Sumo Stable

Posted on 20. May, 2009 by Kerry Banks in International

We are seated cross-legged on the floor of a wood-panelled dining room. Laid out before us is an array of aromatic dishes. Unfortunately, my appetite has faded. I blame our waiters. Each weighs about 130 kilograms and all have rolls of suet quivering beneath their skin. Even more unusual is their attire–they are wearing nothing but white loincloths. The sight of bulging butt cheeks so close to my food is both a novel and distracting experience.

We are guests for breakfast at a Japanese sumo stable, and not just any stable, but Kokonoe-beya, the school run by the greatest sumo star of modern times, Chiyonofuji, a.k.a. “the Wolf.” Being invited to dine with Chiyonofuji is a rare privilege, the Japanese equivalent of brunch with Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan. During his career, he has won 1,045 matches, including a record 807 in the elite Makouchi division and 31 grand championships. The legend himself sits directly to my left, devouring a platter of sushi. Eyeing my scrawny frame, Chiyonofuji gestures at the main course, indicating that I should dig in, and pantomiming with his hands to show how it will make me grow. It seems wise to follow his advice. Although he retired in 1991, there is nothing soft about the man. He looks like a heavy from a gangster movie, the guy the boss sends for when bones need breaking.

There are 54 sumo stables in Japan, all located in or near Tokyo. Rarely visited by westerners, these enclaves offer a portal into Japan’s feudal past. Having sworn loyalty to the stablemaster, novice wrestlers cook, clean and play valet to the senior grapplers in return for shelter and food. Living and training in communal quarters, the recruits develop their strength and technique in the hopes of climbing through the ranks. Once a wrestler or rikishi joins a stable he remains there for the rest of his career.

zimbio.com

A typical sumo day

Life at a sumo stable begins at 5 a.m., when the novices report for several hours of training. At about 7 a.m., the senior rikishi join them. Before our meal, we spent an hour in the adjoining keikoba watching the novices work out. The scene was unlike anything in a Western gym—nary a Nautilus machine, treadmill or juice bar in sight. Instead, in a bare room with a dirt floor, these round-shouldered hulks grunted their way through a series of slow-moving exercises: alternatively raising their legs and stomping; repeatedly slapping their hands and shoulders against a wooden pillar; and sitting on the floor and spreading their legs as wide as possible while bending their heads forward. If a wrestler couldn’t get the proper extension, one of his pals would help out by pressing down on his back. The exercises were followed by practise bouts in the dirt ring. Gradually, the rikishi grew dirtier and dirtier.

After morning training, wrestlers customarily bathe, then gorge themselves on chanko-nabe, a protein-rich one-pot meal comprised of broth, fish, meat and vegetables. The repast includes side dishes, huge bowls of rice and plenty of beer. They then retire for a nap, the best method to convert the calories to fat. Early in the evening they will eat again. Packing on the pounds is a key part of their apprenticeship. Although speed and power are important in sumo, without sufficient bulk, a rikishi can’t become a champion. The reason is simple: all 850 of Japan’s sumo wrestlers compete in the same weight class, struggling upward through a pyramidal hierarchy.

flickr.com

Thinking of a career in sumo?

To enter the sport, candidates must weigh at least 75 kilograms. Top-division wrestlers average 157 kilograms (345 pounds). The heaviest rikishi in history, Konishiki, a.k.a the Dump Truck, tipped the scales at an earth-shaking 253 kilograms (604 pounds). The minimum height required is 173 centimetres. Yet, even when one is too short there are solutions. One wrestler recently overcame the barrier by having four inches of silicone injected into the top of his skull.

After several bowls of chanko-nabe, we bid Chiyonofuji good-bye and leave the stable. Outiside in the street, we meet a trio of rikishi wearing flowery kimonos and clog sandals called geta. Like everything else in sumo, footwear denotes rank. Romantic as it may be, the clip-clop of the wooden geta indicates a junior wrestler. In the light of day, the three seem very young. They carry cloth shopping bags and smell of bentsuke wax, a soybean extract used to hold their burnished topknots in place. These teenagers apparel is a reminder that they live this role 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is no other life to go home to. We take their pictures and then watch them totter away into the electric hum of Tokyo.

Tags: Japan, Sports Travel, Sumo