The Rules of Sumo
The Basics: The two combatants meet in a ring that is 4.55 meters across, wearing only thick silk belts around their waists. The object is to either force your opponent out of the ring or to cause him to touch the playing surface with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet.
The Not-Quite-So-Basics: The wrestlers start the match facing each other, staring at each other. The point is to seek a synchronized start to the bout; the rikishi (wrestlers) may start if they are in agreement to do so. After 1950, time limits on this segment of the bout were instituted to make the tournaments more radio-friendly.
The wrestling begins when the gyoji (referee) shows the other side of the gunbai (war fan) and calls out "gunbai wo kaesu" ("flip the gunbai"). At this point the match has begun; if either combatant leaves the ring, he is disqualified. The combatants meet & touch their hands to the dohyo (the ring); at this time the wrestling may begin. There is a 100,000 yen penalty for starting the wrestling before your opponent has signaled he is ready. The match begins. As the wrestlers grapple, the referee tells the wrestlers the match is continuing by repeatedly yelling "nokotta!" If the wrestlers are in a standoff, the referee encourages them to move by calling out "Yoi, Hakkeyoi!"
Winning the Tournament: A simple majority of wins is all it takes to win the tournament*. However, many early wins will put a competitor in tougher company, as he is matched to similarly skilled rikishi (literally, "strong man"). If a competitor is injured, he gives up the rest of his bouts as losses
A Brief History of Sumo
Sumo has been popular throughout history in Japan. It probably began in China in the 2nd century BC as wrestling commonly referred to as Chiao-ti. This wrestling was formalized during the Han period (200 BC to 200 AD), adding the throwing techniques that exist in modern sumo. The refined styles allowed imperial soldiers to take part in the wrestling in military training, and eventually the wrestling became popular among the noble classes as entertainment.
Sumo became extremely popular in Japan, beginning in the 8th century AD. Emperor Shomu (reigned 724-749) held lavish tournaments which included the best wrestlers of the entire kingdom. Court officials were responsible for travelling to every province to recruit the best wrestlers for the tournament. During this period the style of sumo was refined further, banning rough techniques like kicking and punching. In 821 sumo was added to the official set of tournaments, joining the equestrian and archery tournaments. As the power and wealth of the imperial court declined at the end of the 10th century, the tournaments did as well; around this time sumo began to be included in Japanese military training, and the tournaments were discontinued due to declining popularity.
After the unrest that marked the next 700 years, sumo began to resurface as entertainment in the form of street entertainment. Sumo became a diversion for the masses. However, the "street sumo" became dangerous as matches ended in violent fights. Even when sumo was done as benefits for temples and shrines, most of the money raised ended up going towards the wrestlers and many matches degenerated into the same violent brawls as the street sumo.
This led to a decree in Edo:
- Street-corner sumo shall no longer be performed
- Benefit sumo shall no longer be organised
- Wrestlers who are invited to perform at the residences of their superiors shall not wear loincloths made of silk, but only those made of plain cloth
Sumo matches continued in an official way in a few official tournaments every year, and streetcorner sumo continued illegally until sumo was banned in Edo completely in 1661.
In Kyoto and Osaka, large scale benefit sumo tournaments were held on a regular basis at the time of the Edo edicts, which prevented both streetcorner sumo in these cities and the violence which followed that style of sumo. 20 years after banning it, sumo in Edo was permitted again, in the form of one 8-day benefit tournament. Changes were made to the tournament layout & techniques of sumo. The techniques were distilled into 4 basic groups: throwing, tripping, bending, and twisting. By the late 17th century programs (including the referees and wrestlers) began to come into use.
After this, sumo began to take the form we know it today. The ring-entering cermony took shape in Kyoto and Osaka; there were so many wrestlers that the ceremony served as an introduction to the audience and a way to show off the wealth of the wrestler's sponsor through the elaborate apron, the Mawashi. The mawashi was initially worn throughout the match, but was too restricive and were limited to the beginning of the match. The training facilities, the heya (stables), were established at this time; most of these are still active. The referee position, the gyoji, was also solidified at this time.
This time was referred to as sumo's golden age. Some of the greatest wrestlers ever were active at this time. However, as these heroes retired from sumo, its popularity dwindled. By the 1860's sumo was in a slump once more. As westernization began, sumo became an embarrasment to the Japanese people, a symbol of the old times they were trying to distance themselves from. Feudal domains were abolished, and with them sumo organisations which were used to sponsorship by the rich daimyo lords. Finally, in 1884, Emperor Meiji organised a sumo tournament in an effort to couteract the detrimental effect of westernization on the Japanese culture. The Tokyo Sumo Association was formed five years later, and sumo began a recovery in popularity, bolstered by the nationalism created by the Sino-Japanese war. Since this time sumo has been immensely popular in Japan.
*: Shroom tells me it's actually the least losses, not the most wins.
Not cut and pasted, but props for dates & facts must go out to:
- rubens.anu.edu.au/raid1/student.projects97/sumo
- www.scgroup.com/sumo/faq/