Sumo on a Sunday

Ah. Sit back, relax and give those piggies a rest. Get some nachos and guac and maybe your brew of choice. It's Sunday and your favorite team is on the boob tube. You click on the channel just in time to hear that redneck sing that coined jingle..."Are you ready for some Sumo?" Sumo? What, wait a second, what's going on here? Oh yea, that's right! I'm in Japan, duh! This is Sumo country! Well, when in Rome (in our case Japan), right? So we did. This past Sunday Mark, myself, and some buddies
from his ship attended our very first (hopefully not our last) Sumo tournament in Tokyo. Sumo has a long history in Japanese culture. The first forms of Sumo were religious and included dancing and prayers to the Gods for a good harvest. Not until the 8th century did Sumo actually become more regimented and sportlike with rules and techniques. In 1182, under the military dictatorship, it was even deemed useful in increasing the efficiency of the military fighters. Without bullets and bombs, I'm guessing these guys would be useful when it was all about brute strength (recalling Andre the Giant in Princessbride, 'Hello Lady'). So class, a little lesson in Sumo 101. The block that the wrestlers, or rikishi, bout on is elevated about two feet off the ground and made from clay. The dohyo, or the actual rope looking thing that makes the ring (you can see it behind these mens' feet), is made out of straw rice bales that are burried to form a circle with a 15 foot diameter on top of this elevated clay. A thin layer of sand then covers the clay. A bout is won when an opponent is thrown out of the ring or if any part of the body other than the soles of the feet touch within the ring. This means any part of the body- a toe, a finger, even that little knot on the tops of their head! There are six Grand Tournaments a year, three are held in Tokyo. A tournament lasts for fifteen days, each fighting once every day with a different opponent. The rikishi with the best record of wins over losses is awarded the Emperor's Cup on the final day after the last match. Although there's so much more to it, you'll have to come here to learn more. So now that the lesson is over, our reactions. This gives a whole other meaning to, "Do you think my butt looks big?" These guys get up to four minutes to prepare for the bout once they're in the ring. It wouldn't be so annoying if the bouts lasted more than 10 or 15 seconds.
But they say it's about psyching out your opponent. Everytime they enter the ring they throw some salt to purify the ring. The stomping stance they take before the bout is to rid the ring of evil spirits. For such big men, they sure do have a lot of supersitions. It was quite funny to see them shuffling along in the streets with their big kimonos on. It is very difficult to become a Rihishi and it is an honor when you do.