Sumo by andy adams and clyde newton a few years go i put together this nearcomprehensive list of englishlanguage books on sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling books a few years go i put together this list of englishlanguage books on sumo wrestling. A history of sumo, from its obscure origins the kojiki and nomi no sukune to the 21st century. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In the 8thcentury ce nara period and more certain history, strongman wrestling contests became an important ritual. A thinking fans guide to japans national sport tuttle. Thousands of years ago, asian warriors discovered that the human body could be used as a weapon for both attack and defense. Many rituals with religious background, such as the symbolic purification of the. Sumo as part of shinto ritual dates as far back as the tumulus period 250552, but it wasnt until the 17th century that it began adopting the intense purification rituals that we see in sumo today. A concise history of the development of sumo and some background facts that explain some of the finer facts of sumo. Among active wrestlers, at the end of the march 2020 tournament, hakuho had 1066 wins against 195 losses, giving a. If tournaments were to be held the match promoters were. It is considered a gendai budo, which refers to modern japanese martial art, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries.
Sumo wrestling is considered to be japans national sport and its a huge hit with tourists. Concise, pedantic book 60 actual pages with a few blackandwhite photos. Originally a submission spectacle, sumo became highly ritualized as a toppling match with victory coming also from the forcing of an opponent out of a. Names in bold indicate a stillactive wrestler there are 186 wrestlers who have listed a foreign country as their place of birth on the banzuke or official ranking sheets. The sumo wrestlers are known as rikishi in japanese the two characters of the kanji meaning strength and warrior. The history of sumo sumo virtual culture kids web japan. The documentary sumo east and west took a look at the world of professional sumo in japan as well as looking at amateur sumo wrestling circuit that is spreading to.
A brief history of sumo wrestling traditional okinawan karate. The sport originated in japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. We found ourselves cheering loudly for the underdogs. The sumo wrestlers wrestle in a round ring that has a soft clay like floor. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the. Ancient wall paintings suggest sumo was performed in prehistoric times as part of agricultural rituals for the gods to determine the success of farmers crops. Like any other social group in japan, there are strict rules and traditions that are observed throughout the sport. Sumo wrestling, the national sport of japan, dates back over 1500 years. The special stew at the heart of sumo wrestling copy link facebook twitter reddit flipboard pocket a sumo wrestler dishes up chankonabe during a. That doesnt stop crowds from going wild as the two huge wrestlers dressed only in loincloths battle each other. Sumo is interwoven with shinto rituals, which may not be everyones cup of tea.
Its about big fat guys slamming into each other, right. The japan sumo association, nihon sumo kyokai is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in japan under the jurisdiction of the japanese ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology mext. Sumo wrestling might be the worlds oldest sport still performed today. Its a fantastic spectacle which offers unique insights into japanese culture as it has been performed ever since the ancient shinto period there are many places to see sumo wrestling in japan though the best way is to catch one of the spectacular sumo tournaments. Almost all these books cover a similar amount of material, but all usually specialize in something more than the others history, heya life, personal stories. Wrestling matches were performed for the gods in order to get a good harvest. In japan, figurines of sumo wrestlers have been unearthed dating back to. My interest in writing a book came from don sayenga, the wrestling historian, white said in an interview with intermat. Sumo is likely one of the first sports to come to mind in a study of the history of wrestling. It is a bit out of date no hawaiians these days, but its a good overview of sumo wrestling. Emi was an excellent guide she shared the history of sumo and also helped us understand the match of the day providing an overview of each competitor in a way that helped us to truly engage. Sumo is a full contact sport, where 2 wrestlers, known as rikshiki compete to force one another out of the ring. Super sumo fan mina hall covers all aspects of the sport, including its history, traditions, training methods, stable life, rankings, fighting holds, and judging. Sumo may seem comical to you and me, but it is actually a very serious business there is an awful lot more to sumo wrestling than most outsiders ever realise.
Sumo wrestlers already have a somewhat comical reputation outside of japan, and this the books caricatures werent helping. In the book of genesis, the patriarch jacob is said to have wrestled with god or an angel. History sumo is a form of wrestling with deep origins in japanese legend and history. Find out more explore book your trip books features. The sport has a history spanning many centuries ancient traditions have been preserved even today. I am sure there probably have been a few more that have been released, but for the most part this is a nearly comprehensive list.
There are several accounts of sumo wrestling in the ancient japanese texts, kojiki records. In 1927, tokyo sumo merged with osaka sumo and most of the sumo systems were changed, so any pre1927 records are disregarded. Historians agree that the origins of sumo date back 2000 years. They grow their hair long and wear it on top of their heads in a topknot, and they wear traditional clothes even when they are not wrestling. Fast paced, colorful and full of ritual, these tournaments are a fascinating glimpse into traditional japanese culture and a fun part of any tokyo itinerary. Some that remain today are ssireum in south korea, boke in mongolia, and yagli gures in turkey. This article focuses on sumos winning techniques, with special emphasis on how smaller players can win against larger players. The huge but graceful wrestlers proceed with precision and great formality through the elaborate ceremonies leading to the. It contains details for building sumo rings and competitive sumo. At times i found the book not easy to read, as it is full of japanese technical terms and if you are still a beginner in the intricacies of the different fighting styles this could be a problem. Watching a sumo wrestling tournament in tokyo is one of the best events to attend in japan. The sumo tournament was one of the highlights of our trip. Sumo wrestling bill gutman sumo wrestling is a book that explains what sumo wrestling is and the rules of it.
The information listed below was gleaned from the wrestlers individual articles. Sumo wrestling is the national sport of japan dating back over 1500 years. Sumo wrestling is a asian sport that is very unique in a cultural way. A nishikie woodblock print depicting a sumo bout japan sumo association martial arts similar to sumo have been performed around the world since long ago. This is a list of prominent past wrestlers either retired or deceased in the sport of professional sumo. As has been mentioned above, the roots of sumo wrestling can be traced back to the ancient indigenous religion of japan, known as shinto. Benjamin is funny throughout and shows sumo through a series of anecdotes and personal experience, as well as traditional sumo knowledge and history. The study and appreciation of sumo wrestling, japans ancient and popular martial art, is greatly overlooked in the west. Introducing robot sumo this book aims to provide all the information you need to become part of the thrilling world of robot sumo. Almost all these books cover a similar amount of material, but all usually specialize in something more than the others history, heya life.
The huge but graceful wrestlers proceed with precision and great formality through the elaborate ceremonies and ornamentation. Mina hall befriended many sumo wrestlers in japan and is a regular visitor to the sumo training stables. In japan, figurines of sumo wrestlers have been unearthed dating back to between the third and seventh centuries, and the sport is mentioned in the myths and legends of the kojiki and nihonshoki japanese history books written in the eighth century. That gave me the idea that i should write a book about the history of wrestling. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. History of sumo wrestling cheapest jumping castle hire. Learn about its history, watch a demonstration, eat the. This legend is written in the kojiki, or the records of ancient matters, which provides us with some of the earliest written records of japanese history and legends. The author describes the rikishi the sumo wrestlers as boorish dullards and, basically, describes the. This is a list of foreignborn professional sumo wrestlers by country andor ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. While sumo, japans national sport dates back 2000 years, it didnt begin to flourish as a spectator sport until the early 1600s.
Sumo ozumo is an ancient form of wrestling which has long been the national sport of japan. Since there are no weight divisions in professional sumo, every wrestler just wants to get as big as possible so that he can use his bulk in the ring. The second type of bout was kanjinzumo which were held at shrines to raise money for their upkeep. Accounts of sumo bouts basho are related in japans oldest annals of history dating back around 2000 years when it was a shinto rite connected with praying for a good harvest. Most of the shinto that we see in sumo occurs symbolically. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. This book is especially good for gaijin nonjapanese as a way of understanding the many layers and nuances of sumo. Tokyo hosts three tournaments each year, involving hundreds of wrestlers from japan and abroad, across six divisions. Sumo is a form of competitive fullcontact wrestling where a rikishi attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet. Sumo, sumo is a japanese style of wrestling and japans national sport. Whimsical line drawings make the big book of sumo the most userfriendly sumo guide available. The origins of the japanese race itself are said to have been established by a sumo match. The special stew at the heart of sumo wrestling gastro.
Claims regarding the sports history are controversial, as many sources cite legends of sumos practice that stretch back beyond a thousand years ago. Sumo wrestling is the most popular sport in asia and has been a sport since 23 bc. Paralympic judo, brazilian jiujitsu, mixed martial arts, grecoroman wrestling, sambo, history of collegiate wrestling, tournament, russian fist fighting, jousting, pradal serey, gatka, vovinam, list of judo. Through disciplined practice, they trained their bodies to twist and flex. Immerse yourself in the traditional sport of japan on this halfday sumo wrestling tour. More than just a sport, sumo writes wenjen in the back matter glossary. The essential guide to sumo by dorthea buckingham 1994 2. First up, sumo by andy adams and clyde newton from 1989. Two people wrestle in a ring, but, because it is a very ancient sport, there is lots of ceremony and ritual as well. Make the most of this tour if you want to learn more about its traditions and the lifestyle of the wrestlers.
Originally a submission spectacle, sumo became highly ritualized as a toppling match with victory coming also from the forcing of an opponent out of. The iliad, in which homer recounts the trojan war of the th or 12th century bc, also contains mentions of wrestling. Sumo, a japanese beltwrestling style, was a popular spectator sport under imperial patronage 7101185. It was only very recently in the history of sumo that the wrestlers developed the chubbiness they are now famous for. Sumo is world famous but quite a closed community, so is difficult for outsiders to access. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the shinto deities. I was out of luck 3 times to obtain tickets due to it being sold out so prior to booking my plane. Sumo wrestling has been a part of japanese culture for many thousands of years. From an uneducated perspective, sumo wrestling may just seem like two fat, barely dressed, guys wrestling. Indian epics ramayana and mahabharata contain references to martial arts including wrestling.
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