Mina Hall

Sumo wrestling...In a dirt ring, two giant men perform the age-old ritual, stomping and clapping to alert the gods. Then, in a great burst of energy, they charge forward and grapple each other to determine who will be champion...

The Big Book of Sumo is an illustrated guide to Japan's ancient ritual sport that today is winning new fans around the world. Super sumo fan Mina Hall covers all aspects of sumo, including history, traditions, training, stable life, rankings, fighting strategies, and judging. She goes inside the 'stables' to show the rigorous, disciplined life of a sumo wrestler. She also gives advice on how you can visit a stable yourself and where to eat and stay near the main sumo arena in Tokyo. Of special interest are a collection of belly-busting 'sumo stew' recipes and a revealing look at the Hawaiian power-houses who have helped make sumo a truly international sport.

Whimisical line drawings make The Big Book of Sumo the most user friendly sumo guide book available-fun to browse through and filled with amazing facts about the giant wrestlers of Japan.

Hawaiian sumo stars Konishiki says: 'This book is simple and easy to understand. If you like sumo, you gotta get it!'

An All-Conference tennis player while majoring in Japanese studies, Mina Hall, is a graudate of the Universiy of Hawaii at Manoa. While living and working in Japan she became friends with several champion sumo wreslters. She continues to visit the training stables and writes a regular sumo column in print and on the Internet.

Contents

Introduction
A brief history of sumo
the rikishi road
Practice-The training area; Stable life
Chankonabe: Sumo stew
After practice hours
Ranking
Juryo: The big jump
Makuuchi division
Tsuanuchi-shiki: The Yokozuna belt-making ceremony
Banzuke: The ranking sheet
Life in the ranks of sumo
Honbasho: Tournaments
Tournament pageantry
Juryo and makuuchi dohyo-iri
Yokozuna dohyo-iri
Shikiri: Pre-bout rituals
The shitakubeya
Before the march
Niramiai: Head to head
The fight
In the ring
Yumitori-shiki: The bow-twirling ceremony
Senshuraku: the final day
Incentive pay
After the tournament
The sumo clalendar
Hanazumo
Shikona: Fighitng names
Physics of a wrestler's physique
A noble strength
Health hazards of being a rikishi
Retirement
The Japan Sumo Association
Ichimon: Affiliated stables
Shinpan: Judges
Gyoji: Referees
Yobidashi: Ring attendants
Tokoyama: Hairdressers
Hair care
Visiting Ryogoku
Map of Ryogoku
Places to go
Visiting a stable
Azumazeki-beya
Takasago-o-beya
Musashigawa-beya
Popular sumo stables
Other foreign rikishi
Tegata: Hand prints
Sumo records
Honbasho locations
Sumo words
References (bibliography)… (meer)