11 interesting facts about Sumo
- Sumo is a competitive contact sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyō) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet.
- The sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the days sumo was used in the Shinto religion.
- On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first; this happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at nearly the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning as, due to the superior sumo of his opponent, he was already in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being shini-tai (“dead body”) in this case
- The Sumo sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally.
- There are six divisions in sumo: makuuchi (maximum 42 wrestlers), jūryō (fixed at 28 wrestlers), makushita (fixed at 120 wrestlers), sandanme (fixed at 200 wrestlers), jonidan (approximately 230 wrestlers), and jonokuchi (approximately 80 wrestlers).
- All sumo wrestlers take wrestling names called shikona (しこ名), which may or may not be related to their real names.
- Matches often last only a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is quickly ousted from the circle or thrown to the ground. However, they can occasionally last for several minutes. Each match is preceded by an elaborate ceremonial ritual. The wrestlers themselves are renowned for their great girth, as body mass is often a winning factor in sumo, though with skill, smaller wrestlers can topple far larger opponents.
- Sumo wrestlers have a life expectancy of between 60 and 65, more than 10 years shorter than the average Japanese male.
- There are currently 55 wrestlers officially listed as foreigners.
- A sumo wrestler should grow long hair and also form a top knot. This is a must do thing.
- Sumo wrestlers are banned from driving cars, for reasons of tradition rather safety concerns due to weight.
