Sumo
Sumo(Đô vật,sumō)is aJapanesefull-contact sport.[1]
In sumo, awrestler(rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (thedohyō) 4.55 metres indiameter.Also, therikishitry to use their skill to force an opponent to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet.
Sumotournaments(basho) take place inTokyo,Osaka,NagoyaandFukuoka.There are a total of 6 major professional tournaments (known ashonbasho) per year, in January, March, May, July, September and November.
A tournament normally lasts for 15 days and features matches from different divisions. The top 5 ranks are known as the "Top division", also called theMakuuchi( mạc nội ) orMakunouchi( mạc の nội ). It is fixed in size and always contains 42rikishi.
The ranks included in the top division areyokozuna,ozeki,sekiwake,komusubiandmaegashira.
Rikishi
[change|change source]Sumo wrestlers (rikishi) are ranked into ahierarchybased on win-loss statistics in competitive tournaments.[2]
Grand champions
[change|change source]Those who have earned the highest rank are grand champions (yokuzuna).[3]
- Akashi, 16th century[3]
- Maruyama, (1712-1749)[3]
- Tanikaze (Kajinosuke, 1750-1795)[3]
- Onagawa (1758-1805)[3]
- Ao no Matsu (1791-1851)[3]
- ...
- Chiyonofuji Mitsugu(born 1955)[4]
- Takanosato (born 1952)[3]
- Futahaguro Koji (born 1963)[3]
- Hokuto-umi, (born 1963)[3]
- Onokuni (born 1962)[3]
- Asahifuji (born 1960)[3]
- Akebono(born 1970)[3]
For a full list of those rikishi who have held the title ofYokozuna,seeList of yokozuna.
Foreign-born competitors
[change|change source]Sumo has changed in modern times. Foreign-born wrestlers are part of the sport. For example,Konishiki[5]and Akebono[6]are Hawaiian-born athletes who earned places for themselves.
In 2008, Kotooshu fromBulgariawon a championship. In that same year, two top wrestlers, Asashoryu and Hakuho, wereMongolian.Hakuho won the Nagoya tournament with no losses, 15-0.
References
[change|change source]
- ↑Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)."Sumo"inJapan Encyclopedia,p. 914.
- ↑Nussbaum,"Sumotori"inJapan Encyclopedia,pp. 914-915.
- ↑3.003.013.023.033.043.053.063.073.083.093.103.11Nussbaum,"Yokozuna (Sumo Grand Champions)"at p. 915; retrieved 2012-2-27.
- ↑Nussbaum,"Chiyonofugi"at p. 117; retrieved 2012-2-27.
- ↑Sumo Reference,Konishiki YasokichiArchived2012-02-07 at theWayback Machine;retrieved 2012-2-27.
- ↑Japan Sumo Association,"Akebono"Archived2012-03-07 at theWayback Machine;retrieved 2012-2-27.
