SUMO, Japanese national wrestling, one of the oldest varieties combat sports. Currently, it has become widespread in many countries of the world, including Russia. There are professional and amateur sumo. See also MARTIAL ARTS.

Rules, wrestling technique and equipment in sumo. 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 outside, the sumo wrestling looks 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 holding and throwing, 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” - Japanese 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 different cities of Japan and abroad throughout the year.

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. The average weight of a modern professional wrestler ranges from 120–140 kg, although the latest history of sumo knows how unique giants are (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, however, 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 the 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. In 1992, the International Sumo Federation (ISF) was created: 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.

In parallel with the temple and court, there was also street, folk, square sumo, fights of strong men or just townspeople and peasants for their own amusement and amusement of the crowd.

There were various sumo-like wrestling games in the merry neighborhoods, 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 embroidery, 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 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 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 admitted to sumo rooms at the end of high school.In addition, sumo is replenished by amateurs, as a rule, after they graduate from the university, if they were 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.

The birthplace of sumo wrestling is Japan, where this type of martial arts is classified as a martial art. The tradition of sumo wrestling dates back to ancient times, so each competition is accompanied by numerous rituals. Japan is the only country where professional sumotori competitions (as sumo wrestlers are called) are organized.

History of sumo wrestling

The history of sumo wrestling begins around the 7th century. when in 642 a tournament among wrestlers dedicated to the Korean ambassador was held in the Emperor's palace. Since then, every year there have been competitions associated with the date of completion of field work and harvest.

The first martial arts in sumo wrestling were religious in nature., and not sports, therefore, they were necessarily accompanied by theatrical performances on the theme of religion, prayers and ritual dances. The sumo wrestling technique at that time did not imply virtually any prohibited elements, so wrestling throws and grabs were interspersed with boxing techniques.

However, the very first documentary evidence of sumo wrestling dates from a slightly later period - 712, when it was inscribed in the Kojiki book - the oldest source of writing for the Japanese people. Wrestling (as sumai) is also mentioned in other written sources of the 8th century. It was associated with the religious ritual of Shinto, so even today in some Japanese monasteries you can get acquainted with the fight between god and man.

The basic rules of martial arts developed in the period from 794 to 1185, during the Heian era. At that time, the first restrictions arose: sumotori was forbidden to hit an opponent in the head, kick and pull the hair. Since that time, uniforms have appeared on the wrestlers, which were reduced to a single element - a loincloth.

In the course of the formation of the military class, the role of sumo wrestling has changed dramatically. Fights more and more departed from religiosity and with the emergence of civil strife, his techniques were sharpened for use in battles and served to educate warriors. This happened from 1192 to 1573, during the era of Muromachi and Kamakura.

Modern sumo wrestling dates back to about 1603, from the Edo period, when wars subsided and peace reigned. Martial arts began to turn into a new entertainment for the nobility and the wealthy classes. It was at that time that about 70 canonical elements were finally formed in it, the ritual became unchanged and the rules of combat were established, which have survived to this day almost unchanged.

During the Edo period, the title of the main champion - “yokozun” arose, and the current wrestling hierarchical ladder took shape. In the 18th century (in the middle), the tradition of holding 2 sumo wrestling tournaments annually appeared - in Edo (Tokyo) and Osaka.

The worst times came for sumo wrestling after 1868, when, with the opening of Japan, others appeared in it. sports entertainment. Then the persecution of sumotori began, and the struggle itself was recognized as a relic of feudalism. Salvation came with the support of the people and the personal favor of the Emperor. Since then, tournaments have become a tradition again and have never been interrupted - even at the time of hostilities.

sumo wrestlers

Sumo wrestlers not only have to have a large physique and heavy weight - the requirements for them are extremely strict and exacting and impose a lot of restrictions on individual life athletes. Sumo wrestlers are required to lead a morally and morally clean lifestyle, have excellent health and have an education not lower than secondary (9th grade). Sumo wrestlers must be at least 167 cm tall and weigh at least 67 kg.

Only wrestlers who have reached the age of 23 are allowed to the professional level. As an exception, athletes who have shown unprecedentedly high results in amateur or student sumo wrestling. They are allowed to start professional martial arts even at the age of 25. The great sumo wrestlers came to this sport precisely from the student environment.

In order to prove themselves in the professional field, sumo wrestlers are required to join one of the so-called. rooms, i.e. schools. But they can get there only after completing secondary education. Amateurs who have shown excellent results start fighting immediately from the 3rd makushita (division).

Further, the life of sumo wrestlers becomes even more ascetic, and young people voluntarily renounce ordinary human pleasures. They have no private life - all of it takes place under the watchful attention of the association and the oyakata (mentor). Moreover, care is being taken not only about the moral and moral character of the sumo wrestler, but also about his physical health.

Sumo wrestlers have no home or family. The only person they communicate with is the same sumotori as themselves. Their day usually starts incredibly early with monotonous, exhausting workouts. After completing many hours of exercise, they have lunch and then rest for the obligatory quiet hour. The task of the mentor is to help evenly build up fat and muscle mass in order to successfully perform in competitions.

sumo wrestler weight

The idea of ​​a sumo wrestler as a fat and clumsy person is completely wrong. Of course, on the “battlefield” one can observe a fight of more than 200-kilogram giants, but this is more likely an exception than a rule. The standard body weight of sumo wrestlers reaches 130 ... 180 kg. Moreover, at the end of the fight, the athletes lose up to several tens of kilograms, and then the heavyweight can hardly be recognized in the commentator of the next fight.

The weight of a sumo wrestler is increased not only by pumping up muscles, but also due to fat deposits accumulated with the help of a special diet worked out for decades. The vast majority of sumo wrestlers weigh about a hundred kilograms or more (except for beginners), and representatives of the highest divisions - from 120 kg. Otherwise, they cannot count on winning.

Sumo wrestling technique

In sumo wrestling, it is forbidden to hit the eyes and groin area. Blows are allowed to be applied only with an open palm, and not with an edge. The sumo wrestling technique also prohibits grabbing the opponent by the masavi (loincloth), fingers, ears and hair. You can not take and captures with strangulation. All other techniques are allowed for use, so the basic arsenal of sumo wrestlers includes:

• undercuts;
• footboards;
• throws;
• grips;
• pushes;
• slaps.

However, due to the very large volume of techniques, a rare athlete masters all of them, so sumo wrestlers prefer certain techniques and fighting tactics - such as grappling and wrestling in a belt or pushing from a distance. But any duel, as a rule, begins with a jerk of athletes towards each other with a collision. The best tactics of warfare is offensive.

Sumo wrestling rules

The rules of sumo wrestling were formed back in the days of Heian.- from 794 to 1185. To determine the winners of the fight, 2 basic definitions are used:

1. the loser is the one who first touches the site outside the circle;
2. the first to touch the ground with any area of ​​the body, except for the feet, is recognized as the loser.

The battlefield looks like a square-shaped platform 34 ... 60 cm high and is called dohyo. It is made from compacted clay, which is covered with a small layer of sand on top. The duel itself takes place in a circle limited by a strict diameter of 4.55 meters. Along the edges it is lined with tawara - weaving from rice straw.

According to the rules of sumo wrestling, the starting positions of the athletes are indicated on the doha with 2 white stripes. Before the start of each tournament, the sand framing the circle is carefully swept with brooms and leveled - so that you can find out exactly whether the wrestler touched the site outside the circle or not. In general, in the rules of sumo wrestling there are many more ritual attributes that go back to Shinto traditions and symbols.

(no subject)

I read at the bottom of the thread a discussion of the classification of people by type according to McWilliams. The fact that a specialist needs to know and understand this does not arise for me. Does the “client” need to be aware of exactly how ...

Recently, there have been several posts on Chips about Sumo, which (in my opinion) did not fully reveal this topic. I will try to tell really interesting things about Sumo. So, let's begin:

Recently, there have been several posts on Fishka about Sumo, which did not fully (in my opinion) reveal this topic. I will try to tell really interesting things about Sumo. So, let's begin:
Sumo in Japan is indeed a whole world, an art. Sumo wrestlers in Japan are revered by representatives of various segments of the population - ordinary residents, businessmen, politicians, yakuza and others. It is believed that if a sumotori (sumo wrestler) takes a child in his arms, then this will give the baby health, good luck and long years.
Wrestlers compete on a special clay platform called Dohyo. The one who first touches the platform inside the circle loses - with any part of the body, except for the feet. The one who first flew out of the circle also loses.
In the historical archives of Japan, documents from the 7th century have been preserved that tell about the origin of Sumo. It was at that time that fights between heroes began to be held at the Emperor's palace. It should be noted that at that time there were almost no rules. Much later, the first rules appeared, changes to which were made over many centuries.

To date, certain rules have been formed for Sumo. You can not grab the hair, beat with a fist or in the groin, put pressure on the eyes. At the same time, slaps, blows with the forearm are allowed, you can press the opponent’s neck area with your palm (but not squeeze it). Considering average weight sumo wrestlers of the major leagues, which is about 160 kg - I dare to assure you that swipe with a palm on the face or forearm in the jaw area - it can easily knock out an opponent. throws are also widely used (yes, these giants throw the same giants as wrestlers), trips and sweeps.

In modern Japanese professional sumo (I repeat, it is Japanese, since there are also various European, Asian, American amateur organizations) there are six leagues:
6 Zenokuchi
5 Zenidan
4 Sandamme
3 Makushita
2 Dzyuryo
1 Makuuchi.

From 6 to 3 Leagues are, let's say, preparatory.
Only the Jyryō and Makuuchi leagues are truly professional. it is there that the Wrestlers receive salaries, receive privileges in their Sumo Schools. And it is the winner of the tournament in the Makuuchi league who takes the main prize of the tournament - the Imperial Cup. By the way, this main tournament is held in Japan every 2 months, that is, 6 times a year. Therefore, after each tournament, there is almost no time to rest. We need to heal injuries and prepare for the next one.

There are many Sumo schools in Japan. Sometimes children are brought there who meet the minimum indicators of height, weight, health status, with a certificate of completion of the 9th grade of a comprehensive school. Sometimes student talents are taken there - winners of student sumo tournaments. Sometimes representatives of schools, and often leaders, arrange bride shows, where they bring gifted young people not only from Japan, but also from other countries. Yes exactly. For some time now, in Japanese Sumo, foreigners have been allowed to train and perform at limits. Representatives of Mongolia are very, very successful in Japanese Sumo, representatives of the USA, Bulgaria, Russia, Estonia, Georgia, and even Egypt are definitely successful, who were engaged in freestyle wrestling, judo, sambo at home. By the way - the most productive fighter in Japanese Sumo, the winner of the largest number of Imperial tournaments - is the representative of Mongolia Davaazhargal Munkhbat, he is also the White Phoenix - HAKUHO. In his "pocket" 38 Cups of the Emperor. Hakuho is a current Sumo wrestler and his number of victories will continue to rise.

In Japanese Sumo, namely, in the highest professional league Makuuchi, there are ranks, or, more correctly, Ranks. But before describing the ranks, I will say that all sumotori are divided into representatives of the East and West. Purely geographically, it no longer matters. It's just a rank indicator -
the representative of the East is higher in rank than the representative of the West.
So - the lowest rank of the major league is "Maegashira". Maegashira are assigned serial numbers corresponding to their position in standings. For example - Maegashira 8 is higher in rank than Maegashira 16, and Maegashira 5 East is higher than Maegashira 5 West.

So - Ranks:

Maegashira
Komusubi
Sekivake
Ozeki
Yokozuna

Yokozuna is supreme hierarchical rank in Japanese Sumo. if a major league wrestler with any rank other than a yokozuna can lose a title, drop out to a lower league, then return with fights and win titles again, then the yokozuna's path is only forward to victories. A Yokozuna who can't show a win rate that matches his the highest rank- can only leave professional sumo forever. Yokozuna is a standard not only for a wrestler, but also for human behavior in life in general.

To date, only 72 people have reached the rank of Yokozuna. And six of them are foreigners. Four representatives of Mongolia and two representatives of the USA (Hawaii). And one of these Hawaiians is the same Musashimaru from the famous radio report "Sunday fight of two yokozuna".

So what exactly is a Sumo Wrestler?
The opinion that sumotori is a fat man who must push and knock down another fat man does not stand up to criticism if you study the issue a little deeper.

A Sumo fighter (and we will talk about titled representatives of the major leagues) is a powerfully built athlete, whose average height is 180-190 cm, weight 140-160 kg, with high body flexibility, physical strength, speed and with a large arsenal of learned wrestling techniques . The fight of such pros is often a duel of speed, power and cunning.

Yokozuna Hakuho vs. Yokozuna Asashoryu

A source:

The weight of these wrestlers is an integral part of their life as a wrestler. More weight allows them to push the opponent off the platform, and does not allow the opponent to push him off the platform. It is clear that with an increase in weight, there is a strong decrease in the speed indicator, therefore, if a fighter manages to regulate his weight, then he himself determines the balance he needs. Some fighters are unable to lose weight, which is accompanied by certain problems in life and on the doha. Russian Sumo wrestler Anatly Mikhakhanov, who competes in the Sandamme League, is having problems with overweight, which does not allow him to rise above, unfortunately ..

Sumotori Aurora (Aurora - Anatoly Mikhakhanov)

A source:

And it happens the other way around, when a talented Sumo fighter cannot gain weight, as a result of which it is extremely difficult for him to fight against heavier opponents, despite his richest technical arsenal and speed. Look at this guy from the Czech Republic who made it to the big leagues. Pavel Boyar

Sumo (Jap. 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 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.

History

The first written mention of sumo is found in the Kojiki, a book dated 712, which is the oldest existing source of Japanese writing. 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.

Sumo is mentioned in ancient Japanese texts dating back to the 8th century under the name sumai. 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.

It is believed that the modern sumo ground - dohyo, appeared around the 16th century, however, the shape and size of the dohyo changed over time.

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.

In parallel with the temple and court, there was also street, folk, square sumo, fights of strong men or just townspeople and peasants for their own amusement and amusement of the crowd. There were various sumo-like wrestling games in the merry neighborhoods, 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.

Basic information

Playground for wrestling

Fight (tori-kumi) between yokozuna Asashoryu and komusubi Kotosegiku (Japan, 2008).

The sumo wrestling ground is a square platform 34-60 cm high, called dohyo. 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, the boundaries of which are laid with special wickerwork made of rice straw (the so-called "tavara"). In the center of the dohyo are two white stripes, indicating the starting positions of the wrestlers. The sand around the circle 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 opponents 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 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 four tassels on each corner of the canopy represent the four seasons: white for autumn, black for winter, green for spring, red for summer. The purple flags around the roof represent the drifting clouds and the changing seasons. The referee (gyoji), among other duties, performs the role of a Shinto priest.

Sumo wrestlers at the ceremony of the general entrance to the dohyo ring around the gyoji judge. October 2005

Entrance to doha for women according to ancient tradition is prohibited.
Training dohyos are made in a similar way, but the circle is flush with the floor. They also undergo a purification ceremony.

In amateur sumo, a dohyo is simply a marked circle, not necessarily on a raised platform. The ban for women is not observed, there is also an amateur female sumo.

Clothes and hair

The only clothing worn by a wrestler during a duel is a special belt called "mawashi". This is a dense wide fabric tape, most often in dark shades. Mawashi is wrapped in several 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. High-level wrestlers have silk mawashi. Hanging ornaments are suspended from the belt - “sagari”, which do not perform any other function than purely decorative. The wrestlers of the two highest divisions have one more, special, kesho-mawashi belt (jap. 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. In amateur sumo, mawashi is sometimes worn over trunks or shorts.

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.

Wrestlers' clothing and hairstyle are strictly regulated outside of the competition. 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.

rules

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 arsenal of wrestlers includes slaps, pushes, grabs for any permitted parts of the body and especially belts, 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 avoiding contact at the start of a duel, for example), while acceptable, are not considered pretty. 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).

Two basic rules are used to determine the winner of each bout: the first person to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the feet is considered the loser. the first person to touch the ground outside the circle is the loser.

The judge on the dohyo (gyoji) immediately shows the winner by turning the fan in the direction from which the wrestler started the fight. The decision of the referee 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. For trial, side judges may have access to a video replay.

The body is considered everything, up to the ends of the hair. In some cases, the judge declares the winner of the wrestler, the first to touch the ground. This happens when his opponent, even if he touched the ground second, had no chance of winning: he was thrown very effectively, or taken out of the circle, torn off the ground (the “dead body” principle). An attempt to carry out a forbidden technique, for example, grabbing hair, also leads to unconditional defeat.

Often the duel lasts only a few seconds, as one of the wrestlers is quickly forced out of the circle by the other, or 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.

The life of a wrestler

In sumo rooms, students are accepted at the end of high school. In addition, sumo is replenished by amateurs, as a rule, after they graduate from the university, if they were 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.

Having entered the heya, the wrestler takes on a special wrestling pseudonym, sikona, under which he performs. Sumo wrestlers are also called sumotori and rikishi.

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.

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 ward or your own room, etc. The same level determines the type and amount of household duties - so, they get up, clean and cook before everyone else I'm going junior fighters. 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.

Weight of wrestlers

There are no weight categories in professional sumo, so one of the determining factors is the weight of the wrestler. Almost all rikishi, except for beginners or rare exceptions, like Takanoyama, weigh over 120 kg - otherwise you cannot count on success. Thus, the record heavyweight Konishiki (275 kg) held the title of ozeki for more than six years, and the overall Akebono (225 kg) and Musashimaru (235 kg) reached the status of yokozuna. On the other hand, excessive weight does not guarantee success, as it harms mobility, increases the risk of injury and narrows the arsenal of techniques. Examples of this are Yamamotoyama, who was unable to gain a foothold in makuuchi, or Orora, moving between sandamme and makushita. Athletic "lightweights" (eg, yokozuna Chiyonofuji, yokozuna Harumafuji) can have an advantage over bulky "heavyweights" due to greater mobility and sophisticated technique. So, in January 1996, in the first makuuchi division, Mainoumi defeated Konishiki with an almost threefold difference in weight (98kg vs. 273), and in January 2012, in the fourth division, Ohara sandamme defeated the heaviest sumotori Ororu with almost four times (75kg vs. 273).

In amateur sumo, a system of weight categories can be established.

Injuries and loss of health in sumo

Since sumo is a contact wrestling of heavyweights with collisions, throws and falls, injuries to the fingers, joints, spine, muscles, and eyebrows are common in sumo. In oncoming collisions, concussion and loss of coordination are possible, as with a knockdown and a knockout in boxing. The danger of injury is all the more great because the fight is carried out on an elevation of about half a meter, and a poorly controlled fall from it after the reception is quite common. It's normal to get injured in training. Due to the large size and weight, household injuries can also be dangerous. Since there are 6 tournaments a year in professional wrestling, and, moreover, a series of exhibition performances are held between them, wrestlers often fail to fully recover. Missing a fight on basho for any reason is regarded as a defeat, skipping a tournament (of course, except for demonstration ones, where the result does not affect the rating) - as a defeat in all his fights, and this keeps the wrestlers from prolonged treatment. Therefore, wrestlers with ankles wrapped in an elastic bandage, knees, elbows, patches on their fingers, a wide patch on their shoulders, and back are a common sight. There are health problems caused by obviously overweight (but necessary for the struggle) gained weight: chronic diseases of the spine, knees, ankle, hypertension, metabolic disorders.

During the duel, not only wrestlers can suffer, but, by chance, gyoji or spectators from the front rows, if someone unsuccessfully falls on them. There are cases when other wrestlers who were preparing for the next fight near the doha were so injured.

Unsportsmanlike circumstances are also highly detrimental to health, such as the frequent need to drink alcohol at numerous meetings with sponsors, hae support clubs, holidays after the tournament, and other similar gatherings.

Organization

Tournaments and fights

Official professional tournaments (basho) are held 6 times a year, in Tokyo (January, May, September) and once in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Basho usually begins on the second Sunday of an odd month and lasts 15 days. Between tournaments, wrestlers participate in various kinds of visiting and charity demonstration tournaments.

Wrestlers of the senior leagues (makuuchi, dzyure) have 15 fights for basho, others - 7. Pairs are determined the day before, two days in advance. Because the number of bouts a wrestler has in a tournament is much less than the number of wrestlers in his league ("kaku"), bouts cannot be round-robins. In a typical case, a wrestler meets with colleagues of about the same level.

In a duel (except special occasions, such as super finals with equal results on the last day, "kettei-sen") cannot meet wrestlers of the same heya, and also, although this is not explicitly stated, siblings, even if they ended up in different heya. In minor leagues, this requirement may also apply to itimons. For this reason, very strong hae wrestlers who are not at the top of the league have an advantage: for them, the number of strong opponents is reduced.

In amateur sumo, their own, different from those listed above, rules for holding competitions are established.

Prizes and awards

For sekitori (makuuchi and dzyure fighters), the following monthly payments are set:

Yokozuna - 2,107,000 yen;

Ozeki - 1,753,000 yen;

Sekivake - 1,264,000 yen;

Komusubi - 1,090,000 yen;

Maegashira - 977,000 yen;

Jyryeo - 773,000 yen.

Wrestlers below jure do not receive monthly payments, but for each tournament they receive basho (basho):

Makushita - 120,000 yen;

Sandamme - 85,000 yen;

Jonidan - 75,000 yen;

Jonokuchi - 70,000 yen.

There are other benefits and benefits, in particular:

25,000 yen - all sekitori after each tournament in Tokyo;

150,000 yen - each yokozuna in front of the Tokyo Basho to cover the cost of making a new tsuna (tsuna) worn by the yokozuna on the dohyo-iri.

After each tournament, the sanyaku receives:

Yokozuna - 200,000 yen;

Ozeki - 150,000 yen;

Sekivake - 50,000 yen;

Komusubi - 50,000 yen.

Tournament winner gets:

Makuuchi - 10,000,000 yen;

Jyryeo - 2,000,000 yen;

Makushita - 500,000 yen;

Sandamme - 300,000 yen;

Jonidan - 200,000 yen;

Jonokuchi - 100,000 yen.

There are also three special awards of 2,000,000 yen each awarded on the basis of the basho.

In addition to the payments listed above, there is a special cumulative bonus system in professional sumo. For almost every achievement, large or small, starting from the very debut, sumotori receives a certain amount of bonus points. For sekitori, the accumulated points turn into periodic cash payments. Minor league wrestlers accumulate points, but do not receive such payments. The list of achievements for which bonus points are awarded is long, in particular, they are awarded for:

• every win if a katikosi is shown in the tournament;

  rise to the next league, for each league - in its own way;

  league win (kaku);

  ascent to sanyaku, ozeki, yokozuna;

  special prizes;

  kimboshi - the victory of maegashira over yokozuna.

Thus, long-term ozeki payouts can easily exceed $50,000.

The calculation of a particular rikishi's monthly income, due to its complexity and bonus savings system, is not transparent to outsiders. In general, a yokozuna's annual income, including third-party earnings (such as advertising), is roughly equivalent to that of a world-class footballer.

Leagues and ranks in sumo

Makuuchi major league ranks, from highest to lowest:

Senior sanyaku: yokozuna, ozeki

Junior sanyaku: sekivake, komusubi

Hiramaku: maegashira, no. 1 east, no. 1 west, no. 2 east onwards.

There are six leagues in professional sumo, from junior to senior: jonokuchi, jonidan, sandamme, makushita, jyryo and makuuchi. The last two are truly professional, all the others are considered student. There is also an “input” league of maezumo, in which all newcomers learn together the basics of wrestling, related arts and history of sumo.

Wrestlers of all ranks of makuuchi and dzyuryo are called sekitori (sekitori), wrestlers of the lower leagues are called deshi (deshi). Juryo - "ju" - ten, "ryo" - an ancient coin. Ten ryo represented sumotori earnings. Makushita - "maku-shita" - below "maku". Sandamme - "third rank". Jonidan - "second from the beginning." Jonokuchi - "introduction to the beginning" ("kuchi" - mouth).

Modern organization of professional sumo in Japan

Contractual fights in sumo

Until very recently, the existence of paid contractual bouts or gratuitous "mutual assistance" of wrestlers has not been proven. The topic was loved by the “yellow press”, suspicions were most often based on the fact that wrestlers perform noticeably better if the fight means a lot to them (for example, with a score of 7-7). On the other hand, such a phenomenon could be explained by the high motivation of the wrestler. At the end of January 2011, a scandal erupted when the police, studying (for a completely different reason) SMS on the phones of some wrestlers, found messages that unambiguously testify to fixed fights for money. The amounts were in the thousands of dollars. The scandal that broke out led to exceptional consequences, for example, the March spring tournament in Osaka (Haru basho) in 2011 and all exhibition performances (jungyo) in 2011 were canceled. This indicates colossal problems - tournaments are rarely canceled, the last time a regular tournament was canceled in 1946 due to the post-war difficulties of a devastated country. Throughout the previous war, even after the atomic bombings, tournaments were not canceled.

Kinds

University sumo

amateur sumo

In 1980, the Japan Sumo Federation held the First All Japan Amateur Championship, which invited teams from abroad to increase competition. As a result, the first international amateur tournament by sumo. Since then, the number of foreign teams participating in this event has increased every year, and in July 1983, Japan and Brazil created an organization that became the forerunner of the modern International Federation sumo (IFS). In 1985, due to the increase in the number of participating teams, the name of the tournament changed to the International Sumo Championship. In 1989, the 10th anniversary championship was held in Sao Paulo. On December 10, 1992, to commemorate the creation of the IFS, the name of the championship changed again.

Professional sumo

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 hold qualifying tournaments for the right to participate in the world championship. IFS currently has 84 member countries. In 1997, the first World Women's Sumo Championship was held. The Federation actively promotes women's sumo.

Foreigners in sumo

Although sumo has long been played by assimilated Koreans, the real starting point of the internationalization process should be considered 1964, when the American sumotori Takamiyama, known worldwide as Jesse Kuhaulua, appeared on Doha. The Hawaiian-born wrestler became the first foreigner to win the Imperial Cup. He reached the level of sekiwake, which is a sign of a quite successful career, and was very popular. He also became the first foreigner to lead the hei. Following him and under his influence, such prominent wrestlers as Konishiki, Akebono (the best student of Takamiyama) and Musashimaru appeared in sumo. Many foreign wrestlers, in particular the Chinese, Americans, Brazilians, Argentines and even Senegalese, did not do well and went unnoticed. Since the end of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century, the influx of fighters from Mongolia, as well as from the Caucasus, has been most noticeable. The first ozeki of European origin and the first European to win the Imperial Cup, Kotoosyu Katsunori is a Bulgarian professional sumo wrestler with the rank of ozeki.

Restrictions on the number of foreigners are constantly tightened. The introduced total quota (40 people) was later changed to a requirement of one person per heya. In February 2010, the Board of Directors of the Association further tightened the conditions for the admission of foreigners: a wrestler is considered a foreigner not by citizenship, but by origin. This finally closes the loophole for the oyakata, who previously resorted to tricks - gathering entire fraternities according to a common quota (like the Ooshima school) or transferring fighters to Japanese citizenship. The new restriction came into effect at the end of the traditional spring 2010 intake. In part, the access of foreigners is limited by the age limit of the debutant, 23 years. Since a foreigner enters wrestling on a general basis, non-Japanese amateurs who have proven themselves very often run the risk of not being on time or getting "on the last step of the last carriage." In practice, the quota leads to incidents, for example, brothers who intended to train together - Roho and Hakurozan - get into different heyas. There are heya who basically do not accept foreigners, there are heya who are hotbeds of foreigners, for example, Ooshima and Tatsunami, actively attracting Mongols. Quotas do not save from the dominance of foreigners in the major leagues, for example, at the November 2010 Basho in major league makuuchi there were 20 wrestlers of foreign origin (out of 45 positions), of which in sanyaku (ranks of komusubi and above) - 7 (out of 9 positions), including three ozeki out of four and the only yokozuna. As of January 2013, the Japanese wrestler last won the Imperial Cup in 2006, entered the doha with the rank of yokozuna in 2003.

The restrictions are justified, since it is commonly believed that sumo is not only and not just a sport, and the influx of foreigners, with alien manners and outlook on things, is capable of violating the purely Japanese spirit inherent in sumo. This, as a result, will allegedly reduce interest in sumo in Japan and, ultimately (although it is not customary to talk about it openly), the income of the Association. On the other hand, it was foreigners, such as Musashimaru and Akebono, and then Asashoryu, who repeatedly fueled interest in sumo, both in Japan and in the world.

A foreigner does not have the rights of a fighter in full. Thus, foreign yokozuna and ozeki, unlike their Japanese counterparts, do not have voting rights in the Association. Without transferring to Japanese citizenship, a foreigner cannot, after resignation, remain a coach.

Recently, foreigners have been involved in a number of scandals that have led to their disqualification: Kyokutenho was banned for a tournament for driving a car, Asashoryu - for two tournaments for playing football in public, despite the fact that he did not participate in official demonstrations, as injured, and three Russian wrestlers - Wakanoho, Rojo, Hakurozan - for life, after the scandal associated with their alleged use (and Wakanoho - also proven possession) of marijuana. The latter case had a great resonance and led to the resignation of the President of the Association, Oyakata Kitanoumi.

Sumo in Russia

The father of the yokozuna, winner of 32 bases (unsurpassed result) Taiho Koki was a Ukrainian emigrant Markian Boryshko. Taiho was born in 1940 in South Sakhalin (at that time owned by Japan) in Poronaysk (Shikuka) in a mixed family. The boy was named Ivan. After the end of World War II, Koki and his Japanese mother moved to the island of Hokkaido, and his father was arrested by the Soviet authorities. Taiho was not considered a foreigner, as he was born on Japanese soil and was quite Japanese in upbringing. In 1965, the Japanese Sumo Association, in honor of the anniversary of the restoration of Japanese-Soviet diplomatic relations, chose the USSR for the first foreign sumo festival. Wrestlers performed with demonstration performances in Khabarovsk and Moscow. Yokozuna Taiho was part of the delegation, but was unable to see his father, who had died five years earlier in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. After the end of his career, Taiho tried to establish friendly relations between Japan and the countries of the former USSR. He founded a sumo association in Kharkov, the city where his father was a native. A stroke prevented the Taiho from visiting the city in person.

In 2002, Taiho invited the Boradzov brothers from North Ossetia - Soslan (Roho Yukio) and Batraz (Hakurozan) to Japan to participate in sumo fights. Both brothers won the right to compete in the first elite division- makuuti, but in September 2008 they were disqualified with a scandal after another Russian wrestler - Wakanoho.

Other Russians also participate in professional sumo in Japan: Alan Gabaraev (Aran, in 2007-2013, the highest rank is sekivake), Nikolai Ivanov (Amuru, since 2002, the highest rank is jure-3), Anatoly Mikhakhanov (Orora, since 2000, the highest rank is makushita-43).

In addition, several more wrestlers from the countries of the former republics of the USSR take part in sumo: Georgians Levani Gorgadze (Tochinosin, since 2006, the highest rank is komusubi), Teimuraz Dzhugeli (Gagamaru, since 2005, the highest rank is komusubi), Merab Levan Tsaguria ( Kokkay, in 2001-2012, the highest rank - komusubi), Merab Georg Tsaguria (Tsukasaumi, in 2005-2006, the highest rank - sandamme-18); Estonians Kaido Hevelson (Baruto, in 2004-2013, the highest rank is ozeki), Ott Yurikas (Kitaoji, in 2004, the highest rank is junidan-114); Kazakh Suyunysh Hudibaev (Kazafudzan, since 2003, highest rank - makushita-10).

Sometimes in the houses where sumo wrestlers train, and at some tournaments, you can hear Russian speech. Currently, two yokozuna and one of the four ozeki (champions) are Mongols, one ozeki is Bulgarian. According to the Japanese press (Asahi Newspaper, 29/09/2006), they often use Russian to communicate with each other. The Boradzov brothers were guests at a Russian language class broadcast by NHK in 2005.

In some countries close to Japan, such as Mongolia and Korea, types of wrestling similar to sumo are common. However, Mongolian wrestling Bukh has one significant difference: it is not held in the ring, but in an open field, without designated boundaries.

According to one version, until the 16th century, the dohyo analogue was located on a hill, and there were sharp stakes outside it. Historical evidence supports the existence of this type of "sport", but it has not been clarified whether it is related to sumo.

According to December 2013 studies of 70 wrestlers in the top two divisions, body fat is between 23% and 39%. For comparison, in Japanese adults, this figure is 15-19%. The "fattest" was Aoyama, and one of the "drier" - yokozuna Harumafudzi.

Wrestlers of any level are prohibited from driving a car on their own. Those who violate this rule will be punished, for example, Kyokutenho, who was caught in 2007, was disqualified for one tournament, which meant a significant loss in rank. Usually, wrestlers go by taxi or they are transported by special minibuses.

Article: Sumo: giants in diapers

Sumo- ancient Japanese martial arts from those that have survived to this day. It has long ceased to have applied significance and is not a martial art in the full sense of the term. But art, and extraordinarily popular, remains.

Sumo has over two thousand years of history. According to legend, ordinary wrestling was its prototype, but then, in those far from humane times, someone came up with the idea to create a fundamentally the new kind a struggle in which life would be the stake. And around the platform on which the wrestlers competed, they began to stick pointed bamboo stakes, piercing the vanquished - he was considered the one who was pushed off the platform - through and through. Even then, people guessed that the greater the mass of a person, the more blood in him, and for fights they began to select exclusively heavyweights. The bright red fountains escaping from the bodies writhing in agony pleased the eyes of high-ranking spectators, for whose delight the bloody spectacle was intended, and they even ordered that the wrestlers be specially fattened with the best dishes in order to maximize their weight.

Several centuries later, the rules and conditions of the competition have become softer, but the traditions have been preserved, and someone who weighs less than 100 kg is simply not suitable for Sumo.

The lightest Sumo wrestler weighs 120 kg, the heaviest is more than 240. Moreover, most wrestlers strive in every possible way to improve their performance - they drink 10 liters of liquid daily and absorb fat, rich chancola stew in incredible quantities. And because of the huge weight they seem slow and clumsy. But this is not so - they have excellent reaction and excellent speed, and the weight is distributed in such a way that the center of gravity is as low as possible and it is difficult for the wrestler to be pushed off the spot.

But recently, a new type of wrestlers have begun to appear, not striving for weight gain and including a large number of vegetables in their diet. A prominent representative of the new trend was one of the greatest masters of our time, Chonofuji, nicknamed "Wolf" because of his squint. With a weight of 120 kg, there is not a drop of fat in him, but his strength was such that he could easily deal with two heavyweights, each weighing twice his size, at the same time. He proved that although weight plays a huge role in Sumo, technique is still more important. But there are few like him, and the vast majority of wrestlers willingly get fat. With such a lifestyle, they live to a maximum of fifty, and the media are well aware of this, but, apparently, they believe that art requires sacrifice ...

Sumo is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Japan. It has everything that is needed for sports - speed, intensity, simplicity of rules, lack of complex equipment and violence. Moreover, Sumo is a sport of gentlemen, where, among other things, the winner helps the loser to his feet. And although Sumo may seem rather strange to a European at first glance, the Japanese are delighted with it. Tens of thousands of tickets for the tournament are sold out with lightning speed, and television devotes more time to it than to the life of the imperial family.

The fight is carried out as follows. Two white lines are drawn on the platform in the center of a circle with a diameter of about 4.5 m, on which wrestlers squat before the start of the fight. At the same time, they stare at each other with a heavy look, trying to win the duel psychologically - and often this battle of views lasts longer than the fight itself. Then, according to ancient tradition, they begin to scatter handfuls of salt around them, thereby symbolically purifying the earth and air (Sumo is generally full of symbols that have remained unchanged for more than two thousand years in a rare case).

After the gong is struck, the wrestlers must jump to their feet within two seconds and enter the bout within one more minute. The rules are quite simple: the one who makes the opponent retreat beyond his line or touch the floor with any part of the floor, except for the foot, with the help of 70 different wrestling techniques, wins - strikes are prohibited (different sources contain a different number of techniques - 48, 70, 200, more than 200 , but the most common number is 70).

The world of Sumo - conservative, elitist, closed - is rightly called the stronghold of Japanese feudalism. Strict observance of customs, unquestioning obedience to elders are its distinguishing features. Considered the moral ideal of society, the embodiment of purity and truthfulness, a Sumo wrestler cannot appear in public in an old kimono and with unoiled and untied hair. The only woman he sees for many years is the wife of the owner of the team.

Violators are dealt with quickly and brutally. So, the “great master” - “yokosuna” Wajima was deprived of his title (over the past 350 years, a little more than 60 people have been awarded this title). Hiroshi Wajima violated Sumo's laws, according to which one must perform under a pseudonym, live modestly and stay in Buddhist monasteries during the tour. Even in his youth, Wajima showed free-thinking, wearing a haircut like the Beatles, and being a “great master”, he performed under his own name, went on tour in a luxury car and preferred luxury hotels to modest monasteries, and in addition, he pledged his share in the Sumo Association to a person, having nothing to do with her.

For his duties, Wajima was thrown out into the street without any pity or indulgence and, becoming unemployed, was forced to go into catch and become a student again, just like many years ago. Undoubtedly, it has served others. good lesson- Retiring at the age of 30-35, Sumo Wrestlers, who have reached significant heights during their careers, live more than comfortably, as the Association pays them a considerable amount, and besides, they earn quite good money during their performances.

Sumo wrestlers in Japan are considered national heroes. But being a Sumo wrestler is a very, very difficult thing. Both mentally and physically. Wrestlers live (with the exception of the "great masters") in such Spartan conditions that even the Spartans would not have endured. Beginners (tsukebito) get up at four o'clock in the morning for their first practice, which takes place on an earthen floor in a room open to winter cold with snow and suffocating summer heat. Their only attire is a piece of fabric ten meters long, which is folded in half and tied around the stomach like a giant diaper. In the same form, the wrestlers enter the platform. After the first training, beginners serve their senior colleagues - they rub their backs in the bath, which every wrestler must take before the fight, smear their hair with oil and help them style, perform all kinds of assignments.

Nevertheless, Japanese youth are ready to doom their lives to severe hardships, as Sumo wrestlers attract them not only with wealth, but also with authority in society. However, there is something to envy here - acquaintance with them is considered an honor. powers of the world of this, and, for example, at the wedding of Wajima (Sumo wrestlers, as a rule, marry late, having already become great masters and retired, that is, when they are already over 30, and are obliged to marry the daughter of one or another great master) there were 2500 guests , the official intermediary between him and the bride was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who later became a minister, among the guests was the former Prime Minister of the country and other important people.

Sumo is spoken of as a national Japanese sport, but over the past 20 years, many foreigners have appeared in the ranks of Sumo wrestlers. The first foreigner, the winner of the tournament in the fall of 1989, was a 25-year-old US citizen, a native of Hawaii, a 230-pound wrestler Alisane, performing under the name Konishiki. It is interesting that among the prizes, in addition to monetary rewards and a personal message from President Bush Sr., were 1.8 tons of rice and 5,000 eels. Well, for the giant, the prize is the most worthy...