On a recent trip to Japan, I was lucky enough to get to see The Sumo Wrestler’s Show. The show was held at The Suma Hall in Hirakuza Osaka on the 10th floor which is part of a huge mall complex. The show was only one hour long but seating began at 6pm where a Bento Box and the choice of a liquid was served(part of the price) prior to the show’s actual start at 7pm.

What I learned about Sumo was that Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling.

As part of this style of wrestling, weight, size and strength reign supreme but that speed and suddenness of attack are also important. I also learned that the intention of the wrestler is to get his opponent out of the “ring” or the “dohyo” which is about 15 feet in diameter or to force him to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the sole of one of his feet. In addition, the wrestlers only wear loincloths made out a special silk thread and as part of the sport it is the only thing that can be gripped by their opponent. A normal contest only lasts a few second and it’s important to note that there are no weight restrictions so that wrestlers can find themselves matched with another wrestler who is many times their size. As a result, weight gain is an essential part of the sumo training protocol.

Here are a few images from the show which concludes with a video of an actual match. I truly enjoyed this show. I found it both educational (they demonstrated their techniques) as well as edutaining by witnessing the actual sport.

If you get to Osaka, definitely book tickets in advance!