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Sumo is a style of Japanese wrestling in which weight, size, and strength are of the greatest importance, though speed and suddenness of attack are also useful. The object is to propel the opponent out of a ring about 15 feet (4.6 metres) in diameter or to force him to touch the ground with any part of his body other than his feet. The wrestling wear only loincloths and grip each other by the belt.
In Japan, sumo wrestling was under Imperial patronage between 710 and 1185 and was a popular spectator sport. During this era it was refined from a brutal submission spectacle into a highly ritualized toppling match in which victry could be gained by forcing the opponent out of a 15-foot circle.Then, under the shoguns, public matches were banned, and martial forms of the sport for the samurai, or military caste, were emphasized instead.
Professional sumo wrestling in Japan dates from the revival of public matches after 1600 and is often called the Japanese national sport.Six great championships are held annually, attracting immense crowds, and several hundred athletes make their living at this sport.A complex system of ranking leads to the designation of Yokozuna, or "grand champion." The list of men awarded this title commences with Akashi Shiganosuke, victor in 1632.Specially selected youths are brought up into the profession and fed a special protein diet, which creates immense, bulky bodies.Exceptionally agile men weighing 300 pounds or more are common in this sport.Lengthy rituals and elaborate posturings accompany the bouts, which are, by contrast, quite brief, lasting only a few seconds.
The wrestlers called "one who has might" are said having enigmatic
force. In grand sumo tournaments, grand champion (yokoduna) really
carry out the act for Shinto priest of shrines at the ceremony of
entering ring. His hands turned upward gather heavenly force which is
transmitted to his feet lifted high, and he treads his feet on and
stumps. Stamping has a shade of meaning of treading on ogres in
grounds. Also what is called rope (tuna) great champions put on
correspond to tied rope (shimenawa) in shrine and reporesents the
wrestler's divine existence.
Korean Wrestling
The wrestler put a belt on his waist and a puttee called groin
protector on his right thigh. The wrestlers begin with folding each
left side underarmed and right side overhanded. It has old history
that the picture of wrestling is left on the wall of *
p in forth
century.
Mongolian Wrestling
The wrstlers put on the peculiar native dress for Mongolian wrestling.
There is no Japanese sumo wrestling like ring, and the one who put his
opponent down on the ground wins. The dances at the entrance and after
the victory expressing the figure of hawk show the braveness of
nomadic tribe. Somehow it is a combative sport middle of Japanese sumo
wrestling and judo; the wrestlers don't collide violently like
Japanese sumo wrestling and begin from grappling like judo. Once in a
year the wrestlers from all parts of country open a tournament. It is
said it exist since about 2500 years ago and also once Genghis Khan
loved this sport and wrestled himself. It is the sport represents
Mongolia. Recently, it shows its ability such as that Kyokushuzan from
Mongolian wrestling enters Japanese grand sumo tournament.
