Kinjite

This article is about the sumo wrestling term. For the 1989 film, seeKinjite: Forbidden Subjects.

Kinjite(Cấm じ tay or cấm tay,literallyforbidden hand)are variousfoulsthat asumowrestlermight commit that will cause him to lose the bout. They are:

• Striking the opponent with a closed fist.
• Grabbing the opponent's hair.
• Jabbing at the opponent's eyes orsolar plexus.
• Simultaneously striking both of the opponent's ears with the palms.
• Grabbing or pulling the opponent'sgroin.
• Grabbing the opponent'sthroat.
• Kicking at the opponent's chest or waist.
• Bending back one or more of the opponent's fingers.

Any of these is grounds for immediate disqualification (hansoku) owing to the potential for long-lasting harm to the wrestler involved. They are exceedingly rare and unlikely to be seen in the higher divisions of sumo, especially by thesekitoriwrestlers. Additionally, if a wrestler'smawashibecomes undone, they will be similarly disqualified.

Perhaps the most commonkinjitecommitted is the grabbing of the opponent's hair. Since it is tied up in a form ofchonmageone's hand can become inadvertently tangled in it during a bout.Itaipulled his opponent's hair on two consecutive days when ranked in thejūryōdivision in May 1980.Other rikishi to have been disqualified in this way includeōzekiDaikirinandyokozunaAsashōryūin July 2003,ōzekiTochinoshinin September 2019 andTerunofujiin May 2021.

Whilst grabbing the throat is not allowed, pushing the opponent backwards with an open hand against the throat (called anodowa) is permitted, and is actually quite common.

In addition, there are moves that are permitted to professionalrikishiand forbidden to more junior (school level) wrestlers. One such move isharite— slapping the opponent's face with an open hand.

Kinjitealso refers to an illegal move inshogi.