About this trail:
Sumo has its roots in the shinto religion. The matches were dedicated to the gods in prayers for a good harvest. The oldest written records date back to the 8th century. But it is probably more than 1500 years old.
Trail link: http://trailfire.com/peony/trails/35778
Summary: http://trailfire.com/peony/trailview/35778
Summary: http://trailfire.com/peony/trailview/35778
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Sumo has its roots in the shinto religion. The matches were dedicated to the gods in prayers for a good harvest. The oldest written records date back to the 8th century. But it is probably more than 1500 years old.
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Sumo prints from the 18th and 19th century prove the popularity of the sport in the past. During the last two decades the art of sumo wrestling could establish itself even outside of Japan. Akebono, an American born in Hawaii, became the first American champion to reach the highest rank.
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The basic rules of sumo are simple: The wrestler who either first touches the floor with something else than his sole or leaves the ring before his opponent, loses. The fights themselves usually last only a few seconds and in rare cases up to one minute or longer.
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Sumo is a very hierarchical sport. The upper division wrestlers fight fifteen bouts in each of the six tournaments in a year. The lower divisions fight seven matches. Promotions result from winning records and demotions from the opposite. Each win beyond a barely winning record of 8 wins and 7 losses (or 4-3 for lower ranking wrestlers) propels a wrestler up the rankings more quickly.
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Going back to a time before the written word, Sumo wrestling has thrilled the Japanese throughout the centuries. More popular than baseball or soccer in Japan, this sport is beginning to capture the imagination of the rest of the world. A sport dating back as early as 23 BC, inspired by religion and lore, exotic costumes
