Rules of Sumo Wrestling: How to Play

Get yourself attentive because you will learn about one of the world’s most distinctive forms of wrestling, Sumo Wrestling. In this article, I will share all the rules of sumo wrestling, its history, objective, and all that matters. The game has been here from the ancient history of Japan in Circa 1603. It was the Edo period of Japan when this wrestling was a famous form of entertainment for all the guys living in Japan. The game was a source of money for the original sumo wrestlers, and they had no lord or commander over them.

The sport is considered just like martial arts in Japan. However, this stays as one of the most famous ancient traditions of the Shinto Religion. This can be seen in multiple rituals at the beginning of the Sumo Bout.

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The Main Objective Of Sumo Wrestling:

In Sumo Wrestling, your power and your technique are everything that matters. Your simple goal is to force the opposing player out of the ring or the canvas, and he will try to do the same with you.

However, as I stated before, the couple of techniques that lie behind this game make it far better than something played to test a person’s strength. Wrestlers use these methods to win those sumo battles over their opponent players.

The sport is spectacular, and when the players clap, they show that they are not hiding any weapons. Plus, they have no desire for a filthy fight, except for a genuine and fair battle between each other. Including this, both players throw salt in the ring. Because salt is much important in Japan’s Shinto religion, that is used to purify the spirits. Plus, to remove all the evil spirits, they have to face.

Players Participating In Sumo Wrestling:

If you have any chance to watch a real sumo fight, you will empirically first notice the size of the players. The competitors have to be successful as it is not just a game. It is a ritual and a tradition. The sumo wrestlers are very big and have huge bodies carrying so much weight around them.

However, this is the part of the game to be this fat and participate. There are only two players who can compete with each other and defeat one of them.

But the sad thing is that these players get the disease of Type 2 Diabetes when they grow older and have more fat around their bodies.

Equipment Players Needed At First Place:

You know very well that those will only be slammers taking part in this game. Yes, indeed. And the equipment they need is nothing but wearing a mawashi which becomes the only loincloth made with some heavyweight and tough fabric.

Besides that, it is the game’s requirement for the wrestlers to have long hair and wear a chonmage which we call topknot on them.

How Do The Slammers Score Here?

No points needed to be scored in the sumo slammers wrestling championship. There can be no tied bouts because the Sumo is a simple win-or-lose game. But that’s also true that multiple variants of the Sumo Wrestlers depend on the ability. These exist effectively in six unique divisions that come with yearly relegation or promotion.

Moreover, when there are official Souma Tournaments, the wrestlers are awarded the points that specify their ranking and their division on the scale of some of the most famous sumo slammers.

How Does A Sumo Wins The Match?

A sumo slammer or participant can win the match in multiple ways. At first, he has to push the opponent with all his power, which must be successful in sending him out of the ring.

Secondly, a slammer can grab the belt of his rival and force that person to get out of the ring. This happens by pushing or throwing those heavyweight giants’ sumo slammers.

And the third thing a participant can try is to force the opponent toward the canvas.

In this case, these are the three important ways to win a match like this. Moreover, a match can also go towards the winning side of one participant if the competitor doesn’t seem fit to continue.

However, drawing a sumo bout is not possible and easy. But this game lasts for a shorter period of almost a minute or half more.

All The Rules Of Sumo Wrestling:

Despite such easily understandable and straight gameplay, there are still rules to follow. Have a look at please what Sumo will be taking care of?

The Size Of The Ring:

The ring in which those Sumo bouts take place is approximately 15 feet in diameter. This ring is raised on a block of clay known as the dohyo. The height of this ring is approximately 2.5 feet above the ground.

The Ritual To Follow:

The match begins after completing a significant ritual which includes the Sumo throwing the salt into the ring and performing some actions. When this gets over, the two wrestlers must face each other and wait for the referee’s sign to begin the match.

Position Of The Wrestlers:

The wrestlers have to crouch first on the fists on the floor. Then comes the sign of the referee to start this sumo wrestling match. Now it is time for both fighters to engage and win the bout

Ways To Win The Match:

There could be a lot of strategies a sumo player can apply for winning, but the most famous and highly used ones are as follows.

• Pushing and then sending the rival out of the ring
• Grabbing a rivals belt and then using your force to push him out of the ring
• Use your full power to force the opponent to the floor

Rule For Rikishi:

There are multiple ways for a Rikishi to use to win the match apart from the ones we have read before.

• Punching
• Choking
• Attacking the groin area
• Striking the ears
• Hair pulling

Referee Declaring The Winner:

The earlier the opponent’s slammer has been moved out of the ring or to the floor. The match gets over. And it becomes the responsibility of the referee to announce the winner and the technique used to win that match.

Using Illegal Technique:

The players can also use a technique known as Kinjite to win the match. But remember, the technique is illegal.

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Final Thoughts:

Hopefully, if you have read this post carefully, you know all the rules of sumo wrestling. And I am sure that the words I have described here will give you the full description of the game. Let me know if you find these posts worth reading or if there are any improvements you want to make. I will be posting more on sports like these. Keep coming and keep getting what you are looking for. Have a peaceful day!