Sumo

Sumo
It was inevitable; I am a sports fan, I’ve got a TV and I live in Japan. I am now into Sumo and watch it at any given opportunity.
The appeal of Sumo lies in tradition and simplicity; two naked dudes trying to push each other out of the ring or make any part of their opponent’s body besides the soles of their feet touch the ground. It has been like that for over a thousand years, the same way. Tradition bound Japanese in the Sumo association work to make the sport as authentic as possible. In the ring where the action is, truly it is the same, but things are changing outside the “dojo”.
The big change over the last fifteen years is the foreign invasion. It started in the 1970’s with Hawaiians. The looming behemoth known as Akebono is actually a home boy from the island whose real name is Chad (Akebono is his wrestling name). He was the first foreigner to have taken the title of Yokuzuna, grand master. At the time there were also Japanese grand masters so perhaps there was a somewhat harmonious feeling with these new bloated imports. But with the recent retirement of Takanohana, there are no Japanese grand masters, in fact there is only one grand master. Asashoryu, the Blue Dragon, from Mongolia.
This Sumo bad boy had proven to be a nightmare for the Sumo association. At a mere 130kilos Asahoryu is lean, mean, fast, vicious, arrogant and nearly unbeatable. His antics on and off the ring have brought unwanted controversy to the sport. When he pulled on the top knot in the hair of a fellow Mongolian wrester he was known to dislike, Asashoryu shocked traditionalists who feel the Yokuzuna should be the embodiment of the restraint and stoicism in Sumo. There where calls to strip him of his rank. Most recently Asashoryu failed to show up to the traditional Sumo event on New Years day because he was in Mongolia visiting family. Then a photographer caught him wearing a business suit, when he should only be seen in public in his Kimono. The Sumo association was outraged and once again threatened to strip Asashoryu of his rank. In response Asashoryu came to the tournament and trashed the competition. In a display of fast and furious wrestling the Yokuzuna took out every competitor within seconds, throwing men 100 pounds heavier like sacks of potatoes (see drawing). Slapping, pushing and thrusting to a rare “Sensho Usho”, meaning an unbeaten 15 and 0 tournament winner.
I love Sumo, it is really violent and brutal. When the fighters fly off the raised wrestling mat into the audience or when the sound of the initial impact picks up on the TV like two coconuts smashing together, I feel I am watching one of the most intense and real sports in the world. I appreciate Asashoryu not only because he is a great Sumo wrester, but because he’s the outsider. I really relate to him because he is dedicated to excellence in the ring, but he’s his own man. I feel the same way. I want to dedicate to excellence in what I do; my drawing, teaching, cycling, but I don’t want anyone to dictate to me how to live my life. Just respect the results.