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The pudgy giants have been turning heads in and out of the ring during
their historic trip to the Las Vegas Strip to participate in the Grand
Sumo Championships at Mandalay Bay. It marks the first time in two
decades that the three-day exhibition has graced U.S. soil.
As
expected, Asashoryu, the highest-ranked competitor in the field and
reigning
Grand Champion, captured
the overall crown after winning a title on Sunday. He, also, have been
performing the ceremony before the contest starts, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday. The opening ceremony can be only performed by a Grand Champion.
"It's not just fat guys in diapers dancing in a circle," said Hiro
Ichioka, one of dozens of Japanese journalists covering the competition.
The athletes' training regimen ranks among
the most structured in the world. Many sumo wrestlers begin training at
age 15, rising before 5 a.m. to perform chores. All are subject to a
strictly enforced code of conduct and, unless they are married, live in
dormitories with their teammates.
The
sumo wrestlers follow strict daily routine and culinary habits in order
to gain pounds. Most sumos consume 5,000 calories a day, with 10,000
calories a day not uncommon. Sometimes beefing up requires force
feeding. Each meal portion equals that of five normal people. They also
wake up early morning to start training. Some of them start their day at
5am every single day, follows a strict training regimen until 10am,
taking a bath and eat lunch. They usually eat the last meal of the day
at the usual dinner hour. Some of the every day meals consist of
chanko(*), a stew-type mix of fish, beef, rice, Chinese
cabbage, daikon radish, eggplant, leeks, onions, carrots, shiitake
mushrooms, cakes of fresh tofu, soy saude, sake, salt and udon noodles.
Beer, omelets, shrimp dumplings and fried chicken usually complement
meals.
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Some sumo wrestlers regularly ate 6 to 10 bowls of chanko, plus 8 huge
bowls of rice, about 130 pieces of sushi and 30 portions of barbecued
beef.
Grand Champion Asashoryu eats, as a treat, pasta or hamburgers. He also
had eaten the pufferfish takifugu, a Japanese delicacy known as fugu
that can kill if improperly prepared.
Midday naps follow the huge meals and are vital to packing on pounds.
(*)
Shanko dates to at least the late 19th century. Its nutrients
are designed to add density to the bones, the Japanese believe.
Asashoryu Profile
Born: September 27,1980 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Height 6 feet, ½ inch
Weight: 322 pounds
Given name: Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj
Style: The first Mongolian yokozuna (higest rank of Sumo), which
he was granted January 30, 2003, relies on speed and technique to defeat
foes who are usually much heavier.
Resume:
At the final day of the Autumn Basho Tournament on September 25th
in Rokyo, he secured his sixth consecutive Emperor’s Cup, or season
championship – matching a 38-year-sold record.
The Rebel:
He has drawn criticism by being the first yokozuna to be
disqualified in a match for pulling an opponent’s hair and has been
photographed in a suit instead of a traditional Japanese costume. He
also has refused to adopt Japanese citizenship.
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Vegas Grand Sumo
Championship
Sumo
practices & rituals
The
Rules of the Game
Basic sumo
slang or more frequently used
terms
Dohyo
mawashi
Sumo
Ranking System
Sumo Techniques
Sumo
Techniques 2
Picture on the left:
Asashoryu
performing
the
dohyo-iri
at the
Mandalay
Bay Events Center during the Grand Sumo
Championship - Vegas 2005
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