Sumo wrestler weight. How do sumo wrestlers live and why are they so big? Pleasant gastronomic pleasures

Sumo (Japanese 相撲) is a type of martial arts in which two wrestlers identify 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 a recognized sumo center and the only country where professional competitions are held. In the rest of the world there is only amateur sumo.

Modern professional sumo combines elements of sport, martial arts, show, traditions and business.

Story

The first written mention of sumo is found in the Kojiki, a book dating from 712 that 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 match for the right to own the Japanese islands. According to legend, Takemikazuchi won the first fight. It is from this ancient hero that the Emperor of Japan traces his ancestry.

Sumo is mentioned in ancient Japanese texts dating back to the 8th century under the name sumai. In addition to its main purpose, sumo was associated with the ritual of the Shinto religion. To this day, in some monasteries you can see the ritual fight between man and god.

Sumo was an important ritual of the imperial court. Representatives from all provinces were required to compete at 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 platform, the dohyo, appeared around the 16th century, but the shape and size of the dohyo changed over time.

The rules of sumo developed during the Heian era (794-1185). It was forbidden to grab each other by the hair, kick or hit each other in the head.

In parallel with the temple and court sumo, there was also street, folk, square sumo, fights of strongmen or simply townspeople and peasants for the crowd’s own amusement and amusement. There were various wrestling games, similar to sumo, in the gay quarters, such as women's fights (often with obscene wrestling names), women's and blind men's fights, comic wrestling and the like. Street sumo was repeatedly banned because street fights sometimes escalated into mass brawls and city riots. Women's sumo was also subject to restrictions and practically disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century, surviving only as a rare temple ritual and at the amateur level.

Basic information

Ground for wrestling

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

The sumo wrestling area is a square platform 34-60 cm high, called dohyo. The dohyo is made from a special type of compacted clay and is covered with a thin layer of sand. The fight takes place in a circle with a diameter of 4.55 m, the boundaries of which are laid out with special braids made of rice straw (the so-called “tawara”). In the center of the dohyo there 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 bout, so that the footprints in the sand can be used to determine 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 onto it.

The site itself and many objects surrounding it are full of Shinto symbols: the sand that covers the clay dohyo symbolizes purity; throwing salt symbolizes purification, expulsion of evil spirits; The canopy over the dohyo (yakata) is designed in the style of the roof of 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 symbolize the drift of the clouds and the changing of the seasons. The judge (gyoji), among other duties, serves as a Shinto priest.

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

According to ancient tradition, entry to the dohyo is prohibited for women.
Training dohyos are made in a similar way, but the circle is located flush with the floor. A purification ceremony is also held for them.

In amateur sumo, a dohyo is simply a designated circle, not necessarily located on a hill. The ban for women is not observed, and women's amateur sumo also exists.

Clothes and hairstyle

The only clothing a wrestler wears during a fight is a special belt called a “mawashi”. This is a dense wide fabric ribbon, most often in dark shades. Mawashi is wrapped several times around the naked body and between the legs, the end of the belt is secured behind the back with a knot. An unwound mawashi will lead to the wrestler's disqualification. High-level wrestlers have silk mawashi. Hanging ornaments called “sagari” are hung from the belt and do not perform any function other than purely decorative. The wrestlers of the two top divisions have another, special, kesho-mawashi belt (Japanese: 化粧回し, 化粧廻し kesho: mawashi?), which looks like an apron decorated with sewing, each in its own way, which is used only during rituals. In amateur sumo, mawashi is sometimes worn over swimming trunks or shorts.

The hair is collected in a special traditional bun at the top of the head; in the two highest divisions the hairstyle is much more complex. In addition to beauty, this hairstyle has the property of softening the blow to the crown of the head, which is possible, for example, when falling head down.

The clothing and hairstyle of wrestlers is strictly regulated outside of competition. The prescriptions depend very much on the level of the wrestler. As a rule, the clothing 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 with anything other than an open palm, as well as in the eyes and genital area. It is forbidden to grab the hair, ears, fingers and the part of the mawashi covering the genitals. Chokeholds are not allowed. Everything else is allowed, so the wrestlers’ arsenal includes slaps, pushes, grabs of any permitted parts of the body and especially belts, as well as throws, various kinds of trips and sweeps. The fight begins with a simultaneous rush of the wrestlers towards each other, followed by a collision (“tatiai”). Offensive fighting is considered good form, as well as a more successful tactic. Tricks based on subterfuge (such as dodging contact at the beginning of a fight), although acceptable, are not considered beautiful. Due to the wide variety of techniques, rarely does anyone have a full arsenal of them, so there are wrestlers who are more prone to either grappling and belt wrestling (for example, ozeki Kayo), or, on the contrary, to fighting with pushes from a distance (for example, Chiyotakai).

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 considered the loser.

The judge on the dohyo (gyoji) immediately shows the winner by turning the fan in the direction from which the wrestler began the match. The judge's decision can be challenged by the general council of four circuit judges ("shimpan") and the chief judge ("shimpantho"), sitting around the dohyo and interfering with the actions of the gyoji if, in their opinion, he has overlooked or made a mistake. For the proceedings, the side judges may have access to a video replay.

Everything is considered a body, right down to the ends of the hair. In some cases, the referee declares the winner to be the wrestler who touches the ground first. This happens when his opponent, even if he touched the ground second, had no chance of winning: he was very effectively thrown, or carried out of the circle, torn off the ground (the “dead body” principle). An attempt to perform a prohibited technique, for example, grabbing hair, also leads to unconditional defeat.

Often the match lasts only a few seconds, as one of the wrestlers is quickly pushed out of the circle by the other, or knocked down by a throw or sweep. In rare cases, the fight can last several minutes. Particularly long matches may be paused so that the wrestlers can take a breather or tighten weakened belts. At the same time, the position and grip are clearly recorded by the gyoji, in order to accurately restore the relative position of the wrestlers on the dohyo after a timeout.

Life of a fighter

Students are admitted to sumo rooms upon completion of high school. In addition, sumo is replenished with amateurs, as a rule, after they graduate from university, if they have been able to prove themselves. Amateurs who show good results begin their performances immediately from the third division (makushita). The upper age limit is 23 years for debutants and 25 for amateurs from student sumo.

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 a wrestler’s body occurs exclusively during training due to muscle gain and weight gain. The daily routine itself is dedicated to this goal. Getting up with the first rays of sun, morning toilet, then a grueling five-hour workout begins on an empty stomach, requiring full effort and utmost concentration. After training, wrestlers take a hot bath and be sure to eat heavily, usually without restrictions, and also indulge in alcohol. After eating - a three-hour sleep, then a short workout and a light dinner.

A fighter's access to life's benefits is determined by his success. The level achieved by the wrestler determines what clothes and shoes can be worn, whether it is possible to use a mobile phone, the Internet, sleep in a common ward or in one’s own room, etc. The same level determines the type and volume of household duties - for example, they get up before everyone else, clean and cook I'm eating junior wrestlers. They serve the elders in the bathhouse and at meals. It is believed that this way of life creates a serious incentive: if you want to increase your status and not do menial work, train better and perform stronger.

Wrestlers' weight

There are no weight categories in professional sumo, so one of the determining factors is the weight of the wrestler. Almost all rikishi, with the exception of 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 ozeki title for more than six years, and the oversized Akebono (225 kg) and Musashimaru (235 kg) reached the status of yokozuna. On the other hand, excessive weight does not guarantee success, as it impairs 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, who moves between sandamme and makushita. Athletic "lightweights" (for example, yokozuna Chiyonofuji, yokozuna Harumafuji) may have an advantage over bulky "heavyweights" due to greater mobility and sophisticated technique. So, in January 1996, in the first division of makuuchi, Mainoumi defeated Konishiki with an almost threefold difference in weight (98 kg versus 273), and in January 2012, in the fourth division, sandamma Ohara defeated the heaviest active sumotori, Orora, with an almost fourfold difference (75 kg versus 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 fingers, joints, spine, muscles, and cutting of eyebrows are common in sumo. In case of oncoming collisions, a concussion and loss of coordination are possible, as with a knockdown in boxing. The danger of injury is all the greater since the fight is fought on a height of about half a meter, and a poorly controlled fall from it after performing a technique is quite common. It's common to get injured during training. Due to its large dimensions and weight, household injuries can also be dangerous. Since professional wrestling holds 6 tournaments a year, and, on top of that, a series of exhibitions are held in between, wrestlers often fail to fully recover. Missing a bout at Basho for any reason is regarded as a defeat, missing a tournament (of course, except for exhibitions, where the result does not affect the rating) is considered a defeat in all of its bouts, and this keeps wrestlers from long-term treatment. Therefore, it is a common sight to see wrestlers with their ankles, knees, elbows, bandages on their fingers, wide bandages on their shoulders, and back wrapped in an elastic bandage. There are health difficulties caused by clearly excessive (but necessary for fighting) weight gain: chronic diseases of the spine, knees, ankles, hypertension, metabolic disorders.

During the match, not only the wrestlers can get hurt, but also, by chance, the gyoji or spectators from the front rows if someone falls on them unsuccessfully. There are known cases when other wrestlers who were preparing near the dohyo for the next fight were injured in this way.

Non-sports circumstances also seriously harm health, for example, the frequent need to drink alcohol at numerous meetings with sponsors, hei support clubs, post-tournament celebrations 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 each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Basho usually begins on the second Sunday of odd-numbered months and lasts 15 days. Between tournaments, wrestlers participate in various kinds of away and charity exhibition tournaments.

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

In a duel (except for special cases, such as super finals with equal results on the last day, “kettei-sen”), wrestlers of the same heya cannot meet, and also, although this is not explicitly stated, siblings, even if they happen to be in different heya . In the minor leagues, this requirement may also apply to itimons. For this reason, wrestlers of very strong hei who do not belong to the top of the league have some advantage: for them the number of strong opponents is reduced.

Amateur sumo establishes its own competition regulations, different from those listed above.

Prizes and awards

For sekitori (makuuchi and juryo wrestlers) the following monthly payments are established:

Yokozuna - 2,107,000 yen;

Ozeki - 1,753,000 yen;

Sekiwake - 1,264,000 yen;

Komusubi - 1,090,000 yen;

Maegashira - 977,000 yen;

Juryo - 773,000 yen.

Wrestlers below the rank of jūryō do not receive monthly payments, but for each tournament they receive basho:

Makushita - 120,000 yen;

Sandamme - 85,000 yen;

Jonidan - 75,000 yen;

Zenokuchi - 70,000 yen.

There are other payments and benefits, in particular:

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

150,000 yen to each yokozuna before the Tokyo Basho to cover the costs of making a new tsuna to be worn by the yokozuna on the dohyo-iri.

After each tournament, the sanyaku receives:

Yokozuna - 200,000 yen;

Ozeki - 150,000 yen;

Sekiwake - 50,000 yen;

Komusubi - 50,000 yen.

The winner of the tournament receives:

Makuuchi - 10,000,000 yen;

Juryo - 2,000,000 yen;

Makushita - 500,000 yen;

Sandamme - 300,000 yen;

Jonidan - 200,000 yen;

Zenokuchi - 100,000 yen.

There are also three special prizes of 2,000,000 yen each, awarded based on the results of the basho.

In addition to the payments listed above, in professional sumo there is a special cumulative bonus system. For almost every achievement, big or small, starting from the very debut, sumotori receives a certain number of bonus points. For sekitori, 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 victory if kachikoshi is shown in the tournament;

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

  winning the league (kaku);

  rise to sanyaku, ozeki, yokozuna;

  special prizes;

  kimboshi - victory of maegashira over yokozuna.

Thus, the tournament payouts of an experienced ozeki can easily exceed $50 thousand.

Calculating the monthly income of a particular rikishi due to its complexity and bonus accumulative system is not transparent to outsiders. In general, a yokozuna's annual income, including outside earnings (such as advertising), is approximately equivalent to that of a world-class football player.

Leagues and ranks in sumo

Major Makuuchi League ranks, from senior to junior:

Senior sanyaku: yokozuna, ozeki

Junior sanyaku: sekiwake, komusubi

Hiramaku: maegashira, No. 1 East, No. 1 West, No. 2 East and onwards.

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

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

Modern organization of professional sumo in Japan

Fixed matches in sumo

Until very recently, the existence of paid contractual bouts or gratuitous “mutual assistance” between wrestlers was not 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, this phenomenon could be explained by the fighter’s high motivation. At the end of January 2011, a scandal erupted when the police, studying (for a completely different reason) SMS messages on the phones of some wrestlers, discovered messages clearly indicating fixed fights for money. The amounts amounted to thousands of dollars. The scandal that erupted led to exceptional consequences, for example, the March spring tournament in Osaka (Haru Basho) in 2011 and all exhibition performances (jungyo) in 2011 were cancelled. This indicates enormous problems - tournaments are canceled extremely rarely; the last time a regular tournament was canceled was in 1946 due to the post-war difficulties of the devastated country. Throughout the previous war, even after the atomic bombings, tournaments were not cancelled.

Kinds

University sumo

Amateur sumo

In 1980, the Japan Sumo Federation held the First All-Japan Amateur Championship, inviting teams from overseas to increase competition. As a result, the first international amateur sumo tournament took place. From then on, the number of foreign teams participating in the event increased every year, and in July 1983, Japan and Brazil created the organization that became the predecessor of the modern International Sumo Federation (IFS). In 1985, due to an 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 was changed again.

Professional sumo

The first World Sumo Championship, held under the auspices of the IFS, attracted 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 competitions. Athletes are divided into four weight categories: light, medium, heavy and absolute weight.

In 1995, five continental amateur sumo federations were created, which hold qualifying tournaments for the right to participate in the world championship. Currently, the IFS has 84 member countries. In 1997, the first World Sumo Championships for women were held. The Federation actively promotes women's sumo.

Foreigners in sumo

Although assimilated Koreans have long competed in sumo, the real starting point of the internationalization process should be considered 1964, when the American sumotori Takamiyama, known to the world as Jesse Kuhaulua, appeared in 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 very successful career, and was very popular. He also became the first foreigner to head the hei. Following him and under his influence, such prominent wrestlers as Konishiki, Akebono (Takamiyama’s best student) and Musashimaru appeared in sumo. Many foreign wrestlers, notably the Chinese, Americans, Brazilians, Argentines and even the Senegalese, did not do well and went unnoticed. Since the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century, the most noticeable influx of wrestlers from Mongolia, as well as from the Caucasus. The first ozeki of European origin and the first European to win the Imperial Cup, Kotooshu Katsunori is a Bulgarian professional sumo wrestler with the rank of ozeki.

Restrictions on the number of foreigners are constantly being tightened. The general quota introduced (40 people) was later replaced by the requirement: 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 - collecting entire communities according to a general quota (like the Ooshima school) or transferring wrestlers to Japanese citizenship. The new restriction came into effect at the end of the traditional spring recruitment of 2010. In part, access for foreigners is limited by the age limit for a debutant, 23 years. Since a foreigner enters wrestling on a general basis, non-Japanese amateurs who have proven themselves very often risk not making it in time or end up “on the last step of the last carriage.” In practice, the quota leads to incidents, for example, brothers who were supposed to train together - Rojo and Hakurozan - end up in different heyas. There are heyas that fundamentally do not accept foreigners, there are heyas that are breeding grounds for foreigners, for example, Ooshima and Tatsunami, which actively attract Mongols. Quotas do not protect against the dominance of foreigners in the major leagues, for example, in the November 2010 Basho in the major league of 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, and entered the dohyo with the rank of yokozuna in 2003.

The restrictions are justified, since it is generally accepted that sumo is not only and not just a sport, and the influx of foreigners, with alien manners and views on things, can disrupt the purely Japanese spirit inherent in sumo. This, as a consequence, will supposedly reduce interest in sumo in Japan and, ultimately (although it is not customary to talk about this openly), the income of the Association. On the other hand, more than once it was foreigners, such as Musashimaru and Akebono, and then Asashoryu, who greatly fueled interest in sumo, both in Japan and in the world.

A foreigner does not have full rights as a wrestler. Thus, foreign yokozuna and ozeki, unlike their Japanese colleagues, do not have voting rights in the Association. Without transferring to Japanese citizenship, a foreigner cannot remain a coach after retirement.

Recently, foreigners have been involved in a number of scandals that have led to their disqualification: Kyokutenho was disqualified from a tournament for driving a car, Asashoryu was disqualified from two tournaments for playing football in public, although he did not participate in official exhibitions as injured, and three Russian wrestlers - Wakanoho, Rojo, Hakurozan - for life, after a scandal related to their alleged use (and Wakanoho’s also proven possession) of marijuana. The last incident had a great resonance and led to the resignation of the President of the Association, Oyakata Kitanoumi.

Sumo in Russia

The father of yokozuna, winner of 32 basho (unsurpassed result) Taiho Koki, was Ukrainian emigrant Markian Boryshko. Taiho was born in 1940 in Southern Sakhalin (at that time part of Japan) in Poronaisk (Sikuka) into 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, since he was born on Japanese soil and was completely Japanese by upbringing. In 1965, the Japan Sumo Association, in honor of the anniversary of the restoration of Japanese-Soviet diplomatic relations, chose the USSR for the first foreign sumo festival. The wrestlers gave demonstration performances in Khabarovsk and Moscow. Yokozuna Taiho was part of the delegation, but was unable to see his father, who died five years earlier in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. After finishing 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 born. A stroke prevented 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 achieved the right to compete in the first elite division - makuuchi, but in September 2008 they were scandalously disqualified following another Russian wrestler - Wakanoho.

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

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

Sometimes in 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 Mongolians, one ozeki is Bulgarian. According to the Japanese press (Asahi Newspaper, 09/29/2006), they often use Russian to communicate with each other. The Boradzov brothers were guests on Russian language lessons broadcast by NHK in 2005.

In some countries close to Japan, such as Mongolia and Korea, wrestling styles similar to sumo are common. However, Mongolian Bukh wrestling 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, an analogue of the dohyo was located on a hill, and beyond it there were sharp stakes. Historical data confirms the existence of this type of “sport”, but it is not clear whether it is related to sumo.

According to a December 2013 study of 70 wrestlers in the two top divisions, the proportion of body fat ranged from 23% to 39%. For comparison, among Japanese adults this figure is 15-19%. The fattest was Aoiyama, and one of the driest was yokozuna Harumafuji.

Wrestlers of any level are prohibited from driving independently. Those who violate this rule will face punishment, for example, Kyokutenho, who was caught in 2007, was disqualified for one tournament, which meant a significant loss in rank. Typically, wrestlers travel by taxi or are transported in special minibuses.

Article: Sumo: giants in diapers

Sumo- the oldest Japanese martial art that has survived to this day. It has long ceased to have practical significance and is not a martial art in the full sense of the concept. But it remains an art, and an extremely popular one at that.

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

Several centuries later, the rules and conditions of the competition became softer, but the traditions remained, and anyone who weighs less than 100 kg is simply not suitable for Sumo.

The lightest sumo wrestler weighs 120 kg, the heaviest more than 240. Moreover, most wrestlers strive in every possible way to improve their performance - they drink 10 liters of liquid daily and consume incredible quantities of the fatty, rich stew chankole. And because of their enormous 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 to push the wrestler out of his place.

But recently, a new type of fighter has begun to appear, who do not strive to gain weight and include a large amount of vegetables in their diet. A prominent representative of the new trend was one of the greatest masters of our time, Tenofuji, nicknamed “The Wolf” because of his strabismus. Weighing 120 kg, he didn’t have a drop of fat in him, but he had such strength that he could easily deal with two heavyweights, each weighing twice as much as him, 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 this lifestyle, they live to a maximum of fifty, and the media is well aware of this, but, apparently, they believe that art requires sacrifice...

Sumo is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Japan. It has everything you need for sports - speed, intensity, simplicity of rules, absence of complex equipment and violence. Moreover, Sumo is a gentleman's sport, where, among other things, the winner helps the vanquished to rise to their 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. On the platform in the center of a circle with a diameter of about 4.5 m, two white lines are drawn, on which the wrestlers squat before the start of the fight. At the same time, they stare at each other with a heavy gaze, trying to win the fight psychologically - and often this battle of glances lasts longer than the fight itself. Then, according to ancient tradition, they begin to scatter handfuls of salt around themselves, thereby symbolically purifying the earth and air (Sumo in general is full of symbols that have rarely remained unchanged for more than two thousand years).

After the gong hits, the wrestlers must jump to their feet within two seconds and engage in a bout within another minute. The rules are quite simple: the winner is the one who forces the opponent to retreat beyond his line or touch the floor with any part of the floor except the foot, using 70 different fighting techniques - strikes are prohibited (different sources contain different numbers 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 and unquestioning submission to elders are its distinctive 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 hair and not tied in a bun. The only woman he sees for many years is the wife of the team owner.

Violators are dealt with quickly and brutally. Thus, the title of “great master” - “yokosuna” Wajima was stripped of his title (over the past 350 years, a little more than 60 people have been awarded this title). Hiroshi Wajima violated the laws of Sumo, according to which one must perform under a pseudonym, live modestly, and stop at Buddhist monasteries during the tour. Wajima, in his youth, showed freethinking, wearing his hair 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 pledged his share in the Sumo Association to a man who having nothing to do with her.

For his duties, Wadzima was thrown out onto the street without any pity or leniency and, having become unemployed, was forced to go to the catch and become a student again, as he had done many years ago. There is no doubt that this served as a good lesson for others - when they retire at the age of 30-35, Sumo wrestlers who have reached significant heights during their careers live more than comfortably, since the Association pays them a considerable amount, and they also earn quite well during their time speeches.

Sumo wrestlers in Japan are considered national heroes. But being a Sumo wrestler is very, very difficult. Both mentally and physically. The fighters (with the exception of the “great masters”) live in such Spartan conditions that even the Spartans could not endure. Beginners (tsukebito) rise at four o'clock in the morning for their first training - it takes place on an earthen floor in a room open to the winter cold and snow and the stifling heat of summer. Their only clothing 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 uniform, the wrestlers go onto the platform. After the first training, the newcomers serve their older colleagues - they rub their backs in the bathhouse, which every wrestler must take before the fight, they smear oil on their hair and help them style it, and carry out all sorts of errands.

Nevertheless, Japanese youth are ready to doom their lives to severe hardships, since Sumo wrestlers attract them not only with wealth, but also with authority in society. However, there is something to envy here - the powers that be consider it an honor to meet them, and, for example, at Wajima’s wedding (Sumoists, as a rule, marry late, having already become great masters and having retired, that is, when they are already over 30, and are obliged to marry the daughter of one or another great master) there were 2,500 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 persons.

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 to win the tournament in the fall of 1989 was a 25-year-old US citizen, a native of Hawaii, a 230-kilogram wrestler Alisane, performing under the name Konishiki. Interestingly, among the prizes, in addition to a monetary reward and a personal message from President Bush Sr., were 1.8 tons of rice and 5 thousand eels. Well, for a giant the prize is most worthy...

Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport in which two athletes attempt to push each other out of a circle or force each other to 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 oversees professional sumo wrestling in Japan.

History of the emergence and development of sumo

Archaeological finds indicate that sumo was widespread in Japan already in the 3rd-6th centuries (clay haniwa figurines in the form of sumo wrestlers), and the first written mentions of sumo date back to the 7th-8th centuries (the book “Kojiki”). The book says that 2500 years ago the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata fought in a sumo match for the right to own the Japanese islands. Takemikazuchi won the fight. Another mention of sumo wrestling can be found in the book Nihon Shoki, which dates back to 720. It also talks about a fight that took place between two strongmen.

The word “sumo” is derived from the Japanese verb “Sumafu” (to measure strength). From this verb the noun “sumachy” was formed, hundreds of years later it was transformed into the word “sumai”, and then into “sumo”.

During the Heian era, sumo was an important ritual of the imperial court. Representatives from all provinces were required to compete at court. There were no special judges; usually the battle was monitored by the military commanders of the palace guard; their main tasks were to suppress prohibited techniques and control the synchronization of the start. If a controversial issue arose, they turned to the aristocracy for help; if they could not make a decision, then the emperor himself made the verdict. The winner of the competition was awarded the title of champion and also received valuable prizes.

The end of the 17th century in Japan was “Golden” for sumo. The country was isolated, this gave impetus to the development of folk crafts and martial arts. Distinguished wrestlers and theater actors quickly became celebrities. Special lists were created in which the names of the best wrestlers were listed, and all their titles were noted. During this period, the rules of sumo were almost completely formed and the basic techniques were determined (72 techniques or kimarite).

In 1909, the large Kokugikan sports complex was built to host sumo wrestling competitions and tournaments.

Sumo is an integral part of Japanese culture, which has been carefully preserved for generations. Every sumo wrestler must go through a very difficult path, life is such

Sumo rules

The duration of the contraction is 3 minutes for the age group 13-15 years and 5 minutes for the age group 16 years and older. If after the allotted time the winner is not determined, a re-fight (torinaoshi) is scheduled.

A sumo match begins at the command of the gyoji (judge) after performing the necessary rituals. Gyoji has the right to stop the fight one or more times due to injury, disorder in clothing (mawashi) or for any other reason independent of the wishes of the participant. The fight ends when the referee, having determined the outcome of the fight, announces: “Sebu atta!” - and pointing with his hand in the direction of the dohyo (East or West), from which the winner began the fight.

A wrestler may be declared defeated by a decision of the judges in the following cases:

• cannot continue the fight due to injury,
• uses prohibited actions,
• ends the fight on his own,
• deliberately 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) of the mawashi comes untied and falls off during a fight.

In sumo it is prohibited:

• strike with fists or poke with fingers;
• kick in the chest or stomach;
• grab hair;
• grab the throat;
• grab the vertical parts of the mawashi;
• wring your opponent's fingers;
• bite;
• deliver direct blows to the head.

Sumo area

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 - a clay or earthen trapezoid 34-60 cm high;
• hira-dohyo - a flat dohyo, which is used for training and for competitions in the absence of a mori-dohyo.

The arena itself is bounded around the perimeter by a rope 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

The only equipment sumo wrestlers have is 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 objects that could injure an opponent (rings, bracelets, chains, etc.). The wrestler's body must be clean and dry, his fingernails and toenails must be cut short.

Sumo refereeing

The panel of judges includes:

• chief judge of the competition,
• deputy chief judge,
• chief secretary,
• judges,
• informants and other service personnel.

The Chief Referee is responsible for the implementation of all provisions relating to the general rules of refereeing, including the appointment of referee teams. The refereeing team consists of: the head of the team - simpante, the referee - gyoji, 4 side judges - simpana.

We tried to cover the topic as completely as possible, so this information can be safely used when preparing messages, reports on physical education and essays on the topic “Sumo”.

Sumo is a type of wrestling in a loincloth (mawashi) on a specially equipped area (dohyo).

The following weight categories are defined in sumo competitions:

• Boys 13-18 years old: up to 75 kg, up to 100 kg, over 100 kg and absolute weight category.
• Men: up to 85 kg, up to 115 kg, over 115 kg and absolute weight category.
• Women: up to 65 kg, up to 80 kg, over 80 kg and absolute weight category.

Cloth

Competitors must wear a loincloth - mawashi. However, in amateur sumo it is allowed to wear swimming trunks or tight black shorts under the mawashi. The width of the mawashi is 40 cm, there is no specific length prescribed, but the length of the mawashi should be sufficient to wrap it around the athlete's torso 4-5 times.

Athletes are prohibited from entering a fight wearing objects that could injure their opponent. This primarily applies to metal jewelry (rings, bracelets, chains, etc.). The wrestler's body must be completely clean and dry, his fingernails and toenails must be cut short. Emblem of the club, federation, number, etc. it is allowed to attach (tie) to the mawashi.

Venue: Dohyo

Sumo competitions are held on a square area with a side of 7.27 m, which is called dohyo.

There are two types of dohyo:

• mori-dohyo - a clay or earthen trapezoid 34-60 cm high;
• hira-dohyo - a flat dohyo, which is used for training and for competitions in the absence of a mori-dohyo.

The bout arena is a circle with a diameter of 4.55 m, the center of which is the intersection of two diagonal lines of the square specified in clause 5.1. The perimeter of the fighting arena is limited by a rope of rice straw - Cebu Dawara.

In the center of the circle on the eastern and western sides of the dohyo, two white starting lines (shikirisen) are applied to the surface at a distance of 70 cm from each other. The length of the shikirisen is 80 cm, width is 6 cm.

The inside of the circle is sprinkled with sand. Sand is also scattered outside the circle, along the sebu dawara, to a width of about 25 cm, to form a “control” strip - janome. In controversial cases, the presence or absence of marks on the jianome helps to correctly determine the outcome of the fight.

Composition of the panel of judges

The panel of judges includes: the chief judge of the competition, the deputy chief judge, the chief secretary, judges, informants and other service personnel.

The Chief Referee is responsible for the implementation of all provisions relating to the general rules of refereeing, including the appointment of referee teams.

Composition of the judging panel

The refereeing panel should consist of 6 people:

• team leader - simpante,
• referee - gyoji,
• 4 side judges - simpans.

Wrestling rules

Except in special situations, the following provisions determine the winner of the bout:

• the wrestler who forces the opponent to touch the dohyo with any part of the body outside the sebu-dawar wins;
• The winner is the wrestler who forces the opponent to touch the dohyo with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet, within the cebu-dawar.

Special situations include the position of shinitai (“dead body”) - a complete loss of balance, inevitably leading to defeat.

The attacker does not lose the fight by touching the dohyo with his hand in order to soften the fall and avoid injury when completing a technical action, as a result of which the opponent ends up in a shinitai position. This situation is called kabaite.

The attacker does not lose the fight by stepping behind the sebu-dawara in order to soften the fall and avoid injury when completing a technical action, as a result of which the opponent ends up in a shinitai position. This situation is called kabaiashi.

The attacker does not lose the fight by standing up for the Sebu-Davara when he, having lifted the enemy, takes him out and lowers him behind the Sebu-Davara. This situation is called okuriashi. However, the attacker loses the fight if, while carrying out this technical action, he goes behind the Sebu-Dawar with his back forward.

The attacker does not lose the fight if, when performing a winning throw, the rise of his leg touches the dohyo.

It is not a failure if the horizontal front part of the mawashi (orikomi) touches the dohyo.

A wrestler may be declared defeated by a decision of the judges in the following cases:

1. If he cannot continue the fight due to injury,
2. If he performs kinjite (prohibited acts),
3. If he ends the fight on his own,
4. If he deliberately did not rise from his starting position,
5. If he doesn't follow the gyoji's commands,
6. If he does not appear in the waiting sector after the second official call,
7. If the maebukuro (codpiece) of the mawashi comes untied and falls off during a fight.

If the fight lasts longer than the set time, but the winner is not determined, it is stopped and the fight is repeated.

Prohibited actions (kinjite):

• Punching or finger poking.
• Kicks to the chest or stomach.
• Hair grabs.
• Grab by the throat.
• Grabs the vertical parts of the mawashi.
• Wringing the opponent's fingers.
• Biting.
• Direct blows to the head.

Rituals

Sumo, like other traditional martial arts in Japan, maintains and honors rituals and etiquette.

The rituals consist of ritsu-rei (standing bow), chiritezu (water purification) and shikiri (preparation).

Chiritezu is a unique ritual that originates from the ancient Japanese custom of washing a warrior before battle.

Chiritezu is performed by both wrestlers simultaneously when entering the dohyo. They squat down in a sonoke position, balancing on their toes. The heels are lifted off the floor, the torso and head are held straight, the hands are placed on the knees. The wrestlers lower their hands and nod to each other. Then the athletes bring their outstretched arms together at chest level, spread them to the sides with their palms down and bring them back in front with a clap of their palms, straighten their arms and spread them to the sides parallel to the ground with their palms up, and at the end of the ritual turn them with their palms down.

Sikiri- pre-launch preparatory movements. The wrestlers squat down with their legs spread wide and their torso bent forward. At the same time, the hips and shoulders are held horizontally, and the hands, clenched into fists, rest on the surface of the dohyo along the shikirisen, without touching, which corresponds to the “ready!” position.

The transition from shikiri to tachiai (starting jerk-lift) must be carried out by athletes simultaneously.

Rituals are an integral and important part of sumo and must be performed without haste, with dignity and calm, emphasizing the harmony and greatness of sumo.

Fight

The duration of the fight is:

• for the age group 13-15 years - 3 minutes;
• for the age group 16-17 years - 5 minutes;
• for adults 18 years and older - 5 minutes.

If after the specified time the winner is not determined, a re-fight (torinaoshi) is scheduled.

There is no break between contractions. The next contraction begins immediately after the end of the previous one.

Calling participants

Competitors enter the dohyo-damari in the following order:

• in team competitions, the two teams to compete next must enter and position themselves in the dohyo-damari until the end of the previous match;
• in individual competitions, the wrestler must be in doha-damari 2 grabs before his own.

While on dohyo and dohyo-damari, competition participants must behave with dignity and avoid rude expressions so as not to hurt the feelings of others.

Wrestlers are invited to the dokhio by the judge-informant via a microphone in a loud and clear voice 2 times. If after the second official challenge the participant does not enter the dohyo, he is considered a failure.

Presentation of participants

Wrestlers take part in the competition under the numbers they received in the draw. The informant judge introduces all wrestlers in each weight category at the beginning of the competition by name. Before the start of each fight, the participants are introduced by name, indicating their data (age, height, weight), titles and ranks.

The beginning of the fight

The fight begins at the command of the gyoji after performing the necessary rituals.

Stopping the fight

Gyoji may stop the bout one or more times due to injury, improper clothing (mawashi), or any other reason beyond the participant's wishes.

The time spent on breaks per wrestler may be established by the Competition Regulations.

End of the fight

The fight ends when the gyoji, having determined the outcome of the fight, announces: “Sebu atta!” - and pointing with his hand in the direction of the dohyo (East or West), from which the winner began the fight. The wrestlers on this team must stop wrestling.

Announcement of the winner (katinanori)

After the end of the fight and the announcement of “Cebu atta!” gyoji and wrestlers return to their original positions.

The loser bows (rei) and leaves the dohyo. The winner assumes the sonkyo pose and, after the gyoji, pointing at him with his hand, announces: “Higashi no kachi!” (“Victory of the East!”) or “Nishi no Kati!” (“Victory of the West!”), extends his right hand to the side and down.

If the bout is terminated due to the use of a prohibited technique by one of the wrestlers, the winner is declared in the prescribed manner.

If it is impossible for one of the wrestlers to continue the fight due to injury, his opponent assumes the sonkyo position, and the gyoji, in the established order, declares him the winner.

If one of the wrestlers fails to appear, the wrestler who comes out in doha assumes the sonkyo position, and the gyoji, in the prescribed manner, declares him the winner.

According to Japanese legend, the very origin of the Japanese race is due to the outcome of the duel. sumo. The supremacy of the Japanese nation in the islands was established when the god Take-mikazushi won a sumo tournament against the leader of a rival tribe. However, legends aside, the history of this sport dates back about 1,500 years ago, when the sumo match was a religious rite.

Sumo Games

According to the rules, the sumo tournament is won by the wrestler who manages to push his opponent out of the inner circle of the ring or throw him outside the dohyo (mud ring). An athlete who touches the ground with any part of his body, be it his knee or the tip of his finger, is also considered a loser. Using fists, pulling hair, gouging out eyes, or hitting the stomach or chest is strictly prohibited. In sumo it is also forbidden to grab the bandage that covers important organs. There are no weight differences in sumo, so in a duel you can meet an opponent who weighs 2 times or more than you.

Sumo has been called "a feudal system where 9 out of 10 don't get paid." Wrestlers ranked below juryo receive a monthly salary of about $700, which is about 5% of what major league wrestlers earn. This serves as a motivational factor for promotion higher in rank. Having achieved the champion title of “yokozuna”, an athlete can count on a salary of $30,000 per month, which he loses if he moves down to the lower rank league.

Sumo Day

“Starting the day on an empty stomach is one of the rules for successful training for sumo wrestlers,” says Tetsuhiro Matsuda, manager of Takasago Sumo stable.
A sumo wrestler's day begins at 5 a.m. with morning training. The wrestlers head to the training room immediately after waking up. Intense workouts on an empty stomach make it harder to burn calories. At about 11 a.m., athletes have their first meal. Young wrestlers help the cook prepare chanko-nabe, a thick pot roast.

Weight gain for sumo wrestlers is a fundamental factor for victories and achievements. According to the Japan Sumo Wrestling Association, 40 of the 42 wrestlers in the makuuchi (major league) weigh more than 140 kg. In 2011, the heaviest sumo wrestler in the entire recorded history of this sport left the ring - Yamamotoyama Ryuyuto weighed 265 kg. The daily caloric content of a sumo wrestler's diet is about 8,000 kilocalories, which is more than 2 times the daily diet of a man in Japan.

Immediately after breakfast, the wrestlers head to the bedroom and spend several hours taking an afternoon nap. This helps them gain weight because all the calories they eat are stored as body fat. The giants' next meal will take place around 6 p.m.

Chanko-nabe - the main dish for a sumo wrestler

Almost everything in the refrigerator will work to make chanko nabe. Various meats, vegetables and fish are cooked in boiling chicken broth. Chanok-nabe is rich in proteins and is usually served to wrestlers in large quantities along with other accompanying dishes.

The practice of chanko-nabe by sumo wrestlers dates back to the Meiji era. This dish is easy to prepare and serve to a large number of athletes at minimal cost. Thanks to intense training early in the morning and before bedtime and two voluminous meals during the day, athletes' bodies are tuned to the mode of preserving adipose tissue. History holds memories of athletes who could eat 5 kg of meat or 10 bowls of rice in one sitting.

If you want to try chanko-nabe, head to the Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium during sumo season. You can find chanko nabe stands on the 2nd floor of the adjacent building; one bowl of this dish will cost you only 250 yen. And don't worry: chanko-nabe is a very healthy and healthy dish. You won't gain weight, of course, unless you plan to consume huge quantities of chanko-nabe like sumo wrestlers.

After leaving the ring, sumo wrestlers very often invest their savings in the restaurant business. Many of the former athletes run their own restaurants specializing in chanco naba. We wrote about one of these restaurants, Kappa Eshiba, in one of our news releases. Just a couple of minutes walk from the Kokugikan stadium and you will find yourself in an authentic place with excellent chanko-nabe, the recipe of which has been tested by generations of sumo wrestlers.

Retired sumo wrestlers

After leaving sumo, wrestlers work as ushers, ushers or security guards during matches, and are required to go through a process of humiliation after their decision to leave wrestling. Even “yokozuna” have to go through this. Pension payments for sumo wrestlers depend on the number and level of victories achieved throughout their career.

Some wrestlers never finish their training. They dedicate their lives to training during their youth, build their careers, rising in the ranks, and retire at the age of 30-35, becoming coaches, founding their own school, or losing weight and starting a new career.

The negative consequences of hard training and excess nutrition overtake athletes in adulthood. Many of them suffer severe liver damage, develop diabetes, suffer from high blood pressure and are susceptible to heart attacks. The average life expectancy of a sumo wrestler is 60-65 years, which is more than 10 years less than the average life expectancy of Japanese men.

Today, sumo is about loyalty to tradition, business and entertainment for thousands of spectators, and it is unlikely that any of the athletes really understands the short-term success and the harsh reality of the “feudal order” of one of the oldest types of martial arts on earth.

During the excursion you will visit the second city in Japan that survived the atomic bombing. Nowadays, Nagasaki attracts tourists both for its historical center - after all, the city was a “window to Europe” during the closure of Japan, and for areas that suffered during the Second World War. You will visit Dutch Hill and Japanese areas with ancient Buddhist temples. The journey will end with a visit to the Peace Park and the Nuclear Bomb Museum.

Sumo wrestling is one of the most ancient martial arts that originated in Japan. The story begins in the second decade of the 1970s - it was in the documents of that time that mention of sumo first appeared.

At that time, this type of wrestling was a special, extremely significant court ritual. Representatives from absolutely every province were required to participate in the competition.

Simultaneously with sumo “for noble persons,” another version of this wrestling appeared - for ordinary people. But this subspecies bore little resemblance to the original. “Commoner” sumo often had an entertainment character and was more of a folk sport than a real martial arts.

Sumo as a martial art has come a long way from ancient times to modern times. The Japanese, who honor their traditions, have preserved to this day many rituals that accompany all fights. Besides the fight itself, there is a lot to see here. Today, sumo wrestling is not just a traditional Japanese sport, but also a means of generating a solid income.

For all its simplicity, sumo is a very spectacular and spectacular sport. This is a rather peculiar martial arts, in which the main thing is a fighter's weapon is his weight. To defeat an opponent, sumo wrestlers, using their mass and a variety of techniques, must:

• or push each other out of the boundaries of the area where the fight is taking place;
• or force the opponent to touch the floor (which part of the body does not matter).

Therefore, sumo wrestlers have more than plump figures.

How much does a wrestler weigh?

Sumo wrestlers are famous for their weight. There are no weight categories in professional sumo, however weight is one of the main advantages. Already on the first step of the career ladder, a beginning sumo wrestler must weigh at least one hundred and ten kilograms.

Only wrestlers who have “exceeded” a hundredweight have a chance of a successful career as a sumo wrestler. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but this happens extremely rarely.

The fact that weight is the best way to advance a sumo career is actively confirmed by multiple competition winners. Famous sumo wrestler Konishiki- the record-breaking heavyweight, weighing almost two hundred and eighty kilograms, managed to hold on for many years ozeki title, in other words - champion.

However, in addition to heavyweights, so-called “lightweights” - sumo wrestlers whose weight does not exceed two hundred kilograms - can also have considerable success. Wrestler Harumafuji also received the title of ozeki, and Chienofuji received the title of yokozuna. “Lightweights” have an advantage over heavyweights in that they have greater mobility and resourcefulness. They are capable of more sophisticated techniques.

Of course, the “light” weight of sumo wrestlers (up to two hundred kilograms) is not light by the standards of normal people. No matter how bright the prospects may be, we should not forget that a large mass is not a 100% guarantee of success. But it is an absolute guarantee of health problems. We can say that there are no healthy people among sumo wrestlers. Heavy weight has a negative impact on the internal organs of a sumo wrestler and his mobility.

At the same time, it is important for health that, as in any contact sport, in sumo there is a high probability of serious injury. Moreover, in this fight, this is aggravated by the fact that the wrestler’s internal organs are weakened by their lifestyle, and the opponent has a lot of weight.

In general, we can say that the average weight of a sumo wrestler ranges from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and twenty kilograms. But, as noted above, there are no weight categories in professional sumo, so the average weight of a sumo wrestler is a relative indicator. For the same reason that there are no specific weight categories, the maximum weight of a wrestler is not limited in any way - who can eat how much.

Many people believe that in order to join the ranks of sumo wrestlers, a novice wrestler only needs to reach a certain body weight. But this opinion is wrong. Simply eating a hundred, or even a couple hundred kilograms of weight is not enough to become a real sumo wrestler.

The initial selection for sumo wrestlers is not based on weight. The “working” weight of a sumo wrestler is not only fat, but also muscle. If a novice wrestler is already fat, he will have to lose excess weight first. Only after this the sumo wrestler begins to gain “working” mass.

Mode and nutrition

To gain weight, sumo wrestlers need to follow a certain daily routine and eat a special diet.

The fighters awaken as soon as the first rays of the sun appear. Immediately after washing, sumo wrestlers need to begin training, which lasts more than one hour. A wrestler must train, devoting himself entirely to the process.

After training, wrestlers take hot bath. This is followed by eating according to the diet. The essence of the sumo diet is the complete absence of a diet.. There are no dietary restrictions; on the contrary, the more high-calorie foods, the better. There are no prohibitions for alcohol either - the consumption of alcohol by these athletes is considered absolutely normal.

Feeding sumo wrestlers is not cheap. But in Japan they would pay more. Sumo has never been just a sport for the Japanese.

After eating comes sleep phase- the wrestlers should get some sleep, after which they will start their next training session. After completing their classes, sumo wrestlers begin a hearty, hearty dinner that completes the daily routine. After dinner, the wrestlers go to bed, and in the morning everything will start all over again for them - training, food, sleep, and so on.

The fattest sumo wrestler

The title of the fattest sumo wrestler in the world rightfully belongs to Emanuel Yabrauch. The great renowned wrestler weighs four hundred kilograms! During his career, this sumo wrestler managed to become a seven-time world champion. Such a number of victories is quite understandable - the thicker the sumo wrestler’s fat layers, the easier it is for him to gain the upper hand, since the enemy simply will not be able to grab him.

Yabrauch himself has stated more than once that he owes his weight gain to the famous fast food chain McDonald's. It was the high-calorie foods from McDonald's that instantly turned Yabrauch into a fat guy, which greatly contributed to his career.

The Japanese traditional diet - rice, seafood and beer - has never given the same results in terms of weight gain as American fast food. Therefore, for sumo wrestlers, the United States is heaven on earth. All it takes is a few customary unlimited meals at McDonald's, and the future sumo champion is ready!

Few people like fat people. Today, when more and more people are on the side of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle in general, being overweight symbolizes bad taste. But not in Japan. In this country, the problem of excess weight is treated completely differently.

Japanese women are of the opinion that a man of enormous size has incomparably greater advantages than athletes. The bigger a man is, the more reliable, more gentle and more generous he is.

Sumo wrestlers are a real fetish for petite Japanese women. All sumo wrestlers, without exception, have great success and considerable popularity among the opposite sex. Graceful and fragile Japanese women find powerful protectors and support in them.

According to the study, at least a quarter of the readers of the thematic publication “Sumo World” are representatives of the fair sex. So we can safely say that sumo wrestlers for Japanese natives are real sex symbols. And this is expressed not only in the form of reading a magazine.

A Japanese ex-model named Sumuko, who was once incredibly in demand, married Kinishiki, a sumo wrestler weighing nearly three hundred kilograms. Of course, this is not the only example of such a marriage.

Many believe that the love of Japanese women for sumo wrestlers is not influenced at all by their sympathy for such men, but solely by the material side. But whether this is true or not, only the Japanese themselves can answer.

To summarize, it’s worth once again briefly answering the question: how much does a sumo wrestler weigh:

• minimum weight: 100−110 kilograms;
• average weight: 150−200 kilograms;
• maximum weight: unlimited.

And in conclusion, some interesting facts about sumo wrestlers:

• if you compare a normal person and a sumo wrestler in terms of body mass index, the latter will have two and a half times more;
• the biceps and triceps of some successful and famous sumo wrestlers are equal in volume to the leg circumference of a normal person;
• In terms of weight, the wrestler is comparable to a European brown bear. If you put a sumo wrestler weighing two hundred kilograms and a brown bear on the scales, the scales will remain in balance.

Sumo wrestlers, who have enormous weight, are not only very popular, but also enjoy various privileges. For example, they may have long hair - this great honor was bestowed upon them by the emperor himself. Among ordinary Japanese citizens, wearing long hair is strictly prohibited.