5 Facts About Sumo Wrestlers - Breathtaking Athletes

1. Sumo wrestlers weren't always this big

When we hear about this type of martial arts, we immediately remember extremely overweight people who naturally drop each other on a doha - a special platform. But in fact, wrestlers, also called sumotori and rikishi, were not always fat.

Sumo has an ancient history. It was originally a Shinto religious ritual associated with fertility. First known duel mentioned even in the annals of "Nihon shoki" - it happened in 23 BC.

During it, the wrestler Nomi broke the rib of his opponent Taima, and then finished him off with a backstab. Then the competition was held without rules and often ended in death one of the fighters.

Can you already imagine two giants breaking each other's bones? Do not hurry.

The modern look of a sumo wrestler appeared only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Prior to this, wrestlers were more muscular. The fact is that in professional sumo there are no weight categories. Therefore, no one forbids athletes to become as large as possible, because weight is an advantage in battle. Here sumo wrestlers gain as much mass as they can.

To achieve an impressive physique, athletes eat chankonabe - stew with meat, vegetables and noodles - and drink beer. They also follow a special regimen: don't eat breakfast, train on an empty stomach, then eat a lot and sleep after eating. On the day they can consume up to 20,000 calories.

Unfortunately, overweight combined with high doses of alcohol negatively affects the health of wrestlers: on average, they live 10 years less than ordinary Japanese men.

And an interesting point: during the tournaments, sumo wrestlers prefer chankonabe is chicken, not pork or beef. They explain this by the fact that the wrestler should not stand on four legs, but on two - like a chicken.

2. The life of a sumo wrestler is not sugar at all

Due to the fullness of sumo wrestlers, it seems that they live quite well - they eat without worrying about their appearance, and even enjoy universal respect. But in fact, they are having a hard time.

The life of sumo wrestlers is subject to harsh laws - both in the ring and outside it. This applies not only to a strict schedule workouts. Sumotori are expected to control their behavior in society.

For example, the rules prescribe them to be modest in the street and always speak quietly. And in tournaments, sumo wrestlers must refrain from expressing joy when they win or disappointment when they lose.

They do not have the right to have their own housing until they get into the big leagues, and therefore until then they live in the so-called heya - this is both a wrestling school and dormitory. Athletes from the junior divisions have to sleep in one large room. They are often subjected to hazing: a variety of bullying, humiliation and even beatings from the elders.

It is believed that this should temper the character of a young wrestler.

For example, in the past, a sumo wrestler who did not practice hard enough could beat training wooden sword. Often there were situations when older students mocked over the younger ones, forcing them to hold heavy objects over their heads for a long time.

Such arrangements are often brought to deaths among wards in heya, until the Japanese government demanded that the Sumo Association abandon the centuries-old traditions of samurai education and finally start treating wrestlers humanly.

3. Sumo wrestlers are not friends with shampoo

Not only the way of life and behavior, but also the hairstyle of sumo wrestlers is strictly regulated. Fighters are always bound wear ceremonial topknot. It is called chonmage and resembles the hairstyles of the samurai of the Edo period.

To get in shape, sumo wrestlers resort to the services of special hairdressers. They apply oil to the client's hair, style it according to ancient traditions, and tie the bun with paper twine.

In order not to violate such beauty, sumo wrestlers rarely wash their hair - no more than once every few weeks.

Would you say that after severe physical training it would be nice to rinse? Well, wrestlers do have to take a hot bath. But hair cannot be touched. Those are the rules.

4. Sumo wrestlers never wash mawashi

Not only hairstyle, but also clothes for sumo wrestlers is chosen according to a strict code. They must always wear what is prescribed by tradition, even when they are in public places. By the way, wrestlers are forbidden drive carsso they use taxi services or public transport.

So, if you find yourself in the Japanese subway and see a large man in a bathrobe, do not be alarmed: he is just a sumo wrestler.

Less experienced wrestlers must wear thin and poor quality yukata (a type of cotton kimono) and wooden sandals, even in winter. The higher the rank of a sumo wrestler, the more solid clothes he can afford.

During training and competition, wrestlers wear special loincloths called mawashi. They are somewhat similar to diapers made of cotton, canvas or silk - depending on the rank of the sumo wrestler. Traditionally, wrestlers from the top divisions wear white mawashi for training and bright colors for competition. And those who are lower in rank wear black armbands here and there.

According to centuries-old samurai traditions, mawashi never are not erased. Instead, they deploy and dry in the sun after use.

Interestingly, by the way, that a duel in sumo Maybe will end if one of the wrestlers loses his mawashi, in which case he will be disqualified.

This rule was not in the ancient codes - it appeared only after Japan began to adopt a European, more stiff attitude towards nudity. And until then, the loss of pants was not taken so seriously by wrestlers.

5. There is a women's sumo

In professional sumo, women are traditionally prohibited from participating in competitions and ceremonies. They don't even have the right to enter the ring. It's all about superstitions: dohyo counts a sacred place due to its connection with Shintoism. Therefore, before the fight, wrestlers shower him with salt - this is such a ritual of purification.

Women, on the other hand, are considered not clean enough creatures to enter doha.

This became a particular problem when Fusae Ohta became governor of Osaka Prefecture - she occupied this position from 2000 to 2008. The woman was supposed to present the traditional Governor's Prize in the ring in the next tournament, but she was not allowed to doha. Ohta repeatedly urged the Sumo Association to allow awards to be given out, but she was refused until she eventually stepped down from her position.

But contrary to this sexist the restrictions of women's sumo do not care exists. And it didn't show up yesterday. The first duel was documented during the reign of Emperor Yuryaku (418-479). He forced two courtesans to put on loincloths and wrestle like sumo wrestlers. And professional fights have been held since at least the middle of the Edo period.

However, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the Japanese government decided ban women's sumo, because they considered it obscene and undermining public morals. Among commoners, it then enjoyed noticeable popularity - something like beach volleyball in Western countries now. Still ladies continued fight illegally until the end of World War II.

Women's sumo competitions are back conduct officially since 1997. The rules are almost the same as in the male version. The differences are only that the athletes wear swimsuits under the mawashi, and the fights last three minutes instead of five.