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Sumo

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports

   A Sumo match (Ozeki Kaio vs. Tamanoshima in May 2005).
   Enlarge
   A Sumo match (Ozeki Kaio vs. Tamanoshima in May 2005).

   Sumo (相撲, Sumō^ ?) is a competition contact sport where two wrestlers
   or rikishi face off in a circular area. The sport is of Japanese origin
   and is surrounded by ceremony and ritual. The Japanese consider Sumo a
   gendai budō: a modern Japanese martial art, even though the sport has a
   history spanning many centuries.

   The Sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes
   many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from
   the days Sumo was used in the Shinto religion.

Winning a Sumo bout

   The winner of a Sumo bout is mainly determined by two rules:
    1. The first wrestler to touch the ground with any part of his body
       other than the soles of his feet loses.
    2. The first wrestler to touch the ground outside the circle loses.

   On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the
   wrestler who touched the ground first; this happens if both wrestlers
   touch the ground at more or less the same time and it is decided that
   the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning as,
   due to the superior sumo of his opponent, he was already in an
   irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being
   shini-tai (“dead body”) in this case.

   There are also a number of other rarely used rules that can be used to
   determine the winner. For example a wrestler using an illegal technique
   (or kinjite) automatically loses, as does one whose mawashi (or belt)
   becomes completely undone. A wrestler failing to turn up for his bout
   (including through a prior injury) also automatically loses (
   fusenpai). After the winner is declared, an off-stage gyoji (or
   referee) determines the kimarite (or winning technique) used in the
   bout, which is then announced to the audience.

   Matches often last only a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is
   quickly ousted from the circle or thrown to the ground. However they
   can occasionally last for several minutes. Each match is preceded by an
   elaborate ceremonial ritual. The wrestlers themselves are renowned for
   their great girth, as body mass is often a winning factor in sumo,
   though with skill, smaller wrestlers can topple far larger opponents.

The wrestling ring (dohyō)

   Sumo matches take place in a ring called a dohyō (土俵). The dohyō is
   made of a mixture of clay and sand spread over the top. It is between
   34 and 60 cm high. It is removed after each sumo tournament, and in the
   case of Nagoya, pieces are taken home by the fans as souvenirs. A new
   dohyō is built prior to each tournament by the yobidashi, who are
   responsible for this activity. The yobidashi also build the dohyō for
   training stables and sumo touring events.

   The circle in which the match takes place is 4.55 meters in diameter
   and bounded by rice-straw bales called tawara (俵), which are buried in
   the clay. The rice bales are ⅓ standard size and are partially buried
   in the clay of the dohyō. Four of the tawara are placed slightly
   outside the line of the circle. In olden times this was to allow rain
   to run off the surface, when sumo tournaments were held outdoors in the
   open. Today a wrestler under pressure at the edge of the ring will
   often try to move himself round to one of these points to gain leverage
   in order to push back more effectively against the opponent who is
   trying to force him out.

   At the centre are two white lines, the shikiri-sen (仕切り線), behind which
   the rikishi must position themselves at the start of the bout. Around
   the ring is finely brushed sand called the ja-no-me (蛇の目 snake's eye),
   which can be used to determine if a wrestler has just touched his foot,
   or another part of his body, outside the ring. The yobidashi ensure it
   is clean of any previous marks immediately prior to each bout.
   Sumo at the Great Amphitheatre in Yeddo, as illustrated in an 1867
   publication, Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs, available at
   Project Gutenberg
   Enlarge
   Sumo at the Great Amphitheatre in Yeddo, as illustrated in an 1867
   publication, Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs, available at
   Project Gutenberg

Origins of Sumo

   As with many forms of wrestling around the world, the roots of Sumo are
   lost in prehistory. Sumo is mentioned in some of the earliest texts in
   Japan, under its earlier name Sumai, from the 8th century A.D. However,
   these early forms would not be Sumo as it is known today, as in many
   cases the wrestling had relatively few rules and unarmed fights to the
   death were still referred to as 'Sumo'.

   In addition to its use as a trial of strength in combat, it has also
   been associated with Shinto ritual, and even today certain shrines
   carry out forms of ritual dance where a human ceremonially wrestles
   with a kami (a Shinto 'spirit' or 'god'). It was an important ritual at
   the imperial court. Representatives of each province were ordered to
   attend the contest at the court and fought. They needed to pay for
   their travels themselves. The contest was known as Sumai no sechie, or
   "Sumai Party."

   Over the rest of Japanese recorded history, Sumo's popularity has
   changed according to the whims of its rulers and the need for its use
   as a training tool in periods of civil strife. The form of wrestling
   combat probably changed gradually into one where the main aim in
   victory was to throw your opponent. The concept of pushing him out of a
   limited defined area came some time later.

   It is believed that a ring, defined by more than the area given to the
   wrestlers by spectators, came into being in the 16th century as a
   result of a tournament organized by the then-principal warlord in
   Japan, Oda Nobunaga. At this point wrestlers would wear loose
   loincloths, rather than the much stiffer mawashi of today. During the
   Edo period, wrestlers would wear a fringed kesho-mawashi during the
   bout, whereas today these are worn only during pre-tournament rituals.
   Most of the rest of the current forms within the sport developed in the
   early Edo period.

   It is worth noting that nations adjacent to Japan, sharing many
   cultural traditions, also feature styles of traditional wrestling that
   bear resemblance to Sumo. Notable examples include Mongolian wrestling,
   and Chinese Shuai jiao (摔角), Ssireum in Korea

Professional Sumo (大相撲 Ōzumō)

   Sumo wrestlers gather in a circle around the Gyoji (Referee) in a
   pre-fight ceremony.
   Enlarge
   Sumo wrestlers gather in a circle around the Gyoji (Referee) in a
   pre-fight ceremony.

   Professional Sumo can trace its roots back to the Edo Period in Japan
   as a form of sporting entertainment. The original wrestlers were
   probably samurai, often ronin, who needed to find an alternative form
   of income.

   Currently professional Sumo is organised by the Japan Sumo Association.
   The members of the association, called oyakata, are all former
   wrestlers, and are the only people entitled to train new wrestlers. All
   practising wrestlers are members of a training stable (heya) run by one
   of the oyakata, who is the stablemaster for the wrestlers under him.
   Currently there are 54 training stables for about 700 wrestlers.

   Sumo wrestling is a strict hierarchy based on sporting merit. The
   wrestlers are ranked according to a system that dates back hundreds of
   years, to the Edo period. Wrestlers are promoted or demoted according
   to their previous performance, and a Banzuke listing the full hierarchy
   is published two weeks prior to each sumo tournament.

   There are six divisions in sumo: Makuuchi (fixed at 42 wrestlers),
   Juryo (fixed at 28 wrestlers), Makushita (fixed at 120 wrestlers),
   Sandanme (fixed at 200 wrestlers), Jonidan (approximately 230
   wrestlers), and Jonokuchi (approximately 80 wrestlers). Wrestlers enter
   Sumo in the lowest Jonokuchi division and, ability permitting, work
   their way up to the top Makuuchi division. Only wrestlers in the top
   two divisions are salaried, and they are called sekitori (to have taken
   the barrier). Wrestlers in the lower divisions are regarded as being in
   training and receive a subsistence allowance, in return for which they
   must perform various chores in their training stable.

   In some instances, the best recruits out of Japanese universities are
   allowed to enter sumo with the rank of Makushita, instead of the
   neophyte Jonokuchi level (see Amateur Sumo, below).

   Some of the better known currently active Sumo wrestlers are listed
   elsewhere.

   The topmost Makuuchi division has a number of ranks within it. The
   majority of wrestlers are Maegashira and are numbered from one (at the
   top) down to about sixteen or seventeen. Each rank is further
   subdivided into East and West, with east being slightly more
   prestigious. Thus, Maegashira two east is ranked below Maegashira one
   west and above Maegashira two west. Above the Maegashira are the
   champion or titleholder ranks, called the Sanyaku. These are, in
   ascending order, Komusubi, Sekiwake, Ozeki and, at the pinnacle of the
   ranking system, Yokozuna.

   Yokozuna, or grand champions, are wrestlers who generally are regularly
   in competition to win the top division tournament title near the end of
   a tournament. Hence the promotion criteria are very strict. In general,
   an Ozeki must win the championship for two consecutive tournaments (or
   an equivalent performance) to be promoted to Yokozuna. More details of
   the criteria can be found in the article on Yokozuna.

   It is a rank held at the moment by only one man, Asashoryu. Other
   recent Yokozuna include Akebono, Musashimaru and the only brothers to
   have both reached the top rank: Takanohana and Wakanohana III. Yokozuna
   Chiyonofuji retired in the early 1990s after winning an astonishing 31
   tournaments, which is nearly as many as Akebono and Takanohana won
   together. Once a wrestler has been promoted to Yokozuna, he can never
   again be subject to demotion and is expected to retire on his own
   initiative if he cannot perform to Yokozuna standards.

   There are also special promotion criteria for Ozeki. Usually at least
   33 wins are required over three tournaments as a Sekiwake/Komusubi with
   special attention paid to the most recent tournament record. The final
   decision always rests with the Sumo Association.

   All sumo wrestlers take wrestling names called shikona (しこ名), which may
   or may not be related to their real names. Often wrestlers have little
   choice in their name, which is given to them by their trainer (or
   stablemaster), or by a supporter or family member who encouraged them
   into the sport. This is particularly true of foreign-born wrestlers. A
   wrestler may change names several times during his sumo career. The
   current trend is towards more wrestlers, particularly native Japanese,
   keeping their own name. For more information, see Japanese names.

   Professional Sumo is practiced exclusively in Japan, where it
   originated, but wrestlers of other nationalities participate. The first
   foreigner to win the top division championship was Takamiyama in the
   1970s. He was followed by Konishiki who won the top division title on
   three occasions, and who was the first foreigner to reach the rank of
   Ozeki. In 1993 Akebono became the first foreign born Yokozuna. These
   three former wrestlers were all born in Hawaii. Former Yokozuna
   Musashimaru, a Samoan born Hawaiian, became the second foreigner to
   reach sumo's top rank in the late 1990's. The current Yokozuna
   Asashoryu is Mongolian and is presently (in 2004 and 2005) the dominant
   force in the sport. Asashoryu heads a small group of Mongolian
   wrestlers who have achieved Sekitori status. Wrestlers further afield
   from Eastern Europe countries such as Georgia and Russia have also
   found success in the upper levels of Sumo. In 2005 Kotooshu from
   Bulgaria became the first wrestler of European origin to attain Ozeki
   ranking. There are currently 59 rikishi officially listed as
   foreigners.

   Approximately once every two years the top ranked wrestlers visit a
   foreign country to give an exhibition competition. Such exhibitions are
   also regularly held in Japan. None of these displays are taken into
   account in determining a wrestler's future rank. Rank is determined
   only by performance in Grand Sumo Tournaments (or honbasho), which are
   described in more detail below. In October 2005, the Sumo Association
   held an exhibition in Las Vegas. These events are mostly for show and
   to publicize the sport, as sumo has so far been unable to take root in
   other countries; however, foreigners have been inspired to try their
   hand at it in places as far away as Eastern Europe and Argentina.

   As with any sport, Sumo is not without controversy. One noted
   controversy has been its exclusion of women participants. There are no
   women wrestlers or coaches in professional Sumo. More controversially,
   women are not allowed to enter the ring used by wrestlers, as this is
   traditionally seen as violating the purity of the dohyō. The view of
   those who criticize this continuing policy is that it is
   discriminatory. The view of the Sumo Association is that this is a
   tradition passed down through the centuries. The issue came to a head
   when Fusae Ota, the female prefectural governor of Osaka repeatedly
   challenged the Sumo Association's policy by requesting that she be
   allowed to fulfill the Osaka governor's traditional role of presenting
   the Governor's Prize to the winner of the Osaka tournament, which would
   require her to enter the ring. Her requests have thus far (2005) been
   rejected by the Sumo Federation and she has sent a male counterpart in
   her place.

Professional Sumo tournaments

   The sumo hall of Ryōgoku in Tokyo during the May, 2001 tournament.
   Enlarge
   The sumo hall of Ryōgoku in Tokyo during the May, 2001 tournament.

   There are six Grand Sumo tournaments (or honbasho) each year: three at
   The Sumo Hall (or Ryōgoku Kokugikan) in Ryōgoku, Tokyo (January, May,
   and September), and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and
   Fukuoka (November). Each tournament begins on a Sunday and runs for 15
   days, ending also on a Sunday. . Each sekitori ranked wrestler has one
   match per day, while the lower ranked rikishi compete in seven bouts,
   approximately one every two days.
   Sumo Nobori flags
   Enlarge
   Sumo Nobori flags

   Each day is structured so the highest-ranked contestants compete at the
   end of the day. Thus, wrestling will start in the morning with the
   Jonokuchi wrestlers and end at around six o'clock in the evening with
   bouts involving the Yokozuna, or the Ozeki in the case of the
   Yokozuna's absence. The wrestler who wins the most matches over the
   fifteen days wins the tournament championship. If two rikishi are tied
   for the top, they wrestle each other and the winner takes the title.
   Three-way ties for the top position are rare, at least in the top
   Makuuchi division. In these cases the three wrestle each other in pairs
   with the first to win two in a row taking the tournament. More complex
   systems for championship playoffs involving four or more rikishi also
   exist, but these are usually only seen in determining the winner of one
   of the lower divisions.

   The matchups for each day of the tournament are announced a day in
   advance. They are determined by oyakata (or sumo elders) who are
   members of the judging division of the Sumo Association. As there are
   many more wrestlers in each division than matchups during the
   tournament each wrestler will only compete against a selection of
   opponents, mostly from the same division. With the exception of the
   sanyaku ranked wrestlers the first bouts tend to be between wrestlers
   who are within a couple of ranks of each other. Afterwards the
   selection of opponents takes into account a wrestler's prior
   performance. For example in the lower divisions the last matchups often
   involve undefeated wrestlers competing against each other, even if they
   are from opposite ends of the division. In the makuuchi division in the
   last few days wrestlers with exceptional records will often have
   matches against much more highly ranked opponents, including sanyaku
   wrestlers, especially if they are still in the running for the top
   division championship. Similarly more highly ranked wrestlers with very
   poor records may find themselves fighting wreslters much further down
   the division. For the Yokozuna and Ozeki the first week and a half of
   the tournament tends to be taken up with bouts against the top
   maegashira, the komusubi and sekiwake, with the bouts between them
   being concentrated into the last five days or so of the tournament
   (depending on the number of top ranked wrestlers competing). It is
   traditional that on the final day the last three bouts of the
   tournament are between the top six ranked wrestlers, with the top two
   competing in the very final matchup, unless injuries during the
   tournament prevent this.

   There are matches that cannot occur, unless in a championship deciding
   playoff match. Wrestlers who are from the same training stable do not
   compete against each other, nor do wrestlers who are brothers, even if
   they join different stables.

   A Makuuchi rikishi will arrive at the stadium in the afternoon and
   enter the changing room. There are 'East' and 'West' rooms so competing
   wrestlers do not meet their opponents of the day prior to the match.
   The rikishi will change first into his kesho-mawashi, an ornate,
   embroidered silk 'apron', which he will wear during the ring entering
   ceremony, or dohyo-iri. There are four dohyo-iri on each day, two for
   Juryo and two for Makuuchi ranked wrestlers. In each case there is a
   procession of those in the east changing room and one for those in the
   west. During the ceremony the rikishi are introduced to the crowd one
   by one in ascending rank order and form a circle around the ring facing
   outwards. Once the highest ranked wrestler is introduced they turn
   inwards and perform a brief ritual before filing off and returning to
   their changing rooms. Yokozuna have a separate, more elaborate
   dohyo-iri; see Yokozuna.

   Once in the changing room the wrestlers change into their fighting
   mawashi and await their bouts. The wrestlers reenter the arena two
   bouts prior to their own and sit down at the side of the ring. When it
   is their turn they will be called into the ring by a yobidashi and they
   will mount the dohyo. The referee or gyoji will coordinate the bout. On
   mounting the dohyo the rikishi performs a number of ritual moves
   involving leg stomps and clapping whilst facing out towards the
   audience. He also cleans his mouth out with chikara-mizu or power
   water. He then throws some salt into the ring to purify it. The rikishi
   perform another brief ritual when facing each other and then adopt a
   crouch position to "charge" at each other (called the tachi-ai). The
   wrestlers do not need to charge on the first occasion but can instead
   stare and return to their corner. This can happen a number of times
   (about four, or even more in the case of the highest ranks) until on
   the last occasion the gyoji informs them they must start the bout. The
   total length of time of this preparation and attempts to psyche
   themselves or opponents is around four minutes for all rikishi, but in
   the lowest divisions the wrestlers are expected to start more or less
   immediately.

   At the tachi-ai both rikishi must jump up from the crouch
   simultaneously at the start of the bout, and the gyoji can restart the
   bout if this does not occur. Once the bout is complete the gyoji must
   point his gunbai or war-fan towards the winning side. The rikishi will
   return to their starting positions and bow to each other before
   retiring. A winning rikishi may receive additional prize money in
   envelopes from the gyoji if the matchup has been sponsored. The gyoji
   is obliged at the end of the bout, even in bouts too close to call, to
   immediately designate a preliminary winner. For all matches, there are
   five shimpan (judges) around the ring who can query the gyoji's
   decision. If this happens they will meet in the centre of the ring to
   hold a mono-ii (lit: a talk about things). After reaching a consensus
   they can uphold or reverse the gyoji's decision or order a rematch,
   known as a torinaoshi.
   Sumo wrestlers, at the Grand Tournament in Osaka, July 2006.
   Enlarge
   Sumo wrestlers, at the Grand Tournament in Osaka, July 2006.

   In contrast to the time in bout preparation, bouts are typically very
   short, usually less than a minute, and often only a few seconds.
   Extremely rarely a bout can go on for many minutes (up to 4 minutes),
   in which case the gyoji may call a mizu-iri or water break. The
   wrestlers are carefully separated, have a brief break and then return
   to the exact position they left off in. It is the gyoji's
   responsibility to reposition the rikishi. If after four more minutes
   they are still deadlocked they may have a second break, after which
   they start from the very beginning. Further deadlock with no end of the
   bout in sight can lead to a draw, which is an extremely rare result.

   The last day of the tournament is called senshuraku, which literally
   means the pleasure of a thousand autumns. This colorful name for the
   culmination of the tournament echoes the words of the playwright Zeami
   to represent the excitement of the decisive bouts and the celebration
   of the victor. The Emperor's Cup is presented to the rikishi who wins
   the top division (makuuchi) championship. Numerous other (mostly
   sponsored) prizes are also awarded to him. These prizes are often
   rather elaborate, ornate gifts, such as giant cups, decorative plates,
   and statuettes.

   Promotion and relegation are determined by a wrestler's score over the
   15 days. The term kachikoshi indicates a record having more wins than
   losses, as opposed to makekoshi, which indicates more losses than wins.
   In the Makuuchi division, kachikoshi means a score of 8–7 or better,
   while makekoshi means a score of 7–8 or worse. A wrestler who achieves
   kachikoshi will almost always be promoted further up the ladder, the
   level of promotion being higher for better scores. Similarly, makekoshi
   almost always results in relegation. In the sanyaku ranks, simple
   kachikoshi are often not sufficient to be promoted. Rikishi in this
   highly competitive subgroup of the highest division may require nine,
   ten, or even eleven out of fifteen possible wins to gain in rank. There
   are special rules for Ozeki and Yokozuna promotions (see above).
   Yokozunas can never be relegated, but Ozeki can if they have two
   makekoshi tournaments in a row.

   A top division wrestler who is not an Ozeki or Yokozuna and who
   finishes the tournament with kachikoshi is also eligible to be
   considered for one of the three sanshō prizes awarded for technique (
   ginōshō), fighting spirit ( kantōshō), and for the defeating the most
   Yokozuna and Ōzeki ( shukunshō).

   Please see the list of sumo tournament winners for an overview of yusho
   winners since 1958.

Life as a professional Sumo wrestler

   Unlike most sports, Sumo is a highly controlled way of life. The Sumo
   Association can prescribe the behaviour of its wrestlers in a way that
   would be more commonly associated with life in a commune. For example,
   in the wake of a serious car accident involving a rikishi the
   Association banned wrestlers from driving their own cars.

   Sumo wrestlers can be identified immediately when in public. On
   entering sumo, the rikishi are expected to grow their hair long to form
   a topknot, or chonmage, similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo
   Period. Furthermore they are expected to wear the chonmage and
   traditional Japanese dress when in public.

   The type and quality of the dress depends on the wrestler's rank.
   Rikishi in Jonidan and below are allowed to wear only a thin cotton
   robe called a yukata, even in winter. Furthermore they must wear a form
   of wooden sandals called geta when outside. These make a clip-clop
   sound as one walks in them. Wrestlers in the Makushita and Sandanme
   divisions can wear a form of traditional short overcoat over their
   yukata and are allowed to wear straw sandals, called zori. The sekitori
   can wear silk robes of their own choice and the quality of the garb is
   significantly improved. They also are expected to wear a more elaborate
   form of topknot (called an oichi-o (lit. big ginkgo leaf) on formal
   occasions.

   Similar distinctions are made in stable life. The junior rikishi must
   get up earliest, around 5 a.m., for training whereas the sekitori may
   start around 7 a.m. When the sekitori are training the junior rikishi
   may have chores to do, such as assisting in cooking the lunch, cleaning
   and preparing the bath, or holding a sekitori's towel for him for when
   he needs it. The ranking hierarchy is preserved for the order of
   precedence in bathing after training, and in eating lunch.

   Rikishi are not normally allowed to eat breakfast and are expected to
   have a nap after a large lunch. The most common type of lunch served is
   the traditional "sumo meal" of chankonabe which consists of a simmering
   stew cooked at table which contains various fish, meat, and vegetables.
   It is usually eaten with rice and washed down with beer. This regimen
   of no breakfast followed by a large lunch helps rikishi put on weight
   so as to compete more effectively. A nap after lunch also assists in
   this process.

   In the afternoon the junior rikishi will again usually have cleaning or
   other chores to do, while their sekitori counterparts may relax, or
   deal with work issues related to their fan clubs. Younger rikishi will
   also attend classes, although their education differs from the typical
   curriculum of their non-sumo peers. In the evening sekitori may go out
   with their sponsors while juniors stay at home in the stable, unless
   they are to accompany the stablemaster or a sekitori as his manservant
   (or tsukebito) when he is out (this is normally a more privileged role
   given to a rikishi who may be nearing sekitori status himself).
   Becoming a tsukebito (or personal assistant) for a senior member of the
   stable is a typical chore. A sekitori will have many tsukebito, with
   the most junior responsible for cleaning and other mundane tasks. Only
   the most senior tsukebito will accompany the sekitori when he goes out.

   The Sekitori also are given their own room in the stable or, if
   married, may live in their own apartments. In contrast, the junior
   rikishi sleep in communal dormitories.

   Thus the world of the Sumo wrestler is split broadly between the junior
   rikishi, who serve, and the sekitori, who are served. Life is
   especially harsh for new recruits, to whom the worst jobs tend to be
   allocated, and there is a high dropout rate at this stage.

   The negative effects of the sumo lifestyle become dangerously apparent
   later in life. Sumo wrestlers have a life expectancy of between 60 and
   65, more than 10 years less than the average Japanese male. They often
   develop diabetes and high blood pressure, and are prone to heart
   attacks. The excessive intake of alcohol leads to liver problems and
   the stress on their joints causes arthritis. Recently, the standards of
   weight gain are becoming less strict, in an effort to improve the
   overall health of the wrestlers. . Average height of sumo wrestlers are
   around 183 cm.

Salary and payment

   As of March 2001, the monthly salary figures for sekitori (in Japanese
   Yen) were:
   A Yokozuna blessing the ring prior to the matches Enlarge
   A Yokozuna blessing the ring prior to the matches
     * Yokozuna: 2,820,000
     * Ozeki: 2,350,000
     * Sanyaku: 1,700,000
     * Maegashira: 1,300,000
     * Juryo: 1,030,000

   Wrestlers in the lower divisions, who are considered to be trainees, do
   not receive a salary, but only a fairly small allowance.

   In addition to the basic salary, sekitori wrestlers also receive
   additional bonus income, called mochikyukin, six times a year (once
   every tournament, or basho) based on the cumulative performance in
   their career to date. This bonus increases every time that the rikishi
   scores a kachikoshi (with larger kachikoshi giving larger raises.)
   Special increases in this bonus are also awarded for winning the
   Makuuchi championship (with an extra large increase for a "perfect"
   championship victory with no losses), and also for scoring a kinboshi
   (an upset of a Yokozuna by a Maegashira).

   Sanyaku wrestlers also receive a relatively small additional tournament
   allowance, depending on their rank, and Yokozuna receive an additional
   allowance every second tournament, associated with the making of a new
   yokozuna hawser (rope worn around the waist during ceremonies).

   There is also prize money for the winner of each divisional
   championship, which increases from 100,000 yen for a Jonokuchi victory
   up to 10,000,000 yen for winning the Makuuchi division. For wrestlers
   in the top division giving an exceptional performance in the eyes of a
   judging panel there are also three special prizes (the sansho) which
   are worth 2,000,000 yen each.

   Individual top division matches can also be sponsored by companies. In
   such cases the winner of the bout typically receives around 30,000 yen
   net per sponsor (out of the sponsors contribution of 60,000 yen -- much
   of the remainder goes in paying the wrestler's tax on the prize). These
   bout prizes are called kenshokin. For bouts involving Yokozuna and
   Ozeki the number of sponsors of the matchup can be quite large, whereas
   for lower ranked matchups there may be no bout sponsors at all unless
   one of the wrestlers is particularly popular, or unless a company has a
   policy of sponsoring all his matchups. No bout prize money is awarded
   for a bout decided by a fusensho (forfeit victory).

   Due to the amount of money changing hands depending on rank, and prize
   money, there have been accusations of yaocho (corruption, bout-fixing)
   in sumo from time to time. A 2000 economic study on corruption focused
   on sumo as a closed system in which to study corruption. The authors of
   the study found that 70% of wrestlers with 7-7 records on the final day
   of the tournament won. The percentage was found to rise the more times
   the two wrestlers had met, and decrease when the wrestler was due to
   retire. However, the study only shows circumstantial evidence of such
   corruption and does not take into account the wrestlers’ motivation to
   win desperately. One often sees this phenomenon thoroughly contradicted
   in the statistics. In the 2006 autumn tournament six of the seven
   wrestlers with 7-7 records lost on the final day, and the remaining
   wrestler won his bout by default.

Sumo memorabilia

   Tegata of the former Makuuchi wrestler Terao.
   Enlarge
   Tegata of the former Makuuchi wrestler Terao.

   As with many sports, there are a wide variety of souvenirs and
   memorabilia that fans may acquire. Fans purchasing box seats or front
   row seats usually purchase the tickets through so-called tea houses,
   which provide sumo related items in a package that includes the
   purchase of the ticket. This sort of memorabilia can also be purchased
   separately. Plates, and cups with sumo related themes are a common
   item. One of the more unusual items that can be purchased is the tegata
   (lit. hand shape) of the wrestlers of whom one is a fan - the sumo
   version of an autograph. Tegata consist of a hand print of the wrestler
   accompanied by his fighting name written in calligraphic style by the
   wrestler himself. The ink for the handprint itself can be either red or
   black. Original tegata can be quite expensive, but printed copies of
   the most popular wrestlers can be obtained very inexpensively. Only
   wrestlers in the top two Juryo and Makuuchi divisions are permitted to
   make them. Another popular collectible is a copy of the banzuke for a
   tournament. A banzuke is a document that has been meticulously
   handwritten in calligraphic script and lists every wrestler who
   participates in a tournament in order of rank.

Amateur Sumo

   Sumo is also an amateur sport, with participants in college, high
   school and grade school in Japan. In addition to college and school
   tournaments, there are also open amateur tournaments. The sport at this
   level is stripped of most of the ceremony. The most successful amateur
   wrestlers in Japan (usually college champions) can be allowed to enter
   professional sumo at Makushita (third division) rather than from the
   very bottom of the ladder. This rank is called Makushita Tsukedashi,
   and is currently between Makushita 15 and 16. Many of the current
   Makuuchi rikishi entered professional Sumo by this route. All entry by
   amateur athletes into the professional ranks is subject to them being
   young enough (23 or under) to satisfy the entry requirements.

   There is also an International Sumo Federation, which encourages the
   sport's development worldwide, including holding international
   championships. A key aim of the federation is to have Sumo recognized
   as an Olympic sport. Accordingly, amateur tournaments are divided into
   weight classes (men: Lightweight up to 187 lb [85 kg], Middleweight up
   to 253 lb [115 kg], Heavyweight 253+ lb [115+ kg] and Open Weight
   [unrestricted entry]), and include competitions for female wrestlers
   (Lightweight up to 143 lb [65 kg], Middleweight up to 176 lb [80 kg],
   Heavyweight 176+ lb [80+ kg] and Open Weight).

   Amateur Sumo clubs are gaining in popularity in the United States, with
   competitions regularly being held in major cities across the country.
   The sport has long been popular on the West Coast and in Hawai'i, where
   it has played a part in the festivals of the Japanese ethnic
   communities. Now, however, the sport has grown beyond the sphere of
   Japanese diaspora and athletes come from a variety of ethnic, cultural
   and sporting backgrounds. In the United States it is not uncommon at
   large street or university parties to have sumo rings set up for
   entertainment purposes. Generally the participants wear bulky padded
   suits and helmets fashioned in the shape of Japanese topknots. This is
   completely unrelated to the sport of amateur sumo, but is quite
   humorous none the less.

   Amateur sumo is particularly strong in Europe. Many athletes come to
   the sport from a background in judo, freestyle wrestling, or other
   grappling sports such as Sambo. Some Eastern European athletes have
   been successful enough to be scouted into professional sumo in Japan,
   much like their Japanese amateur counterparts. The most proficient of
   these to date is the Bulgarian Kotooshu, who is the highest ranking
   foreign wrestler who was formerly an amateur sumo athlete.

Sumo in contrast to other Eastern martial arts

   Sumo, while considered a martial art, diverges from the typical Eastern
   style both at the surface and at its heart. Whereas most martial arts
   award promotions through time and practice, sumo is a pure meritocracy.
   Ranks can be gained and lost every two months in the official
   tournaments. Conversely, in more common Japanese martial arts (such as
   karate), ranks are gained after passing a single test, and
   practitioners of karate are not normally demoted, even after repeated
   poor performances at tournaments. This divergence from other martial
   arts creates a high-pressure, high-intensity environment for sumo
   wrestlers. All the benefits that sekitori wrestlers receive can be
   taken from them if they fail to maintain a high level of achievement in
   each official tournament.

   Furthermore, sumo does not provide any means of achievement besides the
   official tournaments. The aforementioned meritocracy is determined
   solely by winning records during an official tournament. On the other
   hand, in many other Eastern martial arts, competitors can display their
   skill by performing standard routines, called kata or forms, to receive
   recognition. Thus, sumo wrestlers are very specialized fighters who
   train to win their bouts using good technique, as this is their only
   means of gaining better privileges in their stables and higher
   salaries.

   Another notable unique aspect of sumo is the brevity of bouts. Many
   fighting arts are fought in rounds or otherwise timed sessions, with
   the winner being determined by a point comparison or judges' opinion of
   superiority. Sumo bouts often end very quickly, and therefore require
   extreme mental concentration from the tachi-ai.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo"
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