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A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ('' dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by t ...
wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official tournaments () is the only means of marking achievement in sumo, with the
rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * ...
of an individual based solely on official wins. The number of active peaked at 943 in May 1994, at the height of the " Waka-
Taka The Bangladeshi taka ( bn, টাকা, sign: , code: BDT, short form: Tk) is the currency of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. In Unicode, it is encoded at . Issuance of bank notes 10 and larger is controlled by Bangladesh Bank, whil ...
boom," but had declined to 665 by January 2022.


Terminology

In popular use, the term can mean any sumo wrestler and be an alternative term to (sumo practitioner) or the more colloquial . The two
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequ ...
characters that make up the word are "strength/power" and "gentleman/samurai"; consequently, and more idiomatically, the term can be defined as "a gentleman of strength". Within the world of professional sumo, is used as a catch-all term for wrestlers who are in the lower, un-salaried divisions of , , and . The more prestigious term refers to wrestlers who have risen to the two highest divisions of and and who have significantly more status, privilege and salary than their lower-division counterparts.


Lifestyle of

The life of a professional sumo wrestler is strictly regimented and has detailed prescriptions and rules for that have been observed for centuries, so much so that can be seen more as a way of life than a career. are expected to grow their hair long, in order to be worn in a style of , a topknot similar to the samurai hairstyles of the
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...
. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the and traditional Japanese dress at all times when in public. Sumo life centers around the training
stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
s, to which all active wrestlers must belong. Most wrestlers, and all junior ones, live in their stable in a dormitory style: training, cleaning, eating, sleeping and socializing together.


Foreign-born

Professional sumo is practiced exclusively in Japan, but wrestlers of other nationalities participate. there were 55 wrestlers officially listed as foreigners. In July 2007, there were 19 foreigners in the top two divisions, which was an all-time record, and for the first time a majority of wrestlers in the top ranks were from overseas. More recently, the ratio of foreigners has stabilized and there were 18 foreigners in the two top divisions. A Japanese-American, Toyonishiki, and the Korean-born
Rikidōzan (born Kim Sin-rak; ; November 14, 1924 – December 15, 1963), better known as Rikidōzan (), was a Korean-born Japanese wrestler who competed in sumo and professional wrestling. He was known as The Father of Puroresu, and one of the most i ...
achieved status prior to
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, but neither were officially listed as foreigners. The first non-Asian to achieve fame and fortune in sumo was Hawaii-born Takamiyama. He reached the top division in 1968 and in 1972 became the first foreigner to win the top division championship. He was followed by a fellow Hawaii-born mega-weight
Konishiki Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), professionally known as is an American former sumo wrestler.Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach '' ōzeki'', the second ...
, of ethnic Samoan descent, the first foreigner to reach the rank of in 1987; and the
Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...
Akebono, who became the first foreign-born in 1993. Musashimaru, born in
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
and raised in Hawaii, became the second foreigner to reach sumo's top rank in 1999. Between 2003 and 2014, all four wrestlers reaching the rank were
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...
n: Asashōryū, Hakuhō, Harumafuji and Kakuryū. In 2012, the Mongolian Kyokutenhō became the oldest wrestler in modern history to win a top division championship. Wrestlers from Eastern European countries such as
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
have also found success in the upper levels of sumo. In 2005, Kotoōshū from
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
became the first wrestler of European birth to attain the ranking and the first to win a top division championship. In another milestone, Brazilian
Ryūkō Gō Ryūkō Gō (born 26 May 1968 as Luis Gō Ikemori) is a former sumo wrestler from São Paulo, Brazil. Career As a youth he did judo, turning to sumo at age 16. At age 18 he went to Japan and won an international tournament, and in 1990 compet ...
became the first foreign born wrestler to be given status. Until relatively recently, the
Japan Sumo Association The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). '' Rikishi'' (active ...
had no restrictions at all on the number of foreigners allowed in professional sumo. In May 1992, shortly after the
Ōshima stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1980 by former '' ōzeki'' Asahikuni, who branched off from Tatsunami stable. The head of Tatsunami stable opposed the setting up of the ne ...
had recruited six Mongolians at the same time, the Sumo Association's new director Dewanoumi, the former Sadanoyama, announced that he was considering limiting the number of overseas recruits per stable and in sumo overall. There was no official ruling, but no stable recruited any foreigners for the next six years. This unofficial ban was then relaxed, but only two new foreigners per stable were allowed, until the total number reached 40. Then in 2002, a one foreigner per stable policy was officially adopted, though the ban was not retroactive, so foreigners recruited before the changes were unaffected. The move has been met with criticism. John Gunning claims it was introduced not for any racial reasons, but to ensure that foreign assimilate into sumo culture. He explained, there would be ten Hawaiian wrestlers in the same stable living in their own "little clique," not learning Japanese, so the rule "protects the culture of stables." Originally, it was possible for a place in a stable to open up if a foreign born wrestler acquired Japanese citizenship. This occurred when
Hisanoumi Aotsurugi Kenta (born 16 December 1982 as Tevita Lato Taufa) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Tongatapu, Tonga. He made his debut in 2001 but had many injury problems. In 2006, he obtained Japanese citizenship, adopting the official n ...
changed his nationality from
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
n at the end of 2006, allowing another Tongan to enter his stable, and Kyokutenhō's change of citizenship allowed Ōshima stable to recruit Mongolian Kyokushūhō in May 2007. However, on February 23, 2010 the Sumo Association announced that it had changed its definition of "foreign" to "foreign-born" (), meaning that even naturalized Japanese citizens will be considered foreigners if they were born outside of Japan. The restriction on one foreign wrestler per stable was also reconfirmed. As Japanese law does not recognize subcategories of Japanese citizen, this unique treatment of naturalized citizens may well be illegal under Japanese law, although the restriction has never been challenged in court.Arudou, Debito,
Sumo body deserves mawashi wedgie for racist wrestler ruling
, ''
Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'', March 2, 2010, p. 12.


in contrast to other martial arts practitioners

While sumo is considered a martial art, it diverges significantly from many other typical Eastern martial art styles, in both presentation and structure. Whereas most martial arts award promotions to practitioners through time and practice, a 's sumo rank can be gained and lost every two months in the official tournaments. Conversely, in more common Japanese martial arts (such as
karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
), ranks are gained after passing a single test, and practitioners of karate are not normally demoted, even after repeated poor performances at tournaments. This divergence from other martial arts creates a high-pressure, high-intensity environment for . All the benefits that wrestlers receive can be taken from them if they fail to maintain a high level of achievement in each official tournament (or ). Furthermore, sumo does not provide any means of achievement besides the official tournaments. A 's rank is determined solely by his number of wins during an official tournament. On the other hand, in many other Eastern martial arts, competitors can display their skill by performing standard routines, called or forms, to receive recognition. Thus, sumo wrestlers are very specialized fighters who train to win their bouts using good technique, as this is their only means of gaining better privileges in their stables and higher salaries.


Former in mixed martial arts

The numerous differences between sumo and its martial arts counterparts have not deterred many former sumo wrestlers from competing in
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...
. Most have had limited achievement; perhaps the most successful sumo wrestler to have competed in MMA is Tadao Yasuda, who holds a record of two wins and four losses. Sumo wrestlers are seen as generally ineffective in MMA because the sports are vastly different from one another in achieving victory; striking techniques and submissions are required for MMA and neither are taught in sumo wrestling. A few key sumo techniques which require grabbing the belt or pants of the opponent also become ineffective, as this is illegal in MMA. Other sumo wrestlers to have fought in mixed martial arts include Baruto Kaito, Alan Karaev, Ōsunaarashi Kintarō, Kōji Kitao,
Henry Armstrong Miller Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
,
Akebono Tarō is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, rea ...
, Teila Tuli and Wakashoyo. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Lyoto Machida (born 30 May 1978), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka, who currently competes in the Light heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light ...
also has a sumo background but his main style is
Shotokan Karate is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throug ...
.


Gallery

File:97-Sumo-Wrestlers-Edo-period-Utagawa-Kuniteru-1867.png, ''97'' ''of the Edo Period'' by Utagawa Kuniteru II File:Somagahana Fuchiemon restored.jpg, Sumo wrestler Somagahana Fuchiemon,


See also

* *
Professional sumo divisions Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. F ...
* *


References


External links


力士 - 相撲用語集 - 日本相撲協会公式サイト
{{Authority control Sumo terminology Sport in Japan Japanese words and phrases