The people of Japan always keep a keen interest in their old customs and traditions. The case of Japanese sport lovers is no exception. Traditional games of the past awaken their curiosity and enthusiasm. Every traditional sport in Japan has been ritualized. Participants mostly follow a strict code which results in quality and artistic performance of the games.
Sumo is one such traditional style of wrestling which is still popular in Japan. It is believed that the sport originated in Japan in the 1st century B.C. This game finds a mention in many Japanese literatures. Originally the objective of the game was to kill the opponent or force him to surrender. But the killing part of the game was eliminated from the rules in the 8th century A.D.
The game, in fact, has been professionally practiced in Japan since the 16th century A.D. Modern sumo wrestlers are stoutly built with well-developed muscles. They are trained by a master wrestler in a traditional training school.
A sumo match takes place in a small circular sand-covered area which is slightly over 15 feet in diameter. The heavily built wrestlers, wearing only elaborate belts and loin clothes grapple each other, making sudden forward movements of their body.
One wrestler tries to force his opponent either to step out of the ring or touch the ground with some part of his body other than the soles of his feet.
The contest seldom lasts for more than two minutes. The contestants devote about six minutes to some proceedings before the game that include the rituals of squatting up, scattering purified salt etc. The wrestlers approach each other several times only to be waved back by a gesture of the referee who is generally bearded and clad in a tinted robe, wearing an ancient court hat. The wrestlers fight barefoot and their hairs are long and tied up in a traditional knot. The more the weight of the wrestler, the better the advantages for him in the competition. Weight is amassed by over-eating with a high protein stew called chankonabe.
Kuramac Kokngikan arena of Tokyo is famous for sumo wrestling. Another interesting fact is that in 858 A.D., the two sons of the then emperor of Japan wrestled for the throne. These days it is attaining increasing popularity.