Sumo, my love!

Today has been a long day at the sumo stadium, and yes, sumo is really the greatest spectator sport ever! If you ask me that is. I sat riveted through nine hours of sumo, starting from no-name beginners, ending at the top of the game, first the lower grade professionals and rising new talents of the Juryo grade Dohyo, then finally the top dogs, the Makuuchi grade dohyo members. 42 men, who represent the worlds best sumo professionals. And even within the Makuuchi grade, there are different levels. Kings of the hill are the Yokozunas, the Grand masters of sumo, usually one for the East stable, and one for the West stable. And though my heart ever beats to the tune of the great Mongolian Yokozuna Ashahoryu, the man of the hour is another countryman of his.

Ladies and laddies, may I present: one of the greatest athletes of our times. And why, should one say this of the modestly beige/grey-clad gentleman in the photo? Because he has beated just about all the known records of a sport, that has been around for about 1500 years. Grand master yokozuna of the East Stable, the great (drumroll please): Hakuho!

The above photos of Hakuho are dedicated to Susanna, who made me the sumo-fan that I am and has also been doing her best to give me a sumo-credible waistline.

Yesterday I went to the arena to sneak a peek. Happily I was there at the same time as the boys from the top division started rolling in front of the building in their limousines. Then they walked up the red carpet - cameras flashing and the crowd going wild (well, going wild the Japanese way, which means clapping politely and taking photos). These little ladies in the front row were calling out each competitor's name as they walked past, and what I presume were good luck wishes, though for all I know they may have been lewd suggestions. At least they made the crowd laugh and the competitors remain stone-faced. 

this battle has been sponsored by...

Looking at sumo without any understanding for the art of sumo diminishes the enjoyment of the sport. Putting aside the intricate rules that apply to contestants and the whole history, rituals and tradition of sumo leaves just two fat guys trying to nudge eachother out of the ring. Though mind you, even that may not be as easy as one might think. Having seen the real deal up close I can say, that these guys are BIG and the size is muscle as much as fat. Also, contestants are increasingly tall. This coincides with the spread of sumo-mania to other countries, most notably Mongolia. In fact the Mongolians have been hogging the top positions for quite some years now. The Japanese were unfortunate enough to create a totally unique sport of their own, for which their naturally short and slim stature is perfectly unsuited.

Despite the fact I find the rules of sumo rivetingly interesting, I am not going to continue explaining them here. I refer you to wikipedia or several other good sites on the internet, e.g.: http://www.roughguides.com/article/sumo-wrestling-japan-2/

I shall now drift off gently into sumo-filled dreamland. Maybe just a quick peek at the catalogue before I nod off...