🔗 Share this article

Only a handful of competitions can hold spectators spellbound through an extended period of ceremony before the opening contest is even contested.

Yet the complex rituals unfolding in a compact earthen circle - largely unaltered for generations - accomplished exactly that.

Experience the Grand Sumo Tournament

This week-long competition at the historic concert hall features four dozen top-tier rikishi showcasing a sport whose first mention dates back to the first century BC.

London's historic performance space has been utterly transformed, complete with a massive traditional roof structure hanging above the dohyō.

Historical Ceremonies Meet Current Innovations

It is here the competitors, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to expel negative energies, and where they clap to get the attention of the gods.

Above all this historical practice, a massive rotating display - that appears natural at an American basketball game - offers the audience all the stats and replays they could want.

Global Fans Embrace Sumo

For Sian Spencer, it was a "random video" that first captivated her a couple of years ago.

This was soon supplemented with the discovery of focused video platforms for training facilities, where athletes reside and practice, waking up early to train, followed by a protein-rich meal and then an midday rest - all in the effort toward bulking up.

Hailing from Scotland, Alternative View

Another couple discovered sumo through a established path: a trip to Japan six years ago.

"We approached it as a common sightseeing event, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"Subsequently, we tried to find communities, information, just to expand our knowledge about it," the other fan explains.

Special Event

Traveling to Asia is typically the sole method to see a elite competition.

This week's event marks only the second instance the tournament has appeared in the capital - the previous visit was in the early nineties.

Even visiting the country isn't a guarantee of securing tickets, with recent years seeing sold-out events.

First-Hand Experience

For numerous spectators, the UK competition represents the premier chance they have experienced the sport directly - and it doesn't disappoint.

"Seeing it up close, you get a feeling of velocity and the force which you don't get on TV," explains an attendee. "They are so big."

The Matches

To achieve victory, one wrestler needs to force his opponent from the dohyō or to the ground using raw power.

The most use one of two styles to achieve this, often in split seconds - shoving, or wrestling.

Either way, the impact of the two athletes colliding in the initial contact of the match reverberates around the hall.

Front Row Positions

The seats right next to the competition area are of course extremely sought-after - but also, a bit risky.

During one recent bout, a tall wrestler tumbled into the crowd - perhaps making those in slightly cheaper seats breathe a sigh of relief.

Organizational Issues

Of course, the dimensions of the athletes is one of the initial aspects most people imagine when they contemplate wrestling.

The venue's management revealed they "had to source and buy new chairs which can support 200kg in weight."

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

Potential Issues

Perhaps the demanding existence of a rikishi doesn't look as attractive as it once might have.

Its appeal among young Japanese is also being threatened by different athletic pursuits, while Japan's decreasing numbers will not help.

Global Community

Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.

"Experiencing the custom and formality that goes with sumo is particularly meaningful," an attendee explains. "Currently, observing it in person, you sense that you are more involved."

For other enthusiastic fans, the intensity "made it so incredible" - as did meeting the like-minded individuals.

"Leaving a particularly focused online community and being able to see all these sumo fans directly and being able to chat with other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was absolutely worthwhile."