🔗 Share this article

Not many athletic disciplines can captivate an audience through an extended period of ritual before the first point is even determined.

Yet the detailed ceremonies unfolding in a small clay ring - largely unaltered for centuries - accomplished exactly that.

Experience the Grand Sumo Tournament

This five-day event at the iconic London venue features numerous elite sumo athletes showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to ancient times.

London's Victorian concert venue has been totally redesigned, complete with a massive traditional roof structure hanging above the competition area.

Time-Honored Rituals Meet Contemporary Displays

It is here the athletes, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to expel dark forces, and where they applaud to summon the gods.

Above all this ancient ceremony, a massive rotating display - that appears natural at an professional sports event - offers the spectators all the statistics and footage they could want.

Worldwide Followers Embrace Sumo

For an enthusiastic follower, it was a "unexpected footage" that first captivated her a couple of years ago.

This was quickly followed by the discovery of dedicated YouTube channels for sumo stables, where competitors stay and exercise, rising before dawn to practice, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an daytime sleep - all in the pursuit of increasing mass.

Traveling from the North, Alternative View

Another couple discovered sumo through a more traditional route: a visit to the country six years ago.

"We considered it a typical visitor experience, but we actually came to adore the sport," explains the fan.

"After that, we tried to locate groups, materials, just to learn more about it," her partner continues.

Special Event

Traveling to Asia is almost the only way to see a major championship.

This current tournament marks only the second occasion the tournament has visited the city - the previous visit was in the early nineties.

Even going to Japan isn't certain of obtaining admission, with the past period seeing fully attended competitions.

Live Observation

For many attendees, the London tournament represents the initial opportunity they have watched sumo in person - and it exceeds expectations.

"Seeing it up close, you get a sense of the speed and the power which you won't feel on TV," notes one fan. "They are so big."

The Competition

To succeed, one rikishi needs to force his opponent off the clay or to the floor using brute strength.

The primary group use one of pair of techniques to accomplish this, often in split seconds - shoving, or grappling.

Either way, the sound of the two athletes meeting in the first moment of the match reverberates around the hall.

Prime Locations

The cushions right next to the dohyō are of course extremely sought-after - but also, somewhat dangerous.

During one specific contest, a tall wrestler went plummeting into the audience - perhaps making those in more affordable locations breathe a sigh of relief.

Internal Challenges

Of course, the stature of the wrestlers is one of the first things most people think of when they think of sumo.

The facility's operators revealed they "needed to find and acquire reinforced furniture which can take up to 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its sell-out events - is not without its difficulties behind the scenes.

Potential Issues

Perhaps the strict life of a sumo wrestler doesn't look as appealing as it once might have.

Its appeal among youth in Japan is also being threatened by other sports, while Japan's decreasing numbers will not help.

Worldwide Following

Not that any of this has troubled spectators in London.

"Experiencing the ritual and ceremony that accompanies sumo is particularly meaningful," an attendee explains. "Now, seeing it live, you feel like you are more engaged."

For other enthusiastic fans, the intensity "produced unforgettable moments" - as did meeting the fellow enthusiasts.

"Leaving a highly specialized online community and being able to see all these sumo fans in person and being able to converse with other people who are just as into this as we are - it was completely valuable."