05 Why Are Sumo Wrestlers So Fat?

It is very difficult to stop a train, a ship, or any large object that is moving. The same is true for a sumo wrestler. A big wrestler is hard to move. It is easier for him to move you—like a train that hits a bicycle.

Sumo is a kind of wrestling that comes from Japan. It is Japan's national sport.The origin of sumo wrestling is religious.It came from Japan's Shinto religion. You can see the effect of the religion in every part of the sport. For example, the ring, or dohyo, looks like a Shinto temple. The dohyo is fifteen feet across and two feet high.All the decorations are Shinto symbols, too.

Each sumo match starts with a traditional ceremony. The ceremony is as important as the wrestling, and the people like to watch it. Each movement in the ceremony has a special meaning. To begin the ceremony, the wrestlers face each other and raise their arms. In the past, this was to show that they didn't have any knives. Then they clap their hands and stamp their feet. In the past, this was to chase away demons, or bad spirits. Each wrestler has a unique style for his movements. One wrestler may finish the ceremony in one minute, another may take three minutes. The last part of the ceremony is to throw salt in the ring. This means that the ring is clean and ready to use.

After the ceremony, the wrestling match starts. The basic rules of sumo are simple and few, which means that matches can be very exciting. During the match the wrestler can't pull hair, hit with a closed fist,or choke the other wrestler(but he may push at his throat). He can do anything else. The first wrestler who touches the ground with anything except his feet or steps out of the ring is the loser. Five judges watch the match.A match only lasts a few seconds and rarely lasts one minute.

To become a sumo wrestler you must first join a stable. To enter a stable, you must be fifteen to twenty-two years old. You must be at least five feet seven inches tall and weigh at least 165 pounds. Parents must agree to let their son join a stable, and he must pass a physical exam. When he joins a stable, a wrestler trains and lives there. He is part of that stable for the rest of his life.

In a stable, rank is extremely important. New members start training at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. In the beginning, new wrestlers do the housework nobody likes. They prepare lunch, clean, wash clothes, and do many other chores. Wrestlers of low rank always serve wrestlers of high rank.

Weight is important to sumo wrestlers. When they join a stable, wrestlers may weigh less than 200 pounds, but they must gain weight to advance. The average weight of a top-rank wrestler is 335 pounds. Wrestlers are big, but they are not all fat. They have strong muscles in their arms and legs. They are also very flexible. Some sumo wrestlers have less body fat than the average businessman. Weight is important, but they must also have speed, strength,balance, and technique. Sumo wrestlers can have health problems because of their weight, too. They often have heart trouble, high blood pressure,diabetes, and injuries from wrestling. Most wrestlers try to lose weight after they retire.

It is not easy for some wrestlers to get big. They don't eat candy or other junk food to gain weight. They eat large portions of high-calorie food with lots of rice. Some wrestlers eat 20,000 calories a day. That's ten times the calories an average person eats. They also exercise a lot to build muscle.

In Japan, sumo wrestlers are national heroes. They are as popular as movie stars. The Japanese believe that sumo wrestlers bring good luck. If a sumo wrestler of high rank picks up a baby, the baby will grow big and strong. They are also popular with women. Sumo wrestlers often marry models, actresses, or television stars.