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Amanda Roraback's World in a Nutshell |
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Sumo Wrestling |
Iraq in a Nutshell |
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Sumo wrestling has been the target of scandal after a Japanese magazine article claimed that, like US and Mexican professional wrestling, the tournaments were scripted. The magazine accused some of the most successful sumo wrestlers of fixing matches for money. TERMS Sumo – literally “horn power,” Japanese wrestling Rikishi or sumotori – Sumo wrestlers Chankonabe – A meat stew served with rice and vegetables, the staple of the sumo wrestler’s diet. Dohyo – the wrestling ring made with clay and sand sprinkled on top Dohyo–iri – the ceremony beginning matches Yokozuna – the highest rank of wrestlers currently held only by Asashoryu Akinori from Mongolia Asashoryu Akinori – the current yokozuna who was promoted in January 2003. In February, 2007, a Japanese magazine accused him of paying off other wrestlers to maintain his championship rank. Honbasho – Sumo tournaments. Six honbashos are held each year. History of Japanese wrestling Legend has it that Japan’s supremacy over its island was established after a sumo bout between two gods by the Sea of Japan. The victor, Takemikazuchi, was said to have founded a dynasty that can be traced to the current Japanese Emperor. Many centuries later (in the 17th century), sumo (literally “horn power”) wrestling became a popular spectator sport in Japan when poor samurai (Japanese warriors) would fight as entertainment for money. Shinto connection Sumo matches are heavily imbued with Shinto symbolism and rituals. Tournament rings, for instance are covered with canopies resembling the roof of Shinto shrines, twisted strings called sagari are attached to the belts of wrestlers to represent the sacred ropes of the shrines and salt is sprinkled on the wrestling rings (dohyo) and sometimes over the fighters as a symbol of Shinto purity. Hierarchy Sumo wrestlers are divided into six hierarchical divisions. Only wrestlers in the top two divisions, the Makuuchi and Juryo (called the sekitori or “those who have taken the barrier”) receive salaries. The rest are considered in training and are expected to do chores and serve the sekitori for small allowances as they work their way up. The ranks are further divided into East and West divisions with East being slightly more prestigious. The highest division, Makuuchi, is itself divided and subdivided into categories. At the very top is the grand champion or yokozuna. At the moment, only one rikishi holds the title, Asashoryu Akinori, a wrestler from Mongolia. Sumo Names Sumo wrestlers usually adopt special names called shikona. Shikonas can be name places, like the wrestler’s home town, the name of the wrestler’s master, Japanese weapons, powerful animals or other significant references. Wrestlers whose fathers were also rikishis add the prefix waka, meaning junior, as did the wrestlers, Wakaizumi or Wakafujita among others. Rikishis sometimes change their shikonas to indicate the achievement of a higher rank or in hopes of improving their luck after a bad round. Asahoryu (or “Asa” as he is affectionately known), whose name means “Blue Dragon in the Morning” was born Dolgusuren Dagvadorj. Sumo Belts
The most distinctive physical
attributes of a sumo wrestler are his great weight
and the special belt or mawashi worn during
competition. The 8-10 pound mawashi is a 30
feet long piece of material that is wrapped around
the waist and tied with a large knot in the back.
Only the top division sekitori wrestlers are permitted to wear colorful silk mawashi in competition. They are also the only wrestlers who can wear high-quality kimonos (Japanese robes), elaborate hairstyles and kesho-mawashis (silk belts that open into “aprons” sometimes decorated with messages from their sponsors). Amateur sumo wrestlers are expected to wear white cotton mawashi both in training and competition. Hairstyles Only the sekitori are permitted to wear elaborate Samurai-style topknots resembling a ginko leaf on special occasions. Lower ranked wrestlers wear simple topknots called chonmage. The topknot is ceremonially cut off the day the salaried wrestler retires. Sumo wrestlers weight In order to maintain strong centers of gravity, sumo wrestlers must maintain very heavy weights. The best wrestlers in Japan weigh on average between 400 and 500 pounds. The current Yokozuna, Asashurya, is comparatively small weighing slightly over 300 pounds. In order to build and maintain the weight, sumo wrestlers skip breakfast and exercise on an empty stomach in order to stimulate their appetites. At mealtime, the rikishis eat multiple portions of a traditional meat stew (called chankonabe) with vegetables and rice (called chankonabe) washed down with plenty of saki and beer. The meal is followed by a two to three hour nap allowing the calories to be deposited as fat. Foreign wrestlers Asashoryu, who comes from Mongolia, is not the first foreign sumo wrestler to rise to the rank of yokozuna. That distinction goes to Hawaiian-born Chad Rowan, professionally known as “Akebono,” who became a yokozuna in 1992. He was followed by Samoan-Hawaiian Musashimaru who became the second foreign yokozuna in 1999. How bouts are won
Before making physical contact, the fighters crouch down and glare at each other hoping to breaking the concentration of their opponent. The rikishi will then charge and pull and tug at each other until a wrestler is pushed out of the circle or any part of his body touches the ground.
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Rikishi
begin matches by facing each other in a ring (dohyo).
Fighting begins when the referee or gyoji
(dressed like ancient Japanese aristocracy with
black gauze hats) signals the wrestlers with a
special lacquered fan resembling those used by
generals to signal battle.