1. Sumo Wrestling By Zac

2. Sumo Rules • There are few rules of Sumo. • These rules are: • Only the soles of your feet are allowed to hit the Dohyo. • You cannot go out of the red ring.

3. Tradition • たくさ　でんとうと　ぎしきが　あります。　 • (There are many traditions and rituals of sumo). • Sumo wrestling was originally performed to entertain the gods during festivals and celebrations. The real name for a sumo is a Rikishi.

4. Origin • Sumo wrestling appears in the earliest histories of Japan, the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki, and in early Shinto. By the end of the Heian period (794-1185), it was established as a court ritual for some three hundred years . It was only seen as a spectator sport n the late 1600’s and is now seen as Japans national sport .

5. Uniform • Sumo wrestlers wear a thing called Mawashi it is a belt that the Rikishi wears during training or a tournament. Higher ranked Rikishi wear a thing called a Kesho-Mawashi during as part of the ring entry ceremony or Dohyo –iri.

6. Tournaments • All tournaments are held in January, may and September each tournament lasts 15 days each. Sumo is an all day event but the most important matches are held in the afternoon (they start at 14:45). The lower rankedりきし(rikishi) start in the morning, they also don’t perform the traditions the higher ranked • りきし (rikishi)do. They don’t throw the salt on the (dohyo) and repeating restarts of the tart position.

7. Doyho • The doyho is the surface sumo play on. It is a 4.55 meter circle of rice-straw which changed from 3.94 meters in 1931, the surface is covered by sand. It is 34cm- 60cm high. A new one is built every time before a tournament those people are called Yobidashi. In Nagoya pieces of the doyho are given to fans who will take it home as a souvenir from the tournament.

8. Some Facts • It can take 10 years to become a professional fighter. • In one month a sumo wrestler would eat the same amount of food a family of four would eat. • The heaviest ever Rikishi weighed 498 pounds and was only 21 years old !

9. salary • Though all sumo rikishi are considered professionals, only the rikishi from the top two divisions (Makuuchi and Juryo) receive a monthly salary. Also, there are 5 different ranks within the Makuuchi division, and each rank is paid differently. Here is a breakdown of the salaries: • Yokozuna ¥2,820,00= $3,544.73 AUD • Ozeki ¥2,350,000 = $29,549.56 AUD • Sekiwake ¥1,700,000 = $21,376.65 AUD • Omusubi ¥1,700,000 =$21,376.65 AUD • Maegashira ¥1,300,000=$16,350.67 AUD • Juryo ¥1,030,000= $12,948.47 AUD