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Sumo:
A contact sport where two rikishi (professional wrestlers) attempt to win by forcing the opponent to leave the doyho (ring)
or to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the soles of his feet.
This martial art has a history spanning centuries and includes many Shinto ritual elements, such as throwing salt into the ring before each bout for purification
and the doyho-iri (ring-entering ceremony) which the yokozuna perform to drive away bad spirits and bring good fortune to each day's matches.
Ozumo:
Professional sumo dates from the Edo Period in Japan, where the original wrestlers were possibly ronin (masterless samurai), who needed an alternative income.
Its popularity depended on the favor of the ruler of the day and on the military requirements of the period.
Today rikishi live in heya (sumo training stables) where everything from meals to dress is still dictated by tradition.
Since 1909, the Kokugikan in Tokyo has held formal sumo matches and today the seasonal matches alternate between Tokyo and other cities.
Clothing:
The original loose loincloth has developed into the much stiffer mawashi (a broad silk loincloth) and today the fringed kesho-mawashi (embroidered "apron")
is worn only for the pre-tournament ritual parade around the doyho. An opponent's mawashi is the only thing a rikishi may grab during a bout.
Sumo Ranks:
Yokozuna (Grand Champion) - The name comes from the tsuna (a rope with lightning bolts hanging from it) that the yokozuna wears around his waist to show his rank.
Ozeki (Champion) - This was the highest rank until yokozuna was introduced.
Sekiwake - The third highest rank. The name possibly describes guarding the ozeki.
Komusubi - The lowest of the sanyaku (titleholder) ranks. The name ("little knot") refers to the match up of two wrestlers.
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