Sumo

Sumo has a number of connections to the Japanese religion Shinto.

Before entering the ring (dohyo in Japanese), the grand champion (yokozuna) does a ring entering ceremony called a dohyo iri. In the dohyo iri the Yokozuna stomps his feet and claps. This is meant to bless the ring and scare away any evil spirits.

Before entering the ring Sumo wrestlers spread salt. Salt is a sign of purity in the Shinto religion. They also rinse their mouths with water (chikara mizu). The water is likewise meant to purify. The sumo wrestlers hold out a ladle of water from which the subsequent wrestler drinks.

Around the waist of the yokozuna he wears a 'tsuna' The tsuna is a type of rope like the ones you can see outside the entrance to Shinto shrines (jinja).

I'm sure there are a lot more religious or quasi-religious associations. Modern Sumo has many of the trappings of religion but, wrestlers aren't necessarily believers in the Shinto religion. Indeed, the current top man in o-Sumo is not even Japanese. I think a lot of the religious significance of Sumo derives from the fact that it was traditionally done in the precincts of jinja.

Because they are all bedwetters and they get knocked out.

I dont think so, no.

Have you noticed, hardly any of them have marks on them from being 'punched' by the opponent?

Well, apart from when they actually do it with force. But no , your'e not supposed to.

Sumo wrestlers need body composition because it adds to their overall mass. They need the weight so if makes it harder for their opponent to move and throw them.

No, there are no weight classes in sumo. Weight gain is very important in sumo wrestling because a wrestler can face one who is much heavier than himself. Ultimately, the heavier wrestler usually has an upper hand.

If a high ranking sumo is demoted, it is possible that he will have to change his hair style. The ginko leaf is allowed to those of Juryo or above. Most wear a plain top knot when not in a tournament.

In a single match there are two sumo wrestlers competing against each other. In a tournament there can be dozens of competitors, in a round robin type format.

The ring is 455 cm in diameter. It is centered on a square that is 670 cm on each side. The surface is hard packed clay.

They normally live in their stable until they retire. If they are successful sumo, they may be able to become a coach or owner of a stable. Otherwise they find another way to make a living.

Mass makes it harder to move something. The bigger the wrestler, the more difficult it is to push them out of the ring, which is one of the ways you can win the match. It also makes them more difficult to pick up or push off balance.

Pay is based on the rankings and lower levels don't really get a salary, just some money for expenses and some appearances. The highest level can get as much as 2,000,000 yen a month as a salary.

sumo wrestling... check it out on wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo

Sumo is a Japanese sport. There are Chinese sumo wrestlers.

Japan, the country where this sport was born.

Sumo matches take place in a dohyō (土俵): a ring, 4.55 metres in diameter and 16.26 square meters in area, of rice-straw bales on top of a platform made of clay mixed with sand. A new dohyō is built for each tournament by the yobidashi. At the center are two white lines, the shikiri-sen, behind which the wrestlers position themselves at the start of the bout.

one

The question is unclear. The lowest of top five what? If it's top 5 ranks, then the answer is Maegashira- top to bottom it's Yokozuna (1 wrestler), Ozeki (5), Sekiwake (2), Komusubi (2) and Maegashira (32), as of last May's rankings. New rankings are out on June 28th.

The Yokozuna are Mongolian

The belt is called a Mawashi and the apron like garb worn when entering the ring is a Kesho-mawashi

They can only cheat by agreement with others. In some cases they agree to let someone beat them in exchange for money. There was a large scandal in the 2000's and the rules are being adjusted to make it more difficult to do so. Because of the openness of the ring and match, with so many spectators, it is pretty much impossible to do anything illegal during the match itself.

they usually have knee problems so they cant do anything sporty so they usually lose weight and take it easy

The earliest written mention of Sumo is found in the Kojiki, a book from the year 712, which is the oldest example of Japanese writing. The Kojiki relates a legend about how possession of the Japanese islands was determined by a Sumo match 2,500 years ago between the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata. The two men grappled on the shores of Izumo along the Japan Sea coast until the latter finally lost. Thus control of the archipelago was ceded to the Japanese people led by Takemikazuchi, who is said to have established the imperial family from which the present emperor traces his ancestry. Thus Sumo from the start was different from most other sporting matches; each match a historical recreation.

Sumos get different salarys according to their ranking. Yokozunas: 24,500$ month ozeki: 20,400$ sanyaku: 14,800$ month maegashira: 11,300$ month juryo: 9,000$ month lower than juryo would be a trainee.

Yokozuna (横綱) is the highest rank in sumo wrestling. The name comes from the most visible symbol of their rank, the wide (yoko) rope (tsuna) worn around the waist. The rope bears a marked similarity to the Shinto shimekazari rope often attached to torii temple gates and sacred trees, and like them serves to purify and mark off its content. The rope, which may weigh up to 20 kilograms, is not used during the matches themselves, but is worn during the yokozuna's dohyo-iri ring entrance ceremony.

Sumo wrestling and judo are two very different sports. While there are similarities, particularly in that one of the objects is to get your opponent on the ground, they have distinctly different rules and training regimes.