On TV they seem funny, like fat guys in funny headbands. They raise their legs high, make strange noises, and then grab each other and try to throw each other down.
Probably every person who sometimes watches a sports channel thought to himself that sumo is not a sport at all, but rather entertainment, fun for the audience. But who would know what emotions are in the air at these competitions, how long the learning path is and how important it is to correctly understand the philosophy of combat in order to reach heights! What is the average weight of a sumo wrestler? Does it have to be big or is it a stereotype?
What is "sumo"
Japan seems to us to be a country of exquisite traditions, long tea parties, patient eating of rice with chopsticks, a country of miniature women who do not acquire wrinkles in old age and retain ballerina legs. How could sumo appear in a country with the most correct food system? It must be said that the martial art of sumo came from ancient times. The first mention of it dates back 2 thousand years ago. This explains the abundance of ancient myths and tales associated with such a struggle. Then the importance of the struggle was enormous, because the winners became the rulers of the country or were even called gods. Although several countries claim the right to be the inventor of sumo wrestling, the Japanese still consider it theirs. Sumo wrestling contains too many traditions and customs.
Is there a maximum for a wrestler?
Is there a standard weight for a sumo wrestler? Many people still believe that if you can eat whatever you want without control, then you can become a sumo wrestler. I would like to dispel these myths once and for all - a weak-willed person who has gained a life-threatening amount of kilograms will not be able to adapt to the fight. So you need to gain weight wisely. By the way, not every sumo wrestler has a lot of weight: after all, there are weight categories in sumo. So it’s not a matter of size, but of the quality and depth of knowledge. The largest wrestler was found in America. With a respectable height of 2 meters and 3 centimeters, he weighs 313 kilograms. One must think that he is invincible in a fight! But he does a disservice to his health with such weight, because excess body weight affects the condition of the liver, heart, and kidneys. Arthritis, diabetes and hypertension begin to progress.
The Japanese have a healthy lifestyle, which is why they live on average up to 82 years, but sumo wrestlers often barely live past 60. After all, physical fitness rarely gets along with being overweight. The Japanese are also very measured people, therefore, after completing their sports career, which, by the way, for a sumo wrestler is only possible until the age of 35, they return to a moderate diet, adhering to balanced sports activities. Within a few years they lose excess weight. If you look at the weight of a sumo wrestler with the eyes of a professional nutritionist, you will find serious deviations from the norm. Thus, the body mass index of a sumo wrestler is 2.5 times higher than that of a healthy person. To get into this shape, you need to eat a special diet and lead the lifestyle prescribed for athletes. But stereotypes do not work here, because sumo wrestlers do not gain weight by absorbing a huge amount of food with a predominance of fat.
Retired sumo wrestlers
After leaving sumo, wrestlers work as ushers, ushers or security guards during matches, and are required to go through a process of humiliation after their decision to leave wrestling. Even “yokozuna” have to go through this. Pension payments for sumo wrestlers depend on the number and level of victories achieved throughout their career.
Some wrestlers never finish their training. They dedicate their lives to training during their youth, build their careers, rising in the ranks, and retire at the age of 30-35, becoming coaches, founding their own school, or losing weight and starting a new career.
The negative consequences of hard training and excess nutrition overtake athletes in adulthood. Many of them suffer severe liver damage, develop diabetes, suffer from high blood pressure and are susceptible to heart attacks. The average life expectancy of a sumo wrestler is 60-65 years, which is more than 10 years less than the average life expectancy of Japanese men.
Today, sumo is about loyalty to tradition, business and entertainment for thousands of spectators, and it is unlikely that any of the athletes really understands the short-term success and the harsh reality of the “feudal order” of one of the oldest types of martial arts on earth.
How to gain weight correctly
The question may seem strange, because the media is all about cultivating a slim and athletic body, and not jiggling folds, but sumo wrestlers do not look like ordinary overweight people. They remain fit, strong and active. The requirements for sumo wrestlers' daily routine are strict, but somehow subtly resemble the daily routine in kindergarten. This is understandable, because gaining weight as a sumo wrestler is not so easy. In addition to a clear number of meals, they have time to sleep. At first glance, it seems that this is the dream of a sweet tooth and a lover of delicious food! But it's not that simple. Sumo wrestlers eat twice a day, both times before bed, since calories are absorbed faster during sleep. A sumo wrestler who respects himself and his coach cannot uncontrollably eat a chocolate bar or sit all evening in front of the TV with a pack of chips, because he has a special menu aimed at accumulating fat reserves, but in order for the weight to be distributed evenly, the fats consumed must be correct. So, the wrestlers start their day with a long workout on an empty stomach. The training lasts from 4 to 6 hours, and its complexity is as great as that of a ballerina. Hypothetically, such activity should speed up metabolism and burn fat, but in reality it leads to a decrease in metabolic rate, which the smart body perceives as an alarming signal and begins to stock up on fuel for the future. By the way, this can also be taken into account by girls who are losing weight, who deny themselves breakfast and cannot control the amount of food they consume, which is why they overeat for lunch. After training, the wrestler has lunch, and the calorie content of lunch should not fall below 10 thousand calories! That is, for lunch, a sumo wrestler must consume the daily norm of eight adults! After lunch, you need to sleep for 3-4 hours so that the body has time to convert the calories received into fat. When you wake up, it's time to start your second workout. And then another 10 thousand calories for dinner and bed.
“First I’ll find a wife”
When you finish your career, your pigtail is cut off. Then you should store it, oiled, in a glass box with a little liquid. And it turned out funny. Mom, not knowing the rituals, ruffled her braid and dried it. I had to put it back in order later (laughs).
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The hard way of the ninja. How do the heirs of ancient art live in Japan?
I had to deal with different things, but I don’t regret that I chose the path of a sumo wrestler. I may not have become a great champion, but I had fans. I learned the language, traveled around the country, met interesting people. It was a busy period of life. I specifically started Instagram to share all this... But, you know, when I arrived at my parents’ house, I felt such euphoria! This is the elixir of vigor that no amount of money can buy. My sumo teacher could go anywhere in the world, but at the first opportunity he went to his native village on the island of Hokkaido and drew strength there. So do I. No matter what happens, at heart I am a Siberian. I feel good in Buryatia, where I herded calves as a child and drank water from the well. Plans? Believe me, a big man will definitely not remain idle. But first you need to find a wife, otherwise you’re already 35 (laughs).
Pleasant gastronomic pleasures
But the described daily routine does not mean that a wrestler should push food into his mouth, even when he doesn’t feel like eating. And there is no need to completely cut down on your consumption of goodies. The weight of a sumo wrestler allows you to drink beer and sake with meals, but alcohol does not provide any nutritional value. During the meal, the wrestlers communicate and sometimes get so carried away that they do not notice how they eat a huge portion. Especially to gain weight, they treat themselves to a dish with an intriguing name - “chanko-nabe”. The recipe contains a lot of meat, rice and vegetables. It is better to take fattier meat, and more filling vegetables. At home, you can prepare it from everything that is in the refrigerator, that is, you can take beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood. The meat is seasoned with bean paste and sesame oil, and flavor is added with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Don’t forget about the side dish, for which rice is stewed with tofu bean curd, eggplant, Chinese cabbage, carrots, radishes and spinach. Japanese noodles with rice cakes, eggs, mushrooms and seaweed wouldn’t be out of place in the recipe either. A couple of years on a diet with such a main dish - and the average weight of a sumo wrestler will be 150-200 kg. And the secret to gaining weight quickly is consuming this enchanting amount of calories before bed. Please note that with an abundance of ingredients, wrestlers do not consume fast carbohydrates, flour and sugar. That is, in fact, they do not eat anything harmful, so they do not pollute their body and after completing their career they can easily return to their original weight. It is this approach that distinguishes the Japanese from Europeans, who can limit the amount of vegetables and fruits they consume to the limit in favor of fried potatoes and chocolate donuts.
The fattest sumo wrestler
The title of the fattest sumo wrestler in the world rightfully belongs to Emanuel Yabrauch. The great renowned wrestler weighs four hundred kilograms! During his career, this sumo wrestler managed to become a seven-time world champion. Such a number of victories is quite understandable - the thicker the sumo wrestler’s fat layers, the easier it is for him to gain the upper hand, since the enemy simply will not be able to grab him.
Yabrauch himself has stated more than once that he owes his weight gain to the famous fast food chain McDonald's. It was the high-calorie foods from McDonald's that instantly turned Yabrauch into a fat guy, which greatly contributed to his career.
The Japanese traditional diet - rice, seafood and beer - has never given the same results in terms of weight gain as American fast food. Therefore, for sumo wrestlers, the United States is heaven on earth. All it takes is a few customary unlimited meals at McDonald's, and the future sumo champion is ready!
Sumo history
As already mentioned, sumo appeared in ancient times. The first evidence of wrestling dates back to the middle of the 7th century. In 642, a wrestling tournament was held at the Emperor's court in honor of a Korean ambassador. The tournament was a success due to the entertainment and emotionality of the fight, so it set a trend and was held annually at the end of field work in the fall. A ring or, as it is called, a dohyo, was formed on a raised platform, outside of which there were sharp stakes. There were also some rules. You cannot hit your opponent with an open palm, you cannot aim at the eyes or genitals. After all, sumo is a noble form of wrestling, so there is a ban on chokeholds. Do not grab hair, ears or fingers.
But slapping, pushing, and grabbing parts of the mawashi, except those that cover the genitals, are allowed. In amateur sumo, it is important how much a sumo wrestler weighs, since pairs are formed according to weight. But professional wrestling does not recognize weight categories. The main thing is the average weight of a sumo wrestler: almost everyone has it under 100 kg, but wrestlers of the highest divisions, who bear the proud title of sektori, must have a weight of more than 120 kg. Many people who are far from sumo will be surprised, but the percentage of fat in a sumo wrestler’s body weight is the same as that of the average person. Accordingly, the larger the sumo wrestler, the greater his muscle mass and weight. Sumo is a sport that does not recognize restrictions, so anyone can get carried away with it.
Sumo suit and belt
Colorful sumo wrestlers take to the dohyo (fighting area) in equally colorful costumes. Their attire consists of a mawashi, a belt 80 cm wide and 9 m long and weighs from 3.5 to 5 kg. The ribbon is wrapped around the naked body, usually 5 times between the legs and body and tied in a knot at the back to form a loincloth. Each rank of wrestlers has its own color and quality of material from which the belt is made. For the highest ranks it is silk in dark shades, for the lower divisions it is always gray.
Mawashi contain a decorative element - sagari, hanging ornaments, which often remain in the hands of the opponent during a fight. The number of hanging parts varies from 13 to 25, but an odd number is required and determines the part of the mawashi (in front) that is forbidden to grab. If the sagari fall out during the fight, the gyoji (dohyo judge) throws them out of the ring as soon as possible.
Depending on the fighting technique, the rikishi can wrap the mawashi tightly around the body or, on the contrary, make them loose. When using the pushing technique, the belt is tightened more tightly; if throwing is preferred, the mawashi belt is left loose.
Despite the fact that there is a certain gradation according to the colors of the belt, nevertheless, not everyone adheres to the rules. When a wrestler is not lucky, he changes the color of his mawashi, believing that this will bring him good luck.
If the mawashi unwinds during the fight, this automatically leads to disqualification, but this happens extremely rarely, so in 2000, for the first time in 83 years, the little-known wrestler Asanokiri “lost” his belt in a duel with Chiyohakuho Daiki. The match was broadcast live on national television.
Such strict rules were introduced at the beginning of the 19th century under Western influence. The Japanese themselves are quite relaxed about nudity, even to this day.
In addition to the mawashi belt, for the higher divisions a special belt is required - kesho mawashi. This belt is used only during rituals. Kesho-mawashi is heavy, it looks like an embroidered apron. There are certain rules about what can be depicted on it. But in the end, on mawashi ceremonial aprons you can see everything from the Japanese landscape to the glamorous Hello Kitty cat. It is not uncommon for a sponsor's advertising products to be offered as a drawing.
Kesho-mawashi are ordered and paid for by sponsors or fans of the wrestler, after agreement with the rikishi himself.
At the bottom of the kesho-mawashi you can see the name of the sponsor, and the fringe at the bottom is usually decorated with gold, but in principle can be any color except purple. Purple is reserved for ozeki (the second rank of wrestler in the hierarchy) and yokozuna (the highest rank of sumo wrestler). The average price of such an outfit is 1 million yen. Kesho-mawashi encrusted with precious stones are many times more expensive. The longer a rikishi stays in the top two divisions, the more ceremonial kesho-mawashi he has.
Lifestyle nuances
The stereotype that there are no tall and slender sumo wrestlers would be wrong. Sumo wrestler Chiyonofuji, famous in certain circles, was above average height. There are no sizeless wrestlers. Still, a person weighing 200 kilograms or more is unlikely to be able to fight without shortness of breath and arrhythmia. The average weight of a sumo wrestler is far from the declared “ceiling”, and “light” wrestlers have an advantage over heavyweights, as they are more mobile and technical. A fight was noted in history when the wrestler Mainoumi threw against the wrestler Konishiki, who was twice his weight. A very big sumo wrestler limits his arsenal of techniques and faces annoying troubles, such as excessive sweating and clumsiness. In amateur sumo, pairs do not have representatives in different weight categories, but have their own divisions.
Contact combat involves two wrestlers on a professional or amateur basis. Professional sumo presents a colorful competition with the participation of selected heavyweight wrestlers. There were no women among the wrestlers. Sports sumo can be equated to Greco-Roman wrestling, as wrestlers divided by weight enter into competition. By the way, the first sumo wrestlers were samurai or ronin, interested in an additional source of income. In the 17th century, 72 canonical sumo techniques were recorded, based on sacred rituals with divine symbolism. Since since the time of its inception, sumotori have been a category of people close to the emperor and therefore were supported by the state.
And the game is worth the candle
Indeed, is there any rational grain in being a sumo wrestler?
Is it worth gaining weight, flouting world beauty standards, and giving up the opportunity to show off in a bikini on the beach? After all, sumo has long ceased to be an exclusively male sport; women are increasingly participating in international competitions. Sumo has many rules: wrestlers of the same hei, siblings, cannot fight in a duel. Sumo wrestling is a fairly lucrative business, so participants interested in it can at least become quite rich. If we calculate on average, then in a year a wrestler of the highest category, who is also called yokozun, receives as much for wrestling and outside earnings as a world-class football player. In Japan, practicing sumo is doubly profitable, since professional fights are held only here.
Coming out to fight
A respected wrestler cannot go to the dohyo uncollected. Every detail is taken into account. Sumo wrestlers even have a special hairstyle. A photo of it from a close angle allows you to verify its functionality and beauty. This hairstyle is called takayama, it softens the blow to the crown of the head, which is almost inevitable when falling. By the way, wrestlers are prohibited from driving a car. Moreover, violators will face serious punishment, for example, disqualification, which equates to a significant loss in rank. Usually wrestlers travel by taxi.
In addition, there are restrictions on the presence of foreigners in this sport. A wrestler is considered a foreigner not only by citizenship, but also by origin.
Russians in sumo
The fighting technique is close in spirit to our people, as it is rich in traditions and full of respect for the opponent. But it’s still quite strange to watch how Russian girls, truly beautiful, choose this sport, which is still exotic for our mentality. It is worth immediately amending the understanding of many people about sumo wrestling: sumo wrestlers do not fight. Their fight is noble, the purpose of the fight is to push the opponent beyond the border of the dohyo. The one who touches the ground with any part of the body except the foot will lose. Svetlana Panteleeva absolutely does not meet the expectations of how much a sumo wrestler weighs. Svetlana weighs 75 kilograms and is 170 centimeters tall, that is, her weight is normal. This is how the stereotypes that fat people go to sumo are destroyed. Svetlana came to the sport from choreography and judo. Sumo made me laugh at first, but then it dragged me in, the emotions were too hot.
Svetlana goes beyond the rules and keeps herself in shape with proper nutrition: more protein to build muscle, not fat.
How sumo developed
Sumo as a martial art has come a long way from ancient times to modern times. The Japanese, who honor their traditions, have preserved to this day many rituals that accompany all fights. Besides the fight itself, there is a lot to see here. Today, sumo wrestling is not just a traditional Japanese sport, but also a means of generating a solid income.
For all its simplicity, sumo is a very spectacular and spectacular sport. This is a rather unique martial art in which the fighter’s main weapon is his weight . To defeat an opponent, sumo wrestlers, using their mass and a variety of techniques, must:
- or push each other out of the boundaries of the area where the fight is taking place;
- or force the opponent to touch the floor (which part of the body does not matter).
Therefore, sumo wrestlers have more than plump figures.
Tenderness in the fight
Who would have thought that a seven-time world sumo champion could be a homely and cozy woman, a real homemaker. This is exactly what Catherine Cabe is like. She is still very young, but has achieved a lot, so she can afford a break in her career. Ekaterina managed to try herself in pedagogy and politics. I have many interests, but without sports I developed a passion for Japanese cuisine. While she was actively involved in sports, Katya abstained from sushi, but now she eats with pleasure. Ekaterina is far from being a model; with a fairly tall height of 180 centimeters, she weighs 138 kg. This is the normal average weight of a sumo wrestler, and even slightly below the standard. And European Championships medalist Olesya Kovalenko is even a little asthenic for sumo: she weighs only 118 kg with the same height. True, she believes that this is her fighting form, in which she is both strong and mobile.
Success through endurance
Anna Zhigalova competes in the absolute weight category, who is also outside the framework established by the average weight of a sumo wrestler.
With a height of 185 cm, Anna weighs 120 kg. As a child, I dreamed of being a ballerina, but my build was too large. He doesn’t go on a special diet, except that his trainer sometimes forces him to gain weight. Anna does not adhere to the traditions of the founders of wrestling, she eats healthy, although she has her own gastronomic preferences. In general, it is necessary to imagine a certain gradation of the weight of athletes: light weight is limited to 65 kg; average weight ranges from 65 to 80 kg; heavy weight category starts from 80 kg and above.
Japanese sumo wrestlers and their differences
The attitude towards fat people in the world is ambiguous, since sometimes they do not fit into the usual standards of beauty. In Japan, rich in traditions, the situation is somewhat simpler, since the beauty of a person, his inner content, and the ability to combine harmony and athletic development are paramount.
Therefore, their people can afford to eat in accordance with the history of sports. People who are completely focused on wrestling, who know their daily routine in advance and practice sumo at a professional level, literally live off their work uniform. In Russia, everything is different, because a modern person cannot give up on himself and turn away from critical views in a cafe or transport. Overweight people are limited in their choice of clothing and in visiting public places. Who noticed a fat man resting in a nightclub? And who has seen a dancer with curvaceous figures? Our ladies do not want to get out of the cage, so their weight is too low for professional sumo. The girls remain normal, live at a weight at which they are comfortable, and therefore are successful not only in their careers, but also in their personal lives.
How sumo wrestlers sign autographs
The handprint of a sumo wrestler is called tegata and is a talisman of happiness. Although tournaments sell everything from chocolate in the shape of a wrestler to plush toys with the image of your favorite rikishi, tegata is not an item for sale. The only way to become its owner is to receive an autograph from the hands of the wrestler himself, at competitions.
The tegata is stamped on a shikishi board measuring 27 by 24 cm. These autographed palm prints are made in batches and given to members of the respective clubs or other selected people.
Handprints are made with black or red paint, lately more often black, and the name, which is added later, only with black paint.
Only highly ranked wrestlers are allowed to tag.
