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Sumo moves for big break in global sports scene
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-10-12 11:21
Sumo origin legends date back 1,500 years, when the god Takemikazuchi beat a
rival tribe leader to establish Japan. Sumo matches became part of prayer
rituals to the gods for bountiful harvests and such rites remain today.
Japanese sumo
wrestler Takekaze (L) is thrown out of the ring by Miyabiyama, also of
Japan, in the second round during the final day of the Grand Sumo Las
Vegas tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
October 9, 2005. Miyabiyama later lost to Asashoryu in the semi-finals.
[Reuters] | Meticulous care is taken to prepare
the clay ring for matches, a thin layer of sand atop it and rice-straw bales
placed in a circle to mark the boundary.
Above the ring is a "yakata", resembling the roof of a Shinto shrine and
imported from Japan with colored banners symbolic of the four seasons.
Sumo wear only a silk loincloth, or "mawashi", and win by forcing a rival out
of the circle or having any part of his body but his feet touch the floor.
In a darkened arena cheered on by the curious and devoted, sumos entered and
followed centuries-old customs before every match. Rivals are dispatched in
seconds but rituals require several minutes.
Sumos clap to attract the attention of the gods, raise a leg and stomp it to
the floor to scare evil spirits from the ring, then throw salt into the ring to
cleanse and purify the competition area.
Unlike the "Haka", the Maori dance of New Zealanders to intimidate and show
respect, the sumo artistry is aimed at a higher audience.
Rivals squat before each other, eyes locked in a staredown, then charge into
each other with precise lifts, throws and shoves. Many times rivals are lifted
into the air, carried forward and dropped beyond the boundary.
"That's what the big bellies are for," said Konishiki, the first US sumo
star.
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