Sumo Wrestling History
Ceremonies are vital aspects of daily Japanese living. Drinking tea, eating a meal, dressing up, gardening, visiting someone's house, going to bed, and other typical activities are preceded or succeeded by ceremonial rituals and customs. No wonder that sumo wrestling, a traditional sport in Japan, also involves ceremonies. The pageant-like entrance of the sumo wrestlers, the throwing of hand fulls of salt and the ceremonial stomping of feet are just some of the rituals that precede a sumo competition. The rich ceremonies and customs that surround sumo can be traced back to sumo wrestling's history.
A well-known legend in Japanese history and culture mentions a sumo-like competition. According to legend, two tribes were fighting over the islands of Japan. The leader of one tribe was a god named Take-mikazuchi, while the other tribe was led by a god called Take-minakata. The two gods fought by grappling, just like in sumo wrestling. Take-mikazuchi won and the people that he led inhabited the islands.
So in the end, Japan was won through a sumo battle. Sumo wrestling has always been popular in the Japanese Imperial court. This is because the Japanese emperor is supposed to be the descendant of the god Take-mikazuchi.
The ritualistic character of sumo wrestling can be traced back to the association of sumo with the Shinto religion. Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion that involves the belief and worship in kami or spirits. There are even ritualistic Shinto dances that mimic a sumo wrestling bout between a human being and a kami.
In the early part of sumo wrestling's history, sumo was a form of ritualistic ceremony performed as a way of praying for a good year's harvest. However, sumo wrestling quickly spread and became a popular sport. Ancient sumo wrestling matches were not like the ones we see today in television and movies. In the early decades of sumo wrestling's history, the bouts would normally end when one of the sumotori or competitors was dead or fatally wounded.
During the Age of the Samurai, Japanese warlords saw the power and skills of sumo wrestlers and thus, hired them. Sumo wrestling even became part of military trainings. Many a great warlord also held annual sumo competitions because of their love for sumo wrestling. Because of this, the Imperial court banned sumo wrestling.
Sumo became very popular during the Edo period. Sumo wrestling competitions were held to raise funds for temples and shrines, and sumo wrestling developed into a full-time profession. It was also during this stage in sumo wrestling's history that the rules and customs of sumo competitions resembled that of modern sumo. A set of rules and standards were decided on and written, and a list of legal or acceptable moves were made. The sumotori ranking system also originated during this stage of sumo wrestling's history.
From then on, sumo wrestling became a widely popular sport throughout Japan and all over the world. Sumo continues to be popular even in these modern times because of its rich culture and colorful history.