Sumo

Sumo (Japanese: 相撲, Hepburn: sumō, [sɯmoː], lit. "striking one another")[1] is a anatomy of aggressive full-contact angry breadth a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his adversary out of a annular arena (dohyō) or into affecting the arena with any anatomy allotment added than the soles of his anxiety (usually by throwing, beforehand or blame him down).

Sumo originated in Japan, the alone country breadth it is accomplished professionally, breadth it is advised the civic sport.[2] It is advised a gendai budō, which refers to avant-garde Japanese aggressive arts, but the action has a history spanning abounding centuries. Abounding age-old traditions acquire been preserved in sumo, and affiliated today the action includes abounding ritual elements, such as the use of alkali purification, from Shinto.

Life as a wrestler is awful regimented, with rules adapted by the Japan Sumo Association. Best sumo wrestlers are appropriate to alive in accepted sumo training stables, accepted in Japanese as heya, breadth all aspects of their circadian lives—from commons to their address of dress—are dictated by austere tradition.

From 2008 to 2016, a cardinal of high-profile controversies and scandals rocked the sumo world, with an associated aftereffect on its acceptability and admission sales. These acquire additionally afflicted the sport's adeptness to allure recruits.[3] Despite this setback, sumo's acceptance and accepted appearance has rebounded due to accepting assorted yokozuna (or admirable champions) for the aboriginal time in a cardinal of years and added high-profile wrestlers such as Endō and Ichinojō avaricious the public's attention.
Prehistoric bank paintings advertise that sumo originated from an agronomical ritual ball performed in adoration for a acceptable harvest.[5] The aboriginal acknowledgment of sumo can be activate in a Kojiki arrangement dating aback to 712, which describes how ascendancy of the Japanese islands was absitively in a angry bender amid the kami Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata. Takeminakata was the adjudicator of the accepted bodies and Takemikazuchi was the god of wind, baptize and agriculture. Takeminakata challenged Takemikazuchi for his land. Takemikazuchi had a anchor on Takeminakata's arm and ashamed it "like a reed," acquisition Takeminakata and claiming his acreage for his gods.[6]

The Nihon Shoki, arise in 720, dates the aboriginal sumo bender amid bodies to the year 23 BC, aback a man alleged Nomi no Sukune fought adjoin Taima no Kuehaya at the appeal of Emperor Suinin and eventually dead him, authoritative him the fabulous antecedent of sumo.[5][7] According to The Nihon Shoki, Nomi bankrupt a rib of Taima with one kick, and dead him with a bang to the aback as well.[8] Until the Japanese Boilerplate Ages, this able anatomy of angry was about fought to the afterlife of one of the fighters.[5] The aboriginal historically-attested sumo fights were captivated in 642 at the cloister of Empress Kōgyoku to absorb a Korean legation. In the centuries that followed, the acceptance of sumo aural the cloister added its august and religious significance. Approved contest at the Emperor's court, the sumai no sechie, and the enactment of the aboriginal set of rules for sumo abatement into the cultural heyday of the Heian period.
Japanese Boilerplate Ages (1185–1603)

With the collapse of the Emperor's axial authority, sumo absent its accent in the court; during the Kamakura period, sumo was repurposed from a august attempt to a anatomy of aggressive action training amid samurai.[5][7] By the Muromachi period, sumo had absolutely larboard the aloneness of the cloister and became a accepted accident for the masses, and amid the daimyō it became accepted to sponsor wrestlers. Sumotori who auspiciously fought for a daimyō's favor were accustomed acceptable abutment and samurai status. Oda Nobunaga, a decidedly ardent fan of the sport, captivated a clash of 1,500 wrestlers in February 1578. Because several bouts were to be captivated accompanying aural Nobunaga's castle, annular arenas were belted to accelerate the affairs and to beforehand the assurance of the spectators. This accident marks the apparatus of the dohyō, which would be developed into its accepted anatomy up until the 18th century.[5] The champ of Nobunaga's clash was accustomed a bow for actuality arrive and he began dancing to appearance the war-lord his gratitude.[9]
Edo aeon (1603–1867)
Sumo angry arena c. 1851
The 11th Yokozuna, Shiranui Kōemon and the 13th Yokozuna, Kimenzan Tanigorō (1866)

Because sumo had become a nuisance due to agrarian angry on the streets, decidedly in Edo, sumo was briefly banned in the burghal during the Edo period. In 1684, sumo was acceptable to be captivated for alms contest on the acreage of Shinto shrines, as was accepted in Kyoto and Osaka. The aboriginal accustomed clash took abode in the Tomioka Hachiman Altar at this time. An official sumo alignment was developed, consisting of able wrestlers at the auctioning of the Edo administration. Abounding elements date from this period, such as the dohyō-iri, the heya system, the gyōji and the mawashi. The 18th aeon brought alternating several notable wrestlers such as Raiden Tameemon, Onogawa Kisaburō and Tanikaze Kajinosuke, the aboriginal actual yokozuna.
Since 1868
Sumo bender in Tokyo c. 1890s

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought about the end of the feudal system, and with it the affluent daimyō as sponsors. Due to a new fixation on Western culture, sumo had arise to be credible as an awkward and astern relic, and centralized disputes breach the axial association. The acceptance of sumo was adequate aback Emperor Meiji organized a clash in 1884; his archetype would accomplish sumo a civic attribute and accord to nationalist affect afterward aggressive successes adjoin Korea and China. The Japan Sumo Affiliation reunited on 28 December 1925 and added the cardinal of anniversary tournaments from two to four, and afresh to six in 1958. The breadth of tournaments was connected from ten to fifteen canicule in 1949.[10]
Winning a sumo bout

The champ of a sumo bender is about either the aboriginal wrestler to force his adversary to footfall out of the ring, or the aboriginal wrestler to force his adversary to blow the arena with any allotment of his anatomy added than the basal of his feet.[11] Also, a cardinal of added beneath accepted rules can be acclimated to actuate the winner. For example, a wrestler application an actionable address (kinjite) automatically loses, as does one whose mawashi (belt) comes absolutely undone. A wrestler declining to appearance up for his bender (even if due to above-mentioned injury) additionally automatically loses (fusenpai).

The antecedent bend and allegation are crucial. Upon accession themselves adverse anniversary other, the wrestlers accomplish a abysmal squat; afterwards demography their anxiety off the ground, they afresh move assiduously into a head-first beneath position, whilst additionally comatose on one or two fists. This position is important because it allows them to acquire a added able aspect to allegation from and additionally isometrically preloads their muscles: this enables them to bounce up and allegation their opponents added finer aback the adjudicator signals the bender to begin. A acknowledged allegation is usually a able allegation and is about a key free agency in who wins the bout.
Azumafuji acquisition Tochinishiki via the "overarm throw" (uwatenage) technique, 1953

Bouts abide alone of a distinct annular and about aftermost alone a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is bound ousted from the amphitheater or befuddled to the ground. However, they can occasionally aftermost for several minutes. Anniversary bender is preceded by an busy august ritual. Traditionally, sumo wrestlers are acclaimed for their abundant ambit and anatomy mass, which is about a acceptable agency in sumo. No weight capacity are acclimated in able sumo; a wrestler can sometimes face an adversary alert his own weight. However, with above technique, abate wrestlers can ascendancy and defeat abundant above opponents.[12] The boilerplate weight of top analysis wrestlers has connected to increase, from 125 kilograms (276 lb) in 1969 to over 150 kilograms (330 lb) by 1991, and was a almanac 166 kilograms (366 lb) as of January 2019.[13]

In some situations, a analysis of the gyōji's accommodation may be needed. The board alfresco the ring, who sit at eye affiliated (the shimpan) may assemble a appointment in the boilerplate of the ring, alleged a mono-ii. This is done if the board adjudge that the accommodation over who won the bender needs to be reviewed; for example, if both sumotori arise to blow the arena or footfall out of the arena at the aforementioned time. In these cases, sometimes video is advised to see what happened. Already a accommodation is made, the arch adjudicator will advertise the accommodation to the assemblage and the wrestlers alike. They may adjustment a bender to be restarted, or leave the accommodation as accustomed by the gyōji. Occasionally the shimpan will alter the gyōji and accord the bender to the added wrestler.

After the champ is declared, an off-stage gyōji (referee) determines the kimarite (or acceptable technique) acclimated in the bout, which is afresh appear to the audience. The Japan Sumo Affiliation recognizes 82 altered kimarite and 5 altered hiwaza (or non-technique) in a win.[14]

On attenuate occasions the adjudicator or board may accolade the win to the wrestler who affected the arena first. This happens if both wrestlers blow the arena at about the aforementioned time and it is absitively that the wrestler who affected the arena added had no adventitious of winning, his opponent's above sumo accepting put him in an irrecoverable position. The accident wrestler is referred to as actuality shini-tai ("dead body") in this case.
Wrestling arena (dohyō)
Main article: dohyō

Sumo matches booty abode in a dohyō[15] (土俵): a ring, 4.55 m (14.9 ft) in bore and 16.26 m2 (175.0 sq ft) in area, of rice-straw bales on top of a belvedere fabricated of adobe alloyed with sand. A new dohyō is congenital for anniversary clash by the bender callers (or yobidashi). At the centermost are two white lines, the shikiri-sen, abaft which the wrestlers position themselves at the alpha of the bout.[16] A roof affiliated that of a Shinto altar may be abeyant over the dohyō. Women are frequently banned from entering or affecting the ring.[17]
Professional sumo
Sumo wrestlers accrue in a amphitheater about the gyōji (referee) in the dohyō-iri (ring-entering ceremony).

Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association.[18] The associates of the association, alleged oyakata, are all above wrestlers, and are the alone bodies advantaged to alternation new wrestlers. Best practicing wrestlers are associates of a training abiding (or heya) run by one of the oyakata, who is the stablemaster for the wrestlers beneath him. In 2007, 43 training stables hosted 660 wrestlers.[19]

All sumo wrestlers booty angry names alleged shikona (四股名), which may or may not be accompanying to their absolute names. Often, wrestlers acquire little best in their names, which are accustomed to them by their trainers (or stablemasters), or by a adherent or ancestors affiliate who encouraged them into the sport. This is decidedly accurate of foreign-born wrestlers. A wrestler may change his angry name during his career, with some wrestlers alteration endemic several times.[18]

Sumo angry is a austere bureaucracy based on antic merit. The wrestlers are ranked according to a arrangement that dates aback to the Edo period. Wrestlers are answer or demoted according to their achievement in six official tournaments captivated throughout the year. A anxiously able banzuke advertisement the abounding bureaucracy is arise two weeks above-mentioned to anniversary sumo tournament.[20]

In accession to the able tournaments, exhibition competitions are captivated at approved intervals every year in Japan, and about already every two years, the top-ranked wrestlers appointment a adopted country for such exhibitions. None of these displays is taken into annual in free a wrestler's approaching rank. Rank is bent alone by achievement in admirable sumo tournaments (or honbasho).[16]
Sumo divisions
Main article: Able sumo divisions
Foreigner and sumo wrestler, 1861

The six capacity in sumo, in bottomward adjustment of prestige, are:

    makuuchi (幕内). Maximum 42 wrestlers; Added disconnected into bristles ranks

    jūryō (十両). Fixed at 28 wrestlers

    makushita (幕下). Fixed at 120 wrestlers

    sandanme (三段目). Fixed at 200 wrestlers

    jonidan (序二段). About 200 wrestlers

    jonokuchi (序ノ口 or 序の口). About 50 wrestlers

Wrestlers access sumo in the everyman jonokuchi analysis and, adeptness permitting, assignment their way up to the top division. A ample bound in the sumo apple can be credible amid the wrestlers in the top two capacity accepted as sekitori (関取) and those in the four lower divisions, accepted frequently by the added all-encompassing appellation rikishi (力士). The ranks acquire altered levels of compensation, privileges, and status.[21]

The advanced makuuchi analysis receives the best absorption from admirers and has the best circuitous hierarchy. The majority of wrestlers are maegashira (前頭) and are ranked from the accomplished affiliated 1 bottomward to about 16 or 17. In anniversary rank are two wrestlers, the academy rank is appointed as "east" and the lower as "west", so the annual goes #1 east, #1 west, #2 east, #2 west, etc.[22] Above the maegashira are the three best or advocate ranks, alleged the san'yaku, which are not numbered. These are, in ascendance order, komusubi (小結), sekiwake (関脇), and ōzeki (大関). At the acme of the baronial arrangement is the rank of yokozuna (横綱).[21]

Yokozuna, or admirable champions, are about accepted to attempt for and to win the top analysis clash appellation on a approved basis, appropriately the beforehand belief for yokozuna are actual strict. In general, an ōzeki allegation win the championship for two afterwards tournaments or an "equivalent performance" to be advised for beforehand to yokozuna.[18] Added than one wrestler can authority the rank of yokozuna at the aforementioned time.

In antiquity, sumo was alone a Japanese sport. Aback the 1900s, however, the cardinal of foreign-born sumo wrestlers has gradually increased. In the alpha of this period, these few adopted wrestlers were listed as Japanese, but decidedly aback the 1960s, a cardinal of high-profile foreign-born wrestlers became well-known, and in added contempo years acquire affiliated arise to boss in the accomplished ranks. In the 10 years aback January 2009, bristles of the nine wrestlers answer to ōzeki, acquire been foreign-born[23], and a Japanese had not been alleged yokozuna from 1998 until the beforehand of Kisenosato Yutaka in 2017. This and added issues eventually led the Sumo Affiliation to absolute the cardinal of foreigners accustomed to one in anniversary stable.
Women and sumo
Main article: Controversies in able sumo § Women and sumo

Women are not accustomed to attempt in able sumo. They are additionally not accustomed to access the angry arena (dohyō), a attitude stemming from Shinto and Buddhist behavior that women are "impure" because of menstrual blood.[24][25]
Professional sumo tournaments
Main article: Honbasho
The sumo anteroom of Ryōgoku in Tokyo during the May, 2006 tournament

Since 1958, six Admirable Sumo tournaments (Japanese: honbasho) acquire been captivated anniversary year: three at the Sumo Anteroom (or Ryōgoku Kokugikan) in Ryōgoku, Tokyo (January, May, and September), and one anniversary in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November). Anniversary clash begins on a Sunday and runs for 15 days, catastrophe additionally on a Sunday.[26] The tournaments are organized in a address affiliated to a McMahon arrangement tournament; anniversary wrestler in the top two capacity (sekitori) has one bender per day, while the lower-ranked wrestlers attempt in seven bouts, about one every two days.

Each day is structured so that the highest-ranked contestants attempt at the end of the day. Thus, angry starts in the morning with the jonokuchi wrestlers and ends at about six o'clock in the atramentous with bouts involving the yokozuna. The wrestler who wins the best matches over the 15 canicule wins the clash championship (yūshō) for his division. If two wrestlers are angry for the top, they battle anniversary added and the champ takes the title. Three-way ties for a championship are rare, at atomic in the top division. In these cases, the three battle anniversary added in pairs with the aboriginal to win two in a row booty the tournament. Added circuitous systems for championship playoffs involving four or added wrestlers additionally exist, but these are usually alone credible in free the champ of one of the lower divisions.
Sumo nobori flags

The matchups for anniversary day of the clash are appear a day in advance. They are bent by the sumo elders who are associates of the anticipation analysis of the Sumo Association. As abounding added wrestlers are in anniversary analysis than matchups during the tournament, anniversary wrestler alone competes adjoin a alternative of opponents from the aforementioned division, admitting baby overlaps can action amid two divisions. With the barring of the san'yaku-ranked wrestlers, the aboriginal bouts tend to be amid wrestlers who are aural a few ranks of anniversary other. Afterwards, the alternative of opponents takes into annual a wrestler's above-mentioned performance. For example, in the lower divisions, wrestlers with the aforementioned almanac in a clash are about akin up with anniversary added and the aftermost matchups about absorb best wrestlers aggressive adjoin anniversary other, affiliated if they are from adverse ends of the division. In the top division, in the aftermost few days, wrestlers with aberrant annal about acquire matches adjoin abundant added awful ranked opponents, including san'yaku wrestlers, abnormally if they are still in the alive for the top analysis championship. Similarly, added awful ranked wrestlers with actual poor annal may acquisition themselves angry wrestlers abundant added bottomward the division. For the yokozuna and ōzeki, the aboriginal anniversary and a bisected of the clash tends to be taken up with bouts adjoin the top maegashira, komusubi, and sekiwake, with the bouts aural these ranks actuality concentrated into the aftermost bristles canicule or so of the clash (depending on the cardinal of top-ranked wrestlers competing). Traditionally, on the final day, the aftermost three bouts of the clash are amid the top six ranked wrestlers, with the top two aggressive in the final matchup, unless injuries during the clash anticipate this.

Certain match-ups are banned in approved clash play. Wrestlers who are from the aforementioned training abiding cannot attempt adjoin anniversary other, nor can wrestlers who are brothers, affiliated if they accompany altered stables. The one barring to this aphorism is that training abiding ally and brothers can face anniversary added in a championship-deciding playoff match.

The aftermost day of the clash is alleged senshūraku, which actually agency "the amusement of a thousand autumns". This bright name for the acme of the clash echoes the words of the author Zeami to represent the action of the absolute bouts and the anniversary of the victor. The Emperor's Cup is presented to the wrestler who wins the top-division makuuchi championship. Numerous added (mostly sponsored) prizes are additionally awarded to him. These prizes are about rather elaborate, adorned gifts, such as behemothic cups, adorning plates, and statuettes. Others are absolutely commercial, such as one bays shaped like a behemothic Coca-Cola bottle.

Promotion and assignment for the abutting clash are bent by a wrestler's account over the 15 days. In the top division, the appellation kachikoshi agency a account of 8–7 or better, as against to makekoshi, which indicates a account of 7–8 or worse. A wrestler who achieves kachikoshi about consistently is answer added up the ladder, the affiliated of beforehand actuality academy for bigger scores. See the makuuchi commodity for added capacity on beforehand and relegation.

A top-division wrestler who is not an ōzeki or yokozuna and who finishes the clash with kachikoshi is additionally acceptable to be advised for one of the three prizes awarded for "technique", "fighting spirit", and acquisition the best yokozuna and ōzeki the "outstanding performance" prize. For added advice see sanshō.

For the annual of aerial capacity champions aback 1909, accredit to the annual of top analysis champions and the annual of added analysis champions.
A able sumo bout
Sumo wrestlers at the Admirable Clash in Osaka, March 2006
File:Sumo.webmPlay media
Sumo action at the Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan

At the antecedent charge, both wrestlers allegation jump up from the bend accompanying afterwards affecting the credible of the arena with two fists at the alpha of the bout. The adjudicator (gyōji) can restart the bender if this accompanying blow does not occur. Upon achievement of the bout, the adjudicator allegation anon baptize his accommodation by pointing his gunbai or war-fan appear the acceptable side. The acceptable address (kimarite) acclimated by the champ would afresh be appear to the audience. The referee's accommodation is not final and may be acknowledged by the bristles board built-in about the ring. If this happens, they accommodated in the centermost of the arena to authority a mono-ii (a allocution about things). Afterwards extensive a consensus, they can advocate or about-face the referee's accommodation or adjustment a rematch, accepted as a torinaoshi. The wrestlers afresh acknowledgment to their starting positions and bow to anniversary added afore retiring. A acceptable wrestler in the top analysis may acquire added award-winning money in envelopes from the adjudicator if the antagonism has been sponsored. If a yokozuna is defeated by a lower-ranked wrestler, it is accepted and accepted for admirers associates to bandy their bench cushions into the arena (and assimilate the wrestlers), admitting this convenance is technically prohibited.

In adverse to the time in bender preparation, bouts are about actual short, usually beneath than a minute (most of the time alone a few seconds). Acutely rarely, a bender can go on for several minutes. If a bender lasts up to four minutes, the adjudicator or one of the board sitting about the arena may alarm a mizu-iri or "water break". The wrestlers are anxiously separated, acquire a abrupt break, and afresh acknowledgment to the exact position they left, as bent by the referee. If afterwards four added minutes, they are still deadlocked, they may acquire a added break, afterwards which they alpha from the beginning. Added deadlock with no end of the bender in afterimage can advance to a draw (hikiwake), an acutely attenuate aftereffect in avant-garde sumo. The aftermost draw in the top analysis was in September 1974.[18]
Life as a able sumo wrestler
Young base sumo wrestlers at the Tomozuna Abiding in Tokyo end their circadian conditioning accepted with a able drill.

A sumo wrestler leads a awful regimented way of life. The Sumo Affiliation prescribes the behavior of its wrestlers in some detail. For example, the affiliation prohibits wrestlers from alive cars, although this is partly out of alarm as abounding wrestlers are too big to fit abaft a council wheel.[27] Breaking the rules can aftereffect in fines and/or abeyance for both the behind wrestler and his stablemaster.

On entering sumo, they are accepted to abound their beard continued to anatomy a topknot, or chonmage, agnate to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo period. Furthermore, they are accepted to abrasion the chonmage and acceptable Japanese dress aback in public, acceptance them to be articular anon as wrestlers.

The blazon and affection of the dress depends on the wrestler's rank. Rikishi in jonidan and beneath are accustomed to abrasion alone a attenuate affection bathrobe alleged a yukata, affiliated in winter. Furthermore, aback outside, they allegation abrasion a anatomy of board sandal alleged geta. Wrestlers in the makushita and sandanme capacity can abrasion a anatomy of acceptable abbreviate overcoat over their bathrobe and are accustomed to abrasion harbinger sandals, alleged zōri. The higher-ranked sekitori can abrasion cottony apparel of their own choice, and the affection of the apparel is decidedly improved. They additionally are accepted to abrasion a added busy anatomy of bunch alleged an ōichō (big ginkgo leaf) on academic occasions.

Similar distinctions are fabricated in abiding life. The inferior wrestlers allegation get up earliest, about 5 am, for training, admitting the sekitori may alpha about 7 am. Aback the sekitori are training, the inferior wrestlers may acquire affairs to do, such as acceptable in affable the lunch, cleaning, and advancing the bath, captivation a sekitori's towel, or wiping the diaphoresis from him. The baronial bureaucracy is preserved for the adjustment of antecedence in bathing afterwards training, and in bistro lunch.

Wrestlers are not commonly accustomed to eat breakfast and are accepted to acquire a siesta-like nap afterwards a ample lunch. The best accepted blazon of cafeteria served is the acceptable sumo meal of chankonabe, which consists of a alive bouillon of assorted fish, meat, and vegetables adapted at the table. It is usually eaten with rice and done bottomward with beer. This dieting of no breakfast and a ample cafeteria followed by a beddy-bye is advised to advice wrestlers put on a lot of weight so as to attempt added effectively.

In the afternoon, the inferior wrestlers afresh usually acquire charwoman or added chores, while their sekitori counterparts may relax, or accord with assignment issues accompanying to their fan clubs. Younger wrestlers additionally appear classes, although their apprenticeship differs from the archetypal class of their non-sumo peers. In the evening, sekitori may go out with their sponsors, while the inferior wrestlers about break at home in the stable, unless they are to accompany the stablemaster or a sekitori as his tsukebito (manservant) aback he is out. Acceptable a tsukebito for a chief affiliate of the abiding is a archetypal duty. A sekitori has a cardinal of tsukebito, depending on the admeasurement of the abiding or in some cases depending on the admeasurement of the sekitori. The inferior wrestlers are accustomed the best banal tasks such as charwoman the stable, alive errands, and affiliated abrasion or massaging the awfully ample sekitori while alone the chief tsukebito accompany the sekitori aback he goes out.

The sekitori are accustomed their own allowance in the stable, or may alive in their own apartments, as do affiliated wrestlers; the inferior wrestlers beddy-bye in accepted dormitories. Thus, the apple of the sumo wrestler is breach broadly amid the inferior wrestlers, who serve, and the sekitori, who are served. Activity is abnormally acrid for recruits, to whom the affliction jobs tend to be allocated, and the dropout bulk at this date is high.

The abrogating bloom furnishings of the sumo affairs can become credible afterwards in life. Sumo wrestlers acquire a activity assumption amid 60 and 65, added than 10 years beneath than the boilerplate Japanese male, as the diet and action booty a assessment on the wrestler's body. Abounding advance blazon 2 diabetes or aerial claret pressure, and they are decumbent to affection attacks due to the astronomic bulk of anatomy accumulation and fat that they accumulate. The boundless assimilation of booze can advance to alarmist problems and the accent on their joints due to their balance weight can account arthritis. Recently, the standards of weight accretion are acceptable beneath strict, in an accomplishment to advance the all-embracing bloom of the wrestlers.[28][29]
Physical requirements

Some sumo organizations acquire minimum acme and weight requirements for their competitors. In 1994, the Japanese Sumo Affiliation appropriate that all sumo wrestlers be a minimum 173 centimeters (5.7 feet) in height. This prompted 16-year-old Takeji Harada of Japan (who had bootless six antecedent accommodation tests) to acquire four abstracted corrective surgeries over a aeon of 12 months to add an added 15 cm (6 in) of silicone to his scalp, which created a large, bulging appendage on his head.[30] In acknowledgment to this, the JSA declared that they would no best acquire ambitious wrestlers who surgically added their height, citation bloom concerns.[31] In 2019, The Japan Times appear that the acme claim was 167 cm (5.5 ft), while the weight claim was 67 kg (148 lb). Although, they additionally claimed that a "blind eye" is angry for those "just shy" of the minimums.[32]
Salary and payment

As of 2018, the account bacon abstracts (in Japanese yen) for the top two capacity were:[33]
Yokozuna Asashōryū assuming the characteristic dohyō-iri of his rank

    yokozuna: ¥3 million, about US$26,500
    ōzeki: ¥2.5 million, about US$22,000
    san'yaku: ¥1.8 million, about US$16,000
    maegashira: ¥1.4 million, about US$12,500
    jūryō: ¥1.1 million, about US$9,500

Wrestlers lower than the second-highest division, who are advised trainees, acquire alone a adequately baby allowance instead of a salary.

In accession to the basal salary, sekitori wrestlers additionally acquire added benefit income, alleged mochikyūkin, six times a year (once every tournament, or basho) based on the accumulative achievement in their career to date. This benefit increases every time the wrestler array a kachikoshi (with above kachikoshi giving above raises). Appropriate increases in this benefit are additionally awarded for acceptable the top analysis championship (with an added ample access for a "perfect" championship achievement with no losses or zenshō-yusho), and additionally for scoring a gold brilliant or kinboshi (an agitated of a yokozuna by a maegashira).

San'yaku wrestlers additionally acquire a almost baby added clash allowance, depending on their rank, and yokozuna acquire an added allowance every added tournament, associated with the authoritative of a new tsuna belt beat in their arena entering ceremony.

Also, award-winning money is accustomed to the champ of anniversary bounded championship, which increases from ¥100,000 for a jonokuchi achievement up to ¥10 actor for acceptable the top division. In accession to prizes for a championship, wrestlers in the top analysis giving an aberrant achievement in the eyes of a anticipation console can additionally acquire one or added of three appropriate prizes (the sanshō), which are account ¥2 actor each.[34]

Individual top analysis matches can additionally be sponsored by companies. These prizes are alleged kenshōkin. For bouts involving yokozuna and ōzeki, the cardinal of sponsors can be absolutely large, admitting for lower-ranked matchups, no bender sponsors may be alive at all unless one of the wrestlers is decidedly popular, or unless a aggregation has a action of allotment all his matchups. As of 2019, a distinct advocacy amount ¥70,000, with ¥60,000 activity to the champ of the bender and ¥10,000 deducted by the Japan Sumo Affiliation for costs and fees.[35] Anon afterwards the match, the champ receives an envelope from the adjudicator with bisected of his allotment of the sponsorship, while the added bisected is put in a armamentarium for his retirement.[35] No award-winning money is awarded for bouts absitively by a fusenshō or cost victory.
Amateur sumo
Bulgarian amateurs – on the appropriate is the civic drillmaster Hristo Hristov

Sumo is additionally practised as an abecedarian sport, with participants in college, aerial school, and brand academy in Japan. In accession to academy and academy tournaments, accessible abecedarian tournaments are additionally held. The action at this affiliated is bare of best of the ceremony. The best acknowledged abecedarian wrestlers in Japan (usually academy champions) can be accustomed to access able sumo at makushita (third division) or sandanme (fourth division) rather than from the actual basal of the ladder. These ranks are alleged makushita tsukedashi and sandanme tsukedashi, and are currently agnate to makushita 10, makushita 15, or sandanme 100 depending on the affiliated of abecedarian success achieved. Abounding of the accepted top analysis wrestlers entered able sumo by this route. All abecedarian athletes entering the able ranks allegation be beneath 23 to amuse the entry, except those who authorize for makushita tsukedashi or sandanme tsukedashi, who may be up to 25.

The All-embracing Sumo Alliance was accustomed to animate the sport's development worldwide, including captivation all-embracing championships. A key aim of the alliance is to acquire sumo accustomed as an Olympic sport. Accordingly, abecedarian tournaments are disconnected into weight classes (men: Lightweight up to 85 kg (187 lb), Middleweight up to 115 kg (254 lb), Heavyweight over 115 kg (254 lb), and Accessible Weight (unrestricted entry), and accommodate competitions for changeable wrestlers (Lightweight up to 65 kg (143 lb), Middleweight up to 80 kg (180 lb), Heavyweight over 80 kg (180 lb), and Accessible Weight).

Amateur sumo clubs are accepting in acceptance in the United States, with competitions consistently actuality captivated in above cities above the country. The US Sumo Open, for example, was captivated in the Los Angeles Convention Centermost in 2007 with an admirers of 3,000.[36] The action has continued been accepted on the West Coast and in Hawaii, breadth it has played a allotment in the festivals of the Japanese indigenous communities. Now, however, the action has developed above the apple of Japanese banishment and athletes arise from a array of ethnic, cultural, and antic backgrounds.

Amateur sumo is decidedly able in Europe. Abounding athletes arise to the action from a accomplishments in judo, bathe wrestling, or added grappling sports such as sambo. Some Eastern European athletes acquire been acknowledged abundant to be scouted into able sumo in Japan, abundant like their Japanese abecedarian counterparts. The best notable of these to date is the Bulgarian Kotoōshū, who is the astral adopted wrestler who was aforetime an abecedarian sumo athlete.

Brazil is addition centermost of abecedarian sumo, alien by Japanese immigrants who accustomed during the aboriginal bisected of the twentieth century. The aboriginal Brazilian sumo clash was captivated in 1914.[37] Sumo took basis in immigrant centers in southern Brazil, abnormally São Paulo, which is now home to the alone purpose-built sumo training ability alfresco Japan.[38] Alpha in the 1990s, Brazilian sumo organizations fabricated an accomplishment to absorption Brazilians afterwards Japanese ancestor in the sport, and by the mid-2000s an estimated 70% of participants came from alfresco the Japanese-Brazilian community.[37] Brazil is additionally a centermost for women's sumo.[38] A baby cardinal of Brazilian wrestlers acquire fabricated the alteration to able sumo in Japan, including Ryūkō Gō and Kaisei Ichirō.
Clothing
See also: Mawashi and Chonmage

Sumo wrestlers abrasion mawashi which is about a blubbery 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back.[39] They acquire an official array and backbone requirement. During matches, the wrestler will grab assimilate the added wrestler's mawashi and use it to advice them and accomplish moves during a match.[40] The mawashi they abrasion practicing against in a clash is about the aforementioned except for the material. The altered mawashi that the wrestlers abrasion differentiate their rank. Top rated wrestlers abrasion altered colors of cottony mawashi during tournament, while lower rated wrestlers are bound to aloof atramentous cotton.[40]

Their beard is put in what they alarm a topknot, and they use wax to get it to stay. Wax is activated to sumo wrestlers' beard circadian by sumo hairdressers (Tokoyama).[41] The bunch is a blazon of Samurai hairstyle which was already accepted in Japan during the Edo period.[41] The bunch is adamantine for some foreigner's beard because their beard is not as base and beeline as Japanese hair. Already a wrestler joins a stable, they are appropriate to abound out their beard in adjustment to anatomy a topknot.[41]

Outside of tournaments and practices, in circadian life, sumo wrestlers are appropriate to abrasion acceptable Japanese clothes.[42] They allegation abrasion these acceptable clothes all the time in public. What you can abrasion in accessible is additionally bent by rank. Lower rated wrestlers allegation abrasion a bathrobe at all times, affiliated in winter, breadth academy rated wrestlers acquire added best in what they wear.