Sumo Tournament in Nagoya

Today I went to a sumo tournament with Taw, Tim and Yukari (Yukari is a Tim’s girlfriend). As we walked up the location of the tournament there were a few sumo wrestlers that were walking past us. We took pictures with them. They looked so strong.

When they walk they have this slow gait. They might walk like this because of their weight but I think there is more to it. It just appears like they are in a rush to get nowhere because they know they will get there. They have a calm about them that is relaxing yet a little bit eerie. The tournament itself was fascinating. The actual process before and after the match is extremely ritualistic. The sumo ring itself is considered sacred ground. Therefore the sumo wrestlers throw salt on the ground prior to entering the ring. Also, prior to the beginning of the match they will set up like they are going to begin battling but will go through a series of movements (squatting, slapping their legs and side) and then step back to their corner. This is all part of the ritual. The matches on average probably lasted 8 to 10 seconds. They are as short as 2 seconds and I was told that every once in a while they can last 2 minutes. The longest one I saw was about 30 seconds. In the front rows people sit on “sitting futons”. They don’t have chairs in these areas. The sitting futons are like small mats (maybe 15 by 15 inches). The environment in the stadium is calm yet engaged. The ritualistic behavior is enjoyable and not overdone.



The pacing between matches is excellent. It is a very engaging sport to watch. There were probably 30 or more matches that we saw. There is probably 5 minutes total for each match (ritual time included). I watched it similar to how I watch football. I would engage as soon as the wrestlers began to battle. Between bouts I would talk and observe the stadium.