On Sunday we went with Matt and Chelsea to Nagoya for the opening day of Sumo. We arrived at 7:30am to wait in line to buy general admission tickets that went on sale at 8:20. We weren't sure what kind of crowd to expect, so we went inside as soon as we got our tickets to claim our seats. Little did we know that the majority of people start coming around 3pm (once the professional wrestlers begin). We, along with about 30 other people, watched the tournament from beginning to end, totaling 10 hours of watching sumo!
Towards the end of the day, the professionals participated in many ceremonies with the referees and were given envelopes filled with money after winning. The top sumo wrestlers, known as the Yokozunas, make an average of $25,000 a month.
After the last bout, everyone in the stadium threw the purple cushions they were sitting on in the air. We are not quite sure why, but it was fun to watch! Everyone sitting in reserved boxed seats sat on the floor with cushions! We were actually glad we bought general admission tickets...they were cheaper and we sat in chairs.
When we first arrived, we watched the amateur wrestlers. They varied in size, but most were really small compared to the professionals.
Here is a video of some beginner sumo wrestlers.
As the day progressed, the wrestlers got bigger and better. The average sumo wrestler weighs 412 pounds and is 6'2" tall.
Each match usually only lasts a few seconds, but some can last a couple of minutes.
The winner of a sumo bout is for the most part determined by two rules:
The first person to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet or the first person to be pushed out of the ring loses.
The first person to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet or the first person to be pushed out of the ring loses.
Towards the end of the day, the professionals participated in many ceremonies with the referees and were given envelopes filled with money after winning. The top sumo wrestlers, known as the Yokozunas, make an average of $25,000 a month.
After the last bout, everyone in the stadium threw the purple cushions they were sitting on in the air. We are not quite sure why, but it was fun to watch! Everyone sitting in reserved boxed seats sat on the floor with cushions! We were actually glad we bought general admission tickets...they were cheaper and we sat in chairs.
Here's a video of one of the last matches of the day!
1 comment:
I can say from experience the Sumo Wrestlers did not attain their size by eating sobu noodles and fish!!!
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