THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMÓ Sumó is a competitive sport, practiced between individuals in a dohyó (ring). The management of the proceedings and all decisions are the responsibility of a referee, known as a gyóji or shushin. To ensure fairness, he is assisted by four judges, and the addition of a chief judge with the responsibility of supervising the other judges, brings the total number of judges to six. No protest or objection will be recognized from anyone other than these judges. The first point to which particular attention needs to be paid in a sumó bout is the act of tachiai (rising to begin the
bout). It is no exaggeration to say that seventy percent of the outcome is determined at this point. It is therefore a Fundamental principle of sumó that the tachiai must take place under conditions of complete equality for both wrestlers. They should both touch their hands to the ring and rise at exactly the same moment. The referee is responsible for seeing that the rhythm of their breathing - inhaling and exhaling - is precisely coordinated. In sumó, as in all the martial arts of Japan, courtesy and ritual are respected and the bouts commence with a ritual act of courtesy by both wrestlers. The special rituals of sumó consist of rituals (standing ritual!) and chirichózu (pledging ritual). The
chirichózu ritual is unique to sumó and derives from the custom of purification before a battle.
It is carried on by both sumó wrestlers at the same time
when they climb up into the dohyó. Each wrestler sits in a particular posture called sonkyo
(crouching) just inside the dohyó, exchanges nods with his opponent, rubs and then claps his hands once, stretches out both arms horizontally with palms upwards, turns down his palms, and then completes the ritual by returning both hands to rest on his knees.
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Sonkyó |
The dohyó is comparatively small with a diameter of 455 meters. All respect is due to the ancient Japanese who designed the dohyó in the form of a circle, since a circle represents infinity. In other words, the round dohyó can be utilized as an area of infinite size, and this has resulted in a considerable enhancement of sumó techniques. This is the reason why sumó is regarded as one of the most difficult sports of its kind in the world, and it continues to be fought with no regard for differences in physical characteristics between wrestlers. Another characteristic of sumó is that the wrestlers are naked apart from a narrow loincloth, called a mawashi, and together with the
circular form of the dohyó, this has also made a considerable contribution
to the development of sumó techniques. |
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