Sumo wrestling is a sport misunderstood by many and unfortunately the sport mostly makes the news these days for all the wrong reasons. I hope to be able to to witness a Sumo wrestling competition one day in the future. I surfed into some awesome photographs by Tomoki Momozono recently. While viewing them I almost felt like I was transported into the audience and was experiencing the bouts first had – really powerful photography and inspirational to an amateur photographer like me. A selection of my favourite shots below, view the entire set here.
Sumo (相撲) is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyÅ) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. It is generally considered to be a gendai budÅ (a modern Japanese martial art), though this definition is incorrect 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 rikishi is highly regimented, with rules laid down by the 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 dress—are dictated by strict tradition. – Wikipedia
First seen – photojojo
[japan]
We went to see a Sumo tournament on our first trip to Japan… and whilst it wasn’t cheap (though my wife’s parents paid as a gift… thanks okaasan), it was entirely enthralling. Definitely recommend it.
I always find sumo wrestling to be quite unusual and different … a tad bit unconventional (for me), and well … so many clenched buttcheeks! I admit though that I haven’t got a very good understanding of the whole activity…
Nice, clear pics. Interesting.
PS the man with the diseased looking breast? Not cute.
my overactive imagination allows me to see lazer beams shooting from em nipples!
Sumo – has become – a powerful art. During the 1930s this was less so… [pole] [sob] [japan]