Why are sumos so big

This leads to quite a lot of faffing about while each wrestler tries to psyche the other out, pretending to put his hand down and then getting back up again. Once they finally do begin, it is very rare for sumo bouts to last longer than a few seconds — although occasionally they can last up to four minutes. This means that the action is very fast-paced and exciting. A match ends when one of the wrestlers is either thrown out of the ring, or if any part of his body apart from the soles of his feet touches the ground.

The following video of a sumo match plus superb commentary, it has to be said is a great example of just how long it takes for a bout to begin:. Interestingly, the match can also end if one of the wrestlers loses his mawashi , or loincloth — in which case the de-loinclothed wrestler is disqualified. More interestingly still, this rule was only adopted after Japan began to take on European read: prudish attitudes toward nudity.

This outcome is very rare in sumo, but a wardrobe malfunction did occur during a match in May , when the unfortunate wrestler Asanokiri exposed himself and was disqualified immediately.

I once met a retired sumo wrestler who ran a chanko nabe restaurant in Hakuba. Now I understand why. It would be easy to assume from their famously substantial girth that wrestlers live a life of excess outside their training schedule. An average stable will contain around 15 wrestlers, and is arranged according to a strict hierarchy. Life is hardest for the lower ranked wrestlers, who are expected to get up earliest and to cook, clean, serve food, and generally wait on the higher ranked wrestlers.

They even have to bathe last after training, and get last pick at dinner time — after their more senior peers have gobbled all the choice morsels! If this sounds hard, it gets even harder. It is a fact of sumo life that the younger, inexperienced wrestlers endure systematic hazing and physical punishment in order to toughen them up.

This is part and parcel of sumo culture and something that young wrestlers know to expect. However, sometimes it can go too far, resulting in injury — and in some very rare cases , even death.

Want to learn even more about life in a sumo beya? We can arrange for you to visit one — with exclusive access to a morning training session. In fact, it was only very recently in the history of sumo that the wrestlers developed the chubbiness they are now famous for. This might explain why, on average, sumo wrestlers die ten years earlier than the average Japanese man.

Sumo wrestling is an ancient sport, and the lifestyle its participants live is highly regulated. Sumo wrestlers live, eat, and train together, keeping their traditions alive every day. While the idea of two obese men wrestling probably seems odd to an outside audience, sumo wrestlers are talented athletes. Sumo wrestlers are incredibly agile and strong, despite what their appearance may suggest. A winning sumo wrestler has to push or topple a or pound man or kilogram —without being pushed or toppled himself.

That takes impressive strength, determination, and practice, and the extra weight certainly helps. Elite Sports is one of the most reputable brands when it comes to Fighting gear. Wrestling, Boxing, MMA; they have it all. Their stuff is high quality and they are who I get my gear from.

You can check out their store here. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here. Wrestling is a fun sport that requires special skills for safe and effective fights. Whether your goal is to become a professional wrestler or just do it for fun, you would want to have professional I once heard that sumo wrestlers have their intestines massaged so they can fit in more food — does anyone know if this is true? And the food they eat — the famous chanko nabe hot pot — is highly nutritious not to mention tasty.

A sumo wrestler eats about 5, calories per day, compared to around 2, for the average Japanese. If the variant is common in sumo wrestlers, as I suspect it is, this is good news for their health when they retire.

Rowan Hooper is the news editor of New Scientist magazine. The second volume of Natural Selections columns translated into Japanese is published by Shinchosha.

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To learn more see our FAQ. A recent study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science , 'Bodies steeped in stew: sport, tradition and the bodies of the sumo wrestler' by R. A wrestler's aim is to build strength and mass in their stomach, providing them with a lower centre of gravity which is needed to maintain stability in the ring. Yet bulk is not the only goal; a sumo wrestler must be strong, and flexible enough to do the splits.

Tierney argues that the weight of a sumo wrestler complicates the standard BMI calculations which consider anyone exceeding a body mass index of 30 to be inflicted with the 'disease' that is obesity. He puts forward the idea "that 'obesity' is both an occupational necessity and hazard and that the concept of 'fat' itself is a cultural construct rather than a scientific reality. Sumo wrestlers build their bulk using strategic methods of eating rather than by eating fatty foods; chanko itself is generally nutritious and healthy.

It is made up of a broth base with usually one type of protein added and a medley of vegetables, served over bowls of rice. Wrestlers eat large quantities of nutritious chanko in short periods just twice a day, as this is argued to be the most efficient way for the body to absorb the required nutrients. So do we consider a pound wrestler 'fat'?