🔗 Share this article

Only a handful of competitions can keep viewers enthralled through three-quarters of an hour of tradition before the opening contest is even determined.

Yet the complex rituals unfolding in a compact earthen circle - mostly preserved for generations - succeeded in doing so.

Welcome to the Major Sumo Competition

This five-day event at the iconic London venue features 40 of the very best sumo athletes showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to 23BC.

London's renowned auditorium has been utterly transformed, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the dohyō.

Historical Ceremonies Meet Current Innovations

It is here the competitors, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their leg stomps to banish negative energies, and where they strike their hands to get the attention of the deities.

Above all this historical practice, a giant, revolving LED screen - which wouldn't look out of place at an professional sports event - offers the crowd all the statistics and footage they could want.

Worldwide Followers Embrace Sumo

For an enthusiastic follower, it was a "random video" that first drew her interest a couple of years ago.

This was soon supplemented with the discovery of dedicated YouTube channels for sumo stables, where wrestlers live and train, waking up early to practice, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an midday rest - all in the service of gaining weight.

Traveling from the North, Alternative View

Different enthusiasts discovered sumo through a more traditional route: a journey to Asia six years ago.

"We approached it as a very touristy activity, but we actually came to adore the sport," says Julia.

"Subsequently, we tried to find communities, materials, just to learn more about it," adds Cezar.

Special Event

Visiting the homeland is generally the primary approach to see a top-flight sumo tournament.

This London competition marks only the second time the tournament has appeared in the capital - the initial occasion was in the early nineties.

Even traveling to Asia isn't a guarantee of getting a seat, with current times seeing completely booked tournaments.

Live Observation

For many attendees, the London tournament represents the initial opportunity they have experienced the sport directly - and it lives up to the hype.

"Observing directly, you get a understanding of quickness and the force which you can't experience on TV," says Caspar Eliot. "They are so big."

The Matches

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

The primary group use one of pair of techniques to achieve this, often in instantaneous actions - thrusting, or grappling.

Either way, the sound of the two wrestlers colliding in the opening second of the match resounds around the auditorium.

Front Row Positions

The seats right next to the dohyō are of course greatly valued - but also, a bit risky.

During one particular match, a 191cm wrestler fell into the crowd - perhaps making those in more affordable locations experience comfort.

Organizational Issues

Of course, the stature of the rikishi is one of the initial aspects most people think of when they consider the sport.

The hall's organizers revealed they "needed to find and purchase additional seating which can take up to 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its successful competitions - is not without its troubles behind the scenes.

Future Challenges

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

Its popularity among youth in Japan is also being competed with by different athletic pursuits, while Japan's decreasing numbers will create further complications.

International Network

Not that any of this has worried fans in London.

"Seeing all this ritual and ceremony that accompanies sumo is especially significant," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it directly, you sense that you are more involved."

For other committed supporters, the intensity "created amazing experiences" - as did meeting the other fans.

"Getting out of a particularly focused online community and being able to see all these sumo fans in person and being able to converse with other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was completely valuable."