Sumo 相撲

[Blade~]

Sumo wrestling is a competitive full-contact wrestling sport where a wrestler attempts to force another out of a circular ring - called 'dohyō' - or into touching the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet. The characters 相撲 literally mean "striking one another". The sport originated in Japan, still today the only country where it is practiced professionally. It is generally considered a gendai budō (a modern Japanese martial art), but this definition is misleading, as the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from the days when sumo was used in the Shinto religion. Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as 'heya', where all aspects of their daily lives from meals to their manner of dresses are dictated by strict tradition.

Despite common beliefs that sumo is a male only competitive sport, female sumo wrestlers also have a long tradition in Japan and there are still many female sumo wrestling contests held.