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The Grand Sumo Tournament

Venue: The Royal Albert Hall, London. Schedule: 15-19 October

Exploring Japan's National Sport

Sumo represents Japan's iconic national sport, blending custom, discipline and Shinto religious rituals dating back over a millennium.

This combat sport features two wrestlers – known as rikishi – battling within a circular arena – a dohyo – measuring 4.55m (14.9 ft) across.

Traditional ceremonies take place both preceding and following every match, highlighting the traditional nature of the sport.

Customarily before a match, an opening is made at the center of the ring then filled with symbolic offerings by Shinto priests.

This opening gets sealed, containing within a spirit. Sumo wrestlers subsequently execute a ritual stamp with hand clapping to drive off negative energies.

Professional sumo operates under a strict hierarchy, and the wrestlers who participate commit completely to the sport – residing and practicing in group settings.

The London Location

This Major Sumo Event is taking place outside of Japan only the second occasion, with the competition occurring in London beginning October 15th until Sunday, 19 October.

The British capital and The Royal Albert Hall also hosted the 1991 edition – marking the initial occasion a tournament was staged outside Japan in sumo history.

Explaining the reasoning for the international competition, sumo leadership expressed he wanted to "convey with London audiences the appeal of Sumo – a historic Japanese tradition".

Sumo has seen a significant rise in popularity globally recently, and a rare international tournament potentially enhancing the popularity of Japanese culture internationally.

Sumo Bout Mechanics

The basic rules in sumo wrestling are straightforward. The bout concludes once a wrestler is forced out from the ring or touches the floor with anything other than the sole of his feet.

Matches can conclude in a fraction of a second or last over two minutes.

There exist two main fighting styles. Aggressive pushers generally push competitors out of the ring through strength, whereas grapplers prefer to grapple the other rikishi and use throwing techniques.

Elite wrestlers often master various techniques adjusting to their opponents.

There are 82 winning techniques, including audacious throws strategic evasions. This diversity in moves and tactics keeps audiences engaged, so surprises and upsets can occur in any bout.

Weight classes do not exist in sumo, making it normal to observe wrestlers with significant size differences. Sumo rankings decides opponents instead of body measurements.

While women can participate in non-professional sumo worldwide, they cannot enter professional tournaments including major venues.

Rikishi Lifestyle

Professional rikishi live and train in communal facilities called heya, under a stable master.

The daily routine of a rikishi focuses entirely on sumo. Early mornings for intense practice, followed by a large meal of chankonabe – a high-protein dish designed for weight gain – with rest periods.

Typical rikishi consumes between multiple servings per meal – approximately 10,000 calories – with notable instances of extreme consumption are documented.

Wrestlers purposely increase mass for competitive advantage in the ring. Despite their size, they possess surprising agility, quick movements with strong bursts.

Nearly all elements of rikishi life get controlled through their training house and the Sumo Association – creating a distinctive existence among athletic professions.

A wrestler's ranking affects earnings, living arrangements including personal assistants.

Younger or lower ranked rikishi perform duties in the stable, whereas senior competitors receive special privileges.

Competitive standings get determined by results during yearly events. Wrestlers with winning records move up, while those losing drop down in standing.

Prior to events, a new banzuke gets published – a traditional document showing everyone's status in professional sumo.

At the summit exists the rank of Yokozuna – the ultimate achievement. Yokozuna represent the spirit of the sport – transcending winning.

Sumo Wrestlers Demographics

The sport includes 600 rikishi in professional sumo, with most from Japan.

Foreign wrestlers have been involved significantly over years, with Mongolian athletes reaching top levels in recent times.

Top champions include international representatives, with competitors multiple countries reaching elite status.

Recently, foreign prospects have journeyed to Japan pursuing professional sumo careers.