し kesho:mawashi), outwardly resembling an apron decorated with sewing, each in its own way, which is used only during rituals.
Holders of the highest rank of yokozuna wear a rope (tsuna or shimenawa) that is still woven in a special way during rituals.
In amateur sumo, mawashi is sometimes worn over trunks or shorts. Wrestlers' clothing and hairstyle are strictly regulated outside of the competition.
Hair is collected in a special traditional bun at the crown, in the two highest divisions the hairstyle is much more complex. In addition to beauty, such a hairstyle has the ability to soften the blow to the crown, which is possible, for example, when falling head down.
The rules depend very much on the level of the wrestler. As a rule, the clothes and hairstyle prescribed for wrestlers in everyday life are very archaic. Hair styling requires a special art, almost forgotten outside of sumo and traditional theater.
The gyōji wear archaic Muromachi-era court style clothing. There is a strict and petty regulation that determines the clothes and shoes of a judge depending on his level, which allows an experienced eye to very accurately determine the rank by appearance and detail colors.
So, in the minor leagues, the judges are barefoot and simply dressed. In contrast, socks, and later sandals, are restricted to the highest ranking gyōji.
An obligatory attribute of gyoji is a fan - gumbai.
In sumo, it is forbidden to hit other than with an open palm, as well as in the eyes and in the genital area. It is forbidden to grab the hair, ears, fingers and the part of the mawashi that covers the genitals. Choke holds are not allowed.
Everything else is allowed, so the wrestlers’ arsenal includes slaps (“harite”), pushes, grabs for any permitted parts of the body and especially belts, emphasis with the edge of the palm on the throat (“nodova”), as well as throws, various trips and sweeps.
The duel begins with a simultaneous jerk of the wrestlers towards each other, followed by a collision (“tatiai”). It is considered good form, as well as a more successful tactic, to fight offensively.
Tricks based on evasions (such as "tatiai-hanka", avoiding contact at the beginning of a duel), while acceptable, are not considered beautiful.
Due to the wide variety of techniques, rarely anyone owns their full arsenal, so there are wrestlers who are more prone to either grabs and wrestling in the belt (for example, Kayo ozeki), or, on the contrary, to fight with pushes at a distance (for example, Tiyotaikai).
1. - the first person to touch the ground with any part of the body, except for the feet, is considered the loser.
2. - the first person to touch the ground outside the circle is considered the loser
The rules stipulate special cases when the first person to touch the ground is declared the winner.
This is possible if at that moment the opponent was already in a deliberately losing, hopeless situation and could not do anything in response: he was torn off the ground and carried (or thrown) outside the circle, or another technique had already been carried out against him, the result of which on that moment is clear.
The caveat is known as the "dead body principle". The principle makes it possible to reduce the risk of injury to attacking fighters, in particular, by giving them the opportunity to secure themselves in case of their falls.
In addition, victory is immediately awarded to the one against whom a prohibited technique was carried out, for example, a hair grab.
Immediately after the end of the bout, the judge on the dohyo (gyoji) points to the winner by turning his fan in the direction of the dohyo from which the wrestler started the fight.
Gyouji must do this at all times and without delay, even if the result is not obvious.
The judge's decision can be challenged by the general council of four circular judges ("shimpan") and the chief judge ("shimpancho"), sitting around the dohyo and interfering with the actions of the gyoji, if he, in their opinion, overlooked or made a mistake.
A video replay may be available for trial by side judges. If the winner cannot be determined even after the meeting, a second bout (torinaoshi) is scheduled. Until 1928, a draw (azukari) was recorded in such a situation.
Often the duel lasts only a few seconds, as one of the wrestlers is quickly forced out of the circle by the other, or is knocked down by a throw or sweep. In rare cases, the duel can last several minutes. Particularly long bouts may be suspended so that wrestlers can take a breath or tighten up weakened belts.
At the same time, the position and capture are clearly fixed by the gyoji, in order to accurately restore the relative position of the wrestlers on the doha after the timeout.
Students are accepted into sumo rooms at the end of high school. In addition, sumo is replenished by amateurs, as a rule, after they graduate from university, if they have been able to prove themselves.
Amateurs showing good results start performances immediately from the third division (makushita). The upper age limit is 23 for debutants and 25 for student sumo amateurs.
The formation of the wrestler's body occurs exclusively in the process of training due to muscle growth and weight gain. The daily routine itself is dedicated to this goal. Getting up with the first rays of the sun, morning toilet, then an exhausting five-hour workout begins on an empty stomach, requiring full dedication of strength and maximum concentration.
After training, wrestlers take a hot bath and always eat heavily, usually without restrictions, and also do not deny themselves alcohol. After eating - a three-hour sleep, then a short workout and a light dinner.
According to December 2013 studies of 70 wrestlers in the top two divisions, body fat is between 23% and 39%. However, the average fat level for sumotori from all leagues is only 14%. For comparison, in adult Japanese this figure is 15-19%.
The accessibility of a fighter to the blessings of life is determined by his success. The level reached by the wrestler depends on what clothes and shoes you can wear, whether you can use a mobile phone, the Internet, sleep in a common room, your own room, or even live outside the hei, etc.
The same level determines the type and scope of household duties - so, the youngest wrestlers get up, clean and cook food before everyone else. They also serve the elders in the bath and for food.
It is believed that such a way of life creates a serious incentive: if you want to improve your status and not do menial work, train better, perform stronger.
The first World Sumo Championship, held under the auspices of the IFS, brought together a total of 73 participants from 25 different countries.
The tournament has become an annual event, and the number of participating countries continues to grow. The World Championship is held in individual and team events. Athletes are divided into four weight categories: light, medium, heavy weight and absolute weight category.
In 1995, five continental federations of amateur sumo were created, which conduct qualifying tournaments for the right to participate in the World Cup. IFS currently has 84 member countries.
In 1997, the first World Women's Sumo Championship was held. The Federation actively promotes women's sumo.
One of the popular national sports in Japan is sumo wrestling. Japan is the only country where sumo competitions are held at a professional level. In other countries, such as Korea, sumo is also a popular sport, but only at an amateur level.
Sumo originated in antiquity, during the Yayoi era, which falls on the period 300 BC - 250 AD. At that time, sumo was a Shinto ritual ceremony (Shinto is the traditional religion of the Japanese people), which gradually developed into a combat duel. Then, for the pleasure of the nobility of those times, pointed bamboo piles were dug around the place where the duel took place. And then, the losing wrestler, falling out of the circle, was pierced by these piles, which led to indescribable delight of the audience.
During the formation of the samurai class, sumo wrestling becomes his privilege. In the combat training of the samurai, sumo played a significant role, as it contributed to the ability to stand firmly on one's feet.
Sumo includes a certain ritual of preparing and conducting a duel. Before the duel began, its participants prayed for victory, sprinkled salt on the arena to drive evil spirits underground, and then clapped their hands to attract the attention of the deity in whose honor the competition was held, this ritual is still performed today.
In the 16th century, professional sumo tournaments began to take place. The rules of wrestling changed over time and were finally developed in the 17th century and have not changed since then.
The platform for sumo is a hill of 40-60 cm, on which there is a circle called dohyo, packed with clay and sprinkled with sand. In the center dohyo two white lines shikiri-sen) are the starting positions of sumo wrestlers. Around the arena, finely sifted sand called "snake's eye" is poured. With the help of sand it is possible to determine whether the touch was by a wrestler outside the arena. The diameter of the wrestling circle is 4.55 meters.
Sumo wrestlers dressed in mawashi- This is a special belt made of dense fabric, usually dark colors. This wide ribbon is wrapped around the naked body and between the legs several times and tied in a knot at the back. On the mawashi there is a fringe - sagari, which is only decoration and does not carry any semantic load. If the mawashi is unwound during the fight, then this automatically leads to the disqualification of the wrestler.
Sumo wrestlers' hair is greased and placed in a large bun at the crown. The referee is watching the fight gyoji) competitions. He is dressed in ancient ritual clothes and during the struggle he gives commands with the help of a fan.
The rules of wrestling include a number of prohibitions, these are: you can’t grab an opponent by the hair, fingers, ears, you can’t choke, you can’t grab mawashi in the genital area, you can only hit with an open palm, but you can’t hit in the eye area and genitals. All other tricks are allowed.
In the following cases, the defeat of the sumo wrestler is counted:
- the wrestler has touched the ground with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet
- the wrestler was forced out of the circle
- the wrestler performed a hold prohibited for wrestling
- mawashi came in an inappropriate look
- wrestler announced blue thai(corpse). This happens extremely rarely when the wrestler is in an impossible position to fight.
The duel does not last long and can be from a few seconds to several minutes. The decisive, but not the main, role in the victory is played by the mass of the wrestler, because the greater the weight, the easier it is to push the opponent out of the circle. Therefore, immediately before the competition, the wrestlers consume large amounts of water - up to 10 liters per day and eat fatty foods in large quantities, increasing their mass. Sumo wrestlers weigh from 125 kg to 235 kg. But the technique of waging a duel still plays the main role and therefore one can observe how a noticeably smaller wrestler wins in a duel.
Sumo wrestling has a strict hierarchy, it depends on the skill of the wrestler. The hierarchy was established in the Edo era and exists today. Each wrestler receives a pseudonym from the instructor. Wrestlers after each match either advance or relegate in the circle depending on the number of performances and their victories. Given that the status of a wrestler depends on the number of victories, sumo wrestlers try to take part in all competitions, regardless of the fact that they have not yet recovered from injuries after previous competitions. And sumo is a fairly traumatic sport. Often at competitions you can see a wrestler with bandaged hands and knees.
There are six ranks in sumo: makuuchi, dzyure, makushita, sandamme, jonidan, jonokuchi.
A sumo wrestler's career starts from the lowest rank - jenokuchi, and in order to reach the highest circle - makuuchi, one must exert a lot of strength and develop combat skills. It takes a lot of time and physical activity from a wrestler.
At the top of the qualification is the grand champion - yokozuna(great champion). If a wrestler reaches the title of yokozuna, then unlike other (lower) ranks, he is no longer subject to demotion even if he loses the match. But usually a yokozuna leaves the sport and does not take part in competitions if he sees that his time has passed and he does not meet the standard of a champion.
The winner of each competition receives the Emperor's Cup and a large cash prize. Professional sumo wrestlers receive a monthly fee of 10,000 dollars from the Japan Sumo Association, additionally they receive for each battle won, plus there is a system of corresponding bonuses.
Sumo wrestling requires great strength and health, and huge weight also adversely affects general condition wrestler, therefore, at the age of 35, sumo wrestlers retire and live quite prosperously at the expense of funds accumulated for their professional activity In addition, depending on the qualification level, they receive a decent pension - 5-6 thousand dollars.
There are six sumo tournaments in Japan every year. Three in Tokyo in January, May and September, and one each in Osaka in March, Nagoya in July and Fukuoka in November. Each tournament lasts for 15 days, during which each wrestler takes part in one match per day (excluding minor matches if they have already been won). During the tournament period, the rating of the hierarchy based on the results of the competition is updated daily. Wrestlers who have more wins than losses move up the hierarchy, those who have more losses in their arsenal are lowered in rank.
The best way to see sumo is to take part in the tournament, tickets are sold for all 15-day tours in specialized organizations, in mini markets, in stadiums (the cheapest tickets are purchased on the day of the performance, in the stadium, special seats are reserved for these tickets).
There are three types of places available for sumo lovers. These are places near the ring, which are located near the arena (circle) in which the competition takes place. These are the most expensive places and it is difficult to get tickets there. Spectators are seated on cushions on the floor and are at risk of injury when a wrestler flies out of the circle.
Vox seats are seats on the first floor of the stadium, in the form of a box divided among themselves, in which there are 4 seats - pillows on the floor. These places are sold immediately for 4 tickets, regardless of whether there will be four people or two. It is forbidden to wear shoes in these places.
And the third kind seats These are balconies, Western style. The ticket price depends on the distance from the arena. Children under 3 years old, together with their parents, attend competitions for free, but in distant places, without providing a separate seat.
Tickets for competitions, as a rule, are purchased in advance, otherwise there is a chance not to get to your favorite show.
It is impossible to look at the appearance of sumo wrestlers and think that they are fat, small and clumsy Japanese guys.
These are really fat guys, but by no means small and clumsy, but large, powerful, very agile, flexible and with excellent reaction. Many of them even sit on the twine and make a bridge.
But let's start the story of this magnificent fight from afar.
The exact date of the origin of sumo is unknown. But the tradition is hundreds of years old. And they remain virtually unchanged. This struggle is a whole philosophy or, if you like, a religion. Those athletes who dare to connect their lives with sumo remain in it forever.
Yes, and not everyone will be taken there. It must be earned.
Sumo schools have a very strict discipline and hierarchy. Wrestlers get up very early and train for five hours. Then they rest and eat a lot. During the day they must eat at least a kilogram of chanku (the traditional food of sumo wrestlers), which is prepared in each school according to its own recipe. But it always includes several types of meat and seafood. Don't neglect beer either. All this is done in order to gain weight and gain fat. Fat protects wrestlers from serious injuries; both when falling, and even more so from a dohyo (this is a sumo ring, up to 60 centimeters high), and when colliding with an opponent. For the same purpose, a special hairstyle on the head serves.
Wrestlers of a higher rank are served by wrestlers of a lower rank.
There are six hierarchical categories in sumo: Jonokuchi is the sixth, initial category; then comes the fifth, the Jonidan; the fourth is Sandamme; the third is Makushita.
The first two need special attention. This is sumo elite. It includes only seventy wrestlers. And this number does not change. If a wrestler has not confirmed his skills at the next tournament, and has not confirmed his right to remain in his own or start playing in a higher league, then he will be demoted.
In the first category - Makuuchi 42 wrestlers (rikishi) compete against each other. Here they have their titles.
The highest level is occupied by the Great Champions (yokozuna).
The third stage, the same sekivake. This title can only be worn by two wrestlers.
And also two wrestlers can occupy the fourth step - komusubi.
All other levels are maegashira titles. They are worn by the rest of the rikishi. Numeric values are assigned here. Starting from the first maegashira of the east and west, and ending with the 16th maegashira of the west.
The title of yokozuna is awarded for life. All others must be confirmed at each tournament, which takes place six times a year. And depending on the result, the wrestlers are lowered or raised in rank (bandzuke). The fight is for the emperor's cup.
All wrestlers are paid salaries and are very popular in Japan.
I would like to pay special attention to the Great Champions. Although sumo is many hundreds of years old, the historical record is from the beginning of the Edo period, from about the end of the 17th to the beginning of the 18th centuries.
The first yokozuna is called Akashi Shiganosuke. He is considered a legendary figure. But almost nothing is known about him.
The second was Ayakawa Goroji. Only the year of his birth is known - 1704.
More detailed list of yokozuna can
To date, only 71 rikishi have been awarded the title of yokozuna (and this is more than 300 years). So far, three have taken part in tournaments:
69 Grand Champion - Hakuko Sho, who won the Emperor's Cup 32 times. Height 192 cm, weight 155 kg.
70 Great champion - Haramafuji, who took the cup 6 times. Height 186 centimeters, weight 133 kg.
71 Grand Champion - Kakuryu, won 1 time so far. Height 186, weight 151 kg.
Nowadays, this wrestling is gaining more and more popularity outside of Japan. For example, all three current Grand Champions are natives of Mongolia.
And the Europeans left their mark on Doha. And in major league.
This is a Czech, outwardly not like a sumo wrestler Pavel Boyar (wrestling pseudonym Takanoyama) b.-187cm., w-98kg..
Estonian Kaido Xyovelson(Baruto) b.-198 cm., w.-189 kg., and Bulgarian Kaloyan Stefanov Maklyanov (Kotoosyu) b.-203 cm., w.-150 kg., reached high rank ozeks. But, unfortunately, they have already retired. And Kotoosyu, even won once the highest award- Emperor's Cup Such achievements can mainly boast of the Great Champions.
Two Georgians reached, and may well be achieved, great heights in this struggle: Teimuraz Dzhugeli (Gagamaru) b.-185 cm, w.-200 kg., and Levan Gorgadze (Totinosin) R.-191 cm, V.-159 kg..
Not so long ago, the Russian wrestler Alan Gabaraev (Aran) left his career as a rikishi b.-187cm., w.-152 kg..
The Russian rikishi Nikolai Ivanov (Amur) continues his ascent to the top of the hierarchy, b.-192 cm, w.-130 kg.
By the way, the first record holder in terms of the number of victories in tournaments for the Emperor's Cup is Taiho Koki (Ivan Markinyanovich Baryshko) R. -187 cm, w. -153 kg (years of life 1940-2013). He was 48 yokozuna and won the cup 32 times. His father, as you understand, was a Russian citizen, and his mother is Japanese.
Very interesting, colorful and spectacular performances of wrestlers on doha.
Especially the exits of the Grand Champions.
All these are centuries-old traditions of the Japanese people. They love and revere sumo wrestlers very much.
In the tournament held in November 2014, the yokozuna Hakuko won the emperor's cup. He won 14 victories in 15 fights. This is his 32 cup. And he equaled victories with the great Taiho Koki.
The Russian wrestler Amur made his debut in the top division at this tournament, but unfortunately he did not win enough victories to stay in it. In January, at the next tournament, he will fight in Dzyure, in the rank of the first wrestler. March will again play in the top division Makuuchi.
First tournament of 2015 won the yokozuna Haku-ko. He did not suffer a single defeat. This is his 33rd win and new record in sumo.
at the March tournament , the Grand Champion of Haku-ko excelled again. He won 14 victories and won the Emperor's Cup 34 times.
Amur returned to "Makuti" and won 7 bouts and will continue to fight in the top division in May.
In May, the Emperor's Cup , won the sekivake Terunofuji, winning in 12 fights.
This young wrestler hails from Mongolia. At the last tournament, he won 13 victories in 15 fights. Given these achievements, the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association awarded the wrestler the title of ozeki.
The 69th and 70th Grand Champions had 11 wins each. The 71st champion did not take part in the tournament due to a left shoulder injury.
The Russian sumotori Amur won 9 victories and got a little foothold in the top division of Makuuchi.
July Tournament 2015 Haku-ko Grand Champion won. This is his 35 cup. Truly, we are witnessing the rise of a great sumo wrestler. His record is unlikely to be beaten in the coming decades. In this tournament, he won 14 victories and suffered 1 defeat.
70 The great champion Haramafuji, was forced to withdraw from the tournament, as he injured his recently operated elbow.
71 Kakuryu champions, won 13 victories.
Russian sumotor Amur won 8 fights and will be promoted.
September Tournament missed Haramafuji due to an elbow injury. Hakuko withdrew from the tournament on the third day, after losing twice to the rank and file maegashira. Therefore, the 71 great Kakuryu champions had a better chance of winning the Emperor's Cup. And he took advantage of it. Although with difficulty.
Our wrestler Amur, so far, is going stably. He won 8 victories out of 15 possible. This is a good result and
He's up for a promotion.
The last November tournament of this year has come to an end. It was won by 70 Yokozuna Haramafuji.
Our wrestler Amur won 4 victories. He will be severely demoted, but will remain in the big leagues.
First in 2016, January tournament was not devoid of spectacle and intrigue, which persisted until the last day of the tournament.69 the great champion at first left no doubt about his victory. But in last days something happened to him and he suffered 2 incomprehensible defeats, and one was earlier.
As a result, the cup was won by ōzeki Kotosegiku. Over the past 10 years, the Japanese again won the cup This is his first victory in the tournament (14 wins, 1 loss).
The first and so far the only Russian rikishi Amur won 7 victories and suffered 8 defeats. He will be demoted, but will remain in the big leagues.
In March, Haku-ko won the Emperor's Cup. He did not behave very well in the tournament, in the sense of discipline befitting a great champion. But this is his 36th victory. Amur won 7 victories, and will again be slightly demoted in rank.
May 2016. The Emperor's Cup was won by 69 great champions. He did not suffer a single defeat. Russian wrestler Amur was injured on the first day of the competition. Missed 5 fights and went to doha. But the injury is serious and the sumo gods did not support our wrestler. He won a few victories, but not enough to stay in the big leagues. Unfortunately, Amur is relegated to the second elite dzyure league. But let's hope that in July, he will prove himself and win a ticket back to makuti. We wish him good luck!
July 2016. 70 great champion Haramafuji won 13 victories and won the emperor's cup 8 times. 71 Yokozuna Kakuryu withdrew from the tournament due to injury. Everyone hoped for the popeds of Ozaki Kisenasato, who at this tournament had the unofficial title of "tsunatori", that is, a contender for the title of yokozuna. But after the treacherous "tatiakenko" (avoidance of the fight), from his fellow tribesman Shohodzan, the wrestler lost his temper and won only 12 victories. The unofficial status of "tsunatori" will be extended to him until the September tournament.
Our wrestler Amur won 9 victories and took the position of the 3rd wrestler of the West in the dzyure.
September 2016 . For the first time in the history of sumo, an ozeki, who was in a kadoban, won the Emperor's Cup and achieved the perfect result of zen-sho ("only wins"). Goeydo has become the winner, and if he wins the November tournament, he will receive the title of yokozuna. Kisenasato lost the title of "tsunatori". Hakuko did not take part in the tournament. Yokozuna Harumafuji won twelve bouts, Yokozuna Kakuryu won ten.
Yokozuna Hakuho did not take part in the Autumn Tournament. On September 12, the 37-time winner of the Emperor's Cup underwent surgery. surgeons removed from thumb the right leg of the White Phoenix is a fragment of a bone broken in July in the city of Nagoya.Ozeki Kotosegiku exited the kadoban with nine white balls.Sekivake Takayasu won ten victories.Sekivake Takarafuji, komusubi Kaisei and Tochiozan failed to achieve katikosi (predominance of victories at the end of basho). They will descend from sanyaku to hiramaku (become private maegashira).The post sekivake will rise in the new banzuke (official ranking) Okinoumi.And komusubi will produce Mitakeumi and Tamawashi or Aoyama. Amur suffered 9 defeats and remains in the dzyure.
November 2016. For the third time, the yokozuna Kakuryu won the Emperor's Cup.
Won the first tournament in 2017 (14 wins, 1 loss) Zeki Kisenosato. He will also become the 72nd Grand Champion. He went to this for a long time and received a well-deserved reward. Amur, unfortunately, suffered 10 defeats andlost the elite status of sekitori.
March 2017 . 72 Yokozuna confirmed his title by winning another cup in a row. And although on the 13th day of the competition he received a serious shoulder injury, and on the 14th day Ozeki Terunofuji applied toKisenosato is a move not revered in this wrestling (namely, tachiokenko "that is, simply avoided the fight, thereby exposing the opponent to his own strength", but this move is not forbidden in sumo. And many wrestlers can resist it). And despite this, on the 15th day of the tournament, a super duel was held, and the Great Champion proved that he is one.
May 2017.Yokozuna Hakuho quenched the thirst for victory that tormented the sixty-ninth great champion for an unbearably long time. The White Phoenix won the Emperor's Cup for the thirty-eighth time, twelve months after the thirty-seventh yusho. The Russian hero Amur, who has not yet recovered from a shoulder injury, has suffered six defeats and will be promoted.
July 2017. Hakuko won 39 cups. The great champions Kakuryu and Kisenasato withdrew early from the tournament. In this tournament, 69 the Grand Champion broke another record previously held by ozeki Kayo.White Phoenix brought the number of his victories in professional doha to 1050. But despite the absence of two main rivals, Hakuko again used techniques that did not correspond to his status.Several members of Yokoshin delicately pointed out that slapping harite and avoiding a forceful kickoff (tachiai hanka) did not add to the glory of the greatest champion.
Yokozuna Kisenosato, in turn, received a recommendation to improve his health and not force the return to the rikishi line at any cost.
Yokozuna Kakuryu, who has withdrawn from three out of four tournaments this year, has received a hint that his results will be seriously discussed if he fails to perform well at the next basho.
The 33-year-old Russian hero Amur, who is gradually recovering from a shoulder injury, scored the minimum katikosi (4-3). But he fights in the 3rd (non-elite league), and so far, he does not claim to return to the sumatori rank.
September 2017. This time Haramafuji won the cup. It was not an easy win for the champion, although many of the top wrestlers, including the 69, 71 and 72 Grand Champions, were unable to compete due to injury. He won 11 victories, as well as the Ozeki Gueydo. The fate of the cup was determined in an additional duel between these wrestlers.
It doesn’t matter how things are with the Russian hero Amur. He suffered 5 defeats in 7 fights.
The pioneer of Russian professional sumo Aurora, he wrestles in the 5th league (jōnidan) fixed the minimum makekoshi (3-4). Aurora (Aurora) made his professional sumo debut in March 2000. A native of the Buryat village of Zaigraevo, Aurora is now famous as the heaviest rikishi in the history of professional sumo. At a medical examination before the Autumn tournament, the 34-year-old Russian outweighed Konishiki's record, Anatoly Mikhakhanov registered 288.8 kilograms. professional career- the title of the 43rd wrestler of the third division (makushita).
November 2017. Yokozuna Hakuho won the Emperor's Cup for the 40th time. The sixty-ninth great champion won fourteen victories at the last classic tournament of 2017, held at the Fukuoka International City Center on the island of Kyushu. 32-year-old Munkhbatyn Davaazhargal overshadowed his anniversary triumph with a stern reprimand. On the eleventh day, Basho Hakuho grossly violated etiquette. Not wanting to admit defeat, the White Phoenix began to put pressure on the judges and refused to bow to the opponent. In an interview in hot pursuit during the awards ceremony, Hakuho apologized on behalf of all rikishi to the fans for the scandal caused by the incident that occurred at the end of October in Tottori Prefecture, and promised “do everything possible so that Harumafuji-zeki and Takanoiwa-zeki enter dohyo again.” The first maegashira of Tamawashi East, the first maegashira of Takakeisho West, the third maegashira of Hokutofuji West and the twelfth maegashira of Okinoumi East, who “shared second place”, were three behind Hakuho victories. The seventy-first yokozuna Kakuryu came to Kyushu, but did not enter the tournament. The seventieth yokozuna Harumafudzi withdrew from the competition after the second failure, the seventy-second yokozuna Kisenosato after the fifth.
34-year-old Russian hero Amur won five victories.
January 2018. Win the first cup this year third maegashira of the West Tochinoshin (14 victories). This is rare in sumo. True, of the 4 great champions, only one reached the end - Kakuryu (11 victories). But this does not mean that the sumo wrestler from Georgia got the cup easily.
So: 70 The great champion - Haramafuji was forced to retire due to the fact that he hit the junior on the rank of a sumo wrestler. And Hakuko and Kisenosato withdrew from the tournament in the early days due to injuries.
The 34-year-old Russian hero Amur was content with the minimum makekosi (3:4).
Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport in which two athletes try to push each other out of a circle or make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than their feet. In addition to the combat component, sumo combines elements of show and tradition.
The Japan Sumo Association is the organization that controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan.
The history of the emergence and development of sumo
Archaeological finds indicate that sumo was already widespread in Japan in the 3rd-6th centuries (clay figurines of haniwa in the form of sumo wrestlers), and the first written mention of sumo dates back to the 7th-8th centuries (the Kojiki book). The book says that 2500 years ago the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata fought in a sumo duel for the right to own the Japanese islands. Takemikazuchi won the duel. Another mention of sumo wrestling can be found in the Nihon Shoki, which dates back to 720. It also talks about a duel that took place between two strong men.
The word "sumo" was formed from the Japanese verb "Sumafu" (to measure one's strength). From this verb, the noun “sumakhi” was formed, after hundreds of years it was transformed into the word “sumai”, and then into “sumo”.
In the Heian era, sumo was an important ritual of the imperial court. Representatives of all provinces had to participate in the competition at the court. There were no special judges, usually the commanders of the palace guards watched the battle, their main tasks were to suppress forbidden tricks and control the timing of the start. If a controversial issue arose, then they turned to the aristocracy for help, if they could not make a decision, then the emperor himself passed the verdict. The winner of the competition was awarded the title of champion, as well as valuable prizes.
The end of the 17th century in Japan was “Golden” for sumo. The country was in isolation, this gave impetus to the development of folk crafts and martial arts. Distinguished wrestlers and theater actors very quickly became celebrities. Special lists were made, in which the names of the best wrestlers were listed, as well as all their titles were noted. During this period, sumo rules were almost completely formed and the main techniques were determined (72 techniques or kimarite).
In 1909 a large sports complex Kokugikan for competitions and sumo wrestling tournaments.
Sumo is an integral part of Japanese culture, which has been carefully preserved for generations. Every sumo wrestler has to go through a very difficult path, life is such
sumo rules
The duration of the bout is 3 minutes for the age group of 13-15 years and 5 minutes for the age group of 16 years and older. If after the allotted time the winner is not determined, a second fight (torinaoshi) is appointed.
A sumo match begins at the command of the gyoji (referee) after the necessary rituals have been performed. Gyoji has the right to stop the fight one or more times due to injury, disorder in clothing (mawashi) or for any other reason that does not depend on the desire of the participant. The fight ends when the referee, having determined the outcome of the fight, announces: "Cebu atta!" - and pointing with his hand in the direction of the dohyo (East or West), with which the winner started the fight.
A wrestler may be declared defeated by the decision of the judges in the following cases:
- cannot continue the fight due to injury,
- uses prohibited actions,
- end the fight on his own
- intentionally did not rise from the starting position,
- ignoring gyoji commands,
- did not appear in the waiting sector after the second official call,
- if the maebukuro (codpiece) mawashi is untied and falls off during the fight.
In sumo it is forbidden:
- strike with fists or poke with fingers;
- kicking in the chest or stomach;
- make hair grabs;
- make grips on the throat;
- make grips on the vertical parts of the mawashi;
- wring the opponent's fingers;
- bite;
- inflict direct blows to the head.
sumo court
Sumo competitions are held on a special square area with a side of 7.27 meters, which is called dohyo. There are 2 types of such sites:
- mori-dohyo - clay or earthen trapezoid 34-60 cm high;
- hira-dohyo - flat dohyo, which is used for training and for competitions in the absence of mori-dohyo.
The arena itself is limited around the perimeter by a bundle of rice straw and is a circle with a diameter of 4.55 meters. In the center of the circle at a distance of 70 centimeters from each other, 2 lines (shikirisen) 80 centimeters long are drawn.
Equipment
Sumo wrestlers have only a special loincloth (mawashi) tied at the waist through the groin. The width of the mawashi is 40 cm, and its length should be enough so that the bandage can be wrapped around the athlete's torso 4-5 times. Athletes are prohibited from carrying items that can injure the opponent (rings, bracelets, chains, etc.). The wrestler's body must be clean and dry, fingernails and toenails cut short.