This content shows Simple View

Japanese wrestling

Is it true that sumo, a traditional Japanese martial art, is for men only?

According to AFP, sumo – known as traditional Japanese martial arts, which is only for men but today more and more Japanese women want and are determined to compete in this martial art.

Japanese sumo

Even women in Japan are not allowed to step on the ring for any reason. In 2003, Ms. Fusae Ohta, the mayor of Osaka City, once asked to go to the sumo ring to give the prize to the champion of a tournament. However, this wish of Ms. Ohta was denied outright.

However, under the struggle of many people, sumo in Japan is gradually developing in the female community, especially in schools. Sayaka Matsuo, a 19-year-old female sumo fighter, said she inherited her passion for sumo fighting from her father, a true sumo fighter.

AFP news agency quoted Matsuo: “I came to sumo as a hobby from a young age. I have been under a lot of pressure from my father and I look forward to one day winning the World Sumo Championship for Women. ” Weighing only 60kg, Matsuo must practice daily with people who weigh 2.5 times her (about 150kg).

Part of the reason why sumo is not allowed for Japanese women is because of the huge amount of food that every sumo fighter has to load, which is considered excessive for women. In addition, eating so much creates financial problems. Japanese women are not supported in sumo competitions, so they do not receive much financial support from their families and society.

Anna Fujita, a 21-year-old female sumo wrestler, said that her students did not have much money so they had to follow a poor quality diet than male sumo fighters.

But since the weight of less than 65kg has been set for women, quite a few women participate in sumo training and competitions. Hideto Tsushima of Nihon University (Japan) believes that in their teenage years, female sumo fighters are even stronger than their male counterparts. During a match at the University of Tokyo, a female sumo fighter knocked a male boxer twice his weight out of the ring.

Currently, sumo for women has not been officially recognized in Japan when the women’s tournament is only in the amateur framework. However, with the increasing number of female sumo clubs, the number of female sumo wrestlers in Japan will increase significantly in the future. Mr. Toshiaki Hirahara, coach of sumo club of the University of Tokyo, said that sumo needs to be open for women to be able to become an Olympic sport in the future.















Learn about sumo – the traditional Japanese wrestling for fat people (Part 3)

At the end of the training, they became sumo fighters and in turn were classified into different ranks in the world, depending on their competency, achievement and competition experience. Specifically, there are 6 levels: Yokozuna, Ozeki, Sekiwate, Komusubi, Maegashira and Jyuryo.

Each rank has a different outfit and style. From the Jonidan level and below, fighters wore traditional Yukata costumes and Geta sandals. On a higher level (Makushita and Sandanme) they can wear a traditional short coat over Yukata and Zori sandals. Boxers who have been recognized as Sekitori wear silk robes and also wear more elaborate buns called Oicho.

The competition rules of this sport are quite simple. The ring is just a clay circle with a diameter of 4.55 m. The winner is the person who is knocked back or knocked away from the ring by the opponent. Strings include wrestling, patting, pulling, poking, locking, and punching-in-the-beat, with no punches, kicks or bites allowed.

During the entrance ceremony there are many quite special points. This ceremony is divided into several stages. First of all, the stampede and warm-up ceremony. Next is the Shinto disinfection ceremony, also known as the salt-throwing ceremony. The two gladiators headed to the corner, picked up a handful of salt and threw it into the ring, then looked down at each other.

The unique style and power of each boxer is clearly shown at this first sight. After the Shinto ceremony ended, the two boxers used all their strength to rush into each other with the first shot called Tachi-Ai. A sumo match is fast but fierce, usually no longer than 1 minute.

The venue for the sumo matches is usually held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan national sumo stadium. Above the arena is a Tsuriyane hanging roof designed to simulate the architecture of Shinto shrines. This shows the powerful influence of Shinto religion in sumo martial arts.

Every year, in January and May, when the grand sumo tournament takes place, Ryogoku Kokugikan will attract many people who love this sport. There are spectators who can sit for 10 hours straight to watch the matches.

Currently, despite experiencing many changes of modern life and the introduction of Western culture. Currently, there are many sumo fighters from other countries such as Mongolia, Bulgaria but sumo is still a traditional culture, a religious ritual in Japanese culture.

Learn about sumo – the traditional Japanese wrestling for fat people (Part 2)

Rank in professional sumo

Sumo fighters before going on stage have to go through an arduous training process in the sumo furnace. Many boxers decided to pursue sumo career when they were 15 years old. When in the furnace, the boxer will have to get up early and eat a special diet to get the best weight possible. Sauk hi is the furnace of this martial arts graduate certificate to officially compete.

After becoming a professional boxer will have different levels: Juryo (lowest level), Maegashira, Komusubi, Sekiwake, Ozeki, Yokozuna.

Today many boxers choose their path to a sumo career, after becoming professional boxers and participating in competitions, fighters also have the opportunity to earn money from tournaments and prize money from the audience. So sumo is one of the noble careers in Japan.

The life of Japanese sumo wrestlers

Do the martial arts sumo wrestlers must go through extremely rigorous tests and have special diets to gain weight to compete in traditional martial arts and be the pride of Japan. Copy.

Sumo is a traditional martial art of Japan, appeared about 1,500 years ago and is ranked among the martial arts with the oldest history in the world. Sumo martial arts is the pride of Japanese sports and is a symbol of Japanese spiritual culture.

Sumo fighters who want to be talented must practice very hard. Conditions for joining a sumo furnace are very strict. The sumo must be male, have graduated from junior high school, the earliest admission age is 23, the minimum height is 1.67 m, the minimum weight is 67 kg.

After going through health exams including vision, endurance, running speed … the students will start training and eating according to sumo diet to increase weight.

After taking a nap, in the afternoon, students have time to relax according to their own interests, such as watching TV, reading books. Sleeping after eating is a way for boxers to gain weight fast. Because besides tactics, weight plays an important role in contributing to the victory of sumo fighters in competitions.

Sumo – the traditional Japanese wrestling for fat people (Part 1)

Hello everyone, today we come to the land of mourning to learn about sumo – traditional Japanese martial art. This is traditional wrestling type with many features that only you can see in Japan.

If you are going to study in Japan and tell you that the only entertainment spot is the Sumo arenas, you should try to see it once and feel.

 Wrestling in the world usually also divides weight class, with each weight class having a certain name, the highest weight class will refer to the heavy class. If calculated according to the above division, Japanese sumo fighters will be considered super heavyweight.

Each sumo fighter usually weighs from 150kg to 300kg. In order to gain such weight, sumo fighters must strictly follow the regulations of diet and exercise for a long time. Do not underestimate the sumo fighters because they think they are fat and inflexible, the stabs of a heavy boxer are like a slap of a 250kg bear.

Method of sumo wrestling

The two sumo wrestlers will fight on a high-leveled square pedestal, inside is a straw braided circle with a diameter of 4.55 meters buried halfway under the pedestal. braided straw buried halfway into the ground 80 cm apart is the line for two boxers to prepare.

The umpire was not an ordinary person rather than a sumo fighter, the umpire usually wore the same clothes as the priest and presided over the ceremony before the start.

When competing sumo wrestlers will only loincloth and bun in the old-fashioned style.

Before the ceremony begins, the two gladiators will hold a handful of salt swung over their heads for the purpose of exorcism, then the two gladiators will stand in the preparation position at the two straw lines in the middle of the stage. Next is the greeting before the start, this is done 3 times and the arbiter will signal at the start.

When ordered by the referee the two gladiators will jostle each other and usually the game will end in just a few seconds. There is no limit to the time of sumo wrestling, but it usually ends quickly. Gladiators who are pushed out of the circle will be defeated.