🔗 Share this article

Few sports can keep viewers enthralled through 45 minutes of tradition before the opening contest is even contested.

Yet the intricate traditions unfolding in a compact earthen circle - virtually unchanged for generations - succeeded in doing so.

Discover the Grand Sumo Tournament

This week-long competition at the Royal Albert Hall features 40 of the very best sumo athletes showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to 23BC.

London's historic performance space has been utterly transformed, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof hanging above the dohyō.

Historical Ceremonies Meet Modern Technology

It is here the wrestlers, known as sumo professionals, perform their foot stomping to banish evil spirits, and where they strike their hands to summon the divine beings.

Above all this traditional ritual, a giant, revolving LED screen - which wouldn't look out of place at an professional sports event - offers the crowd all the stats and replays they could want.

Worldwide Followers Embrace Sumo

For one dedicated fan, it was a "chance online clip" that first caught her attention a couple of years ago.

This was quickly followed by the discovery of focused video platforms for sumo stables, where athletes reside and practice, waking up early to train, followed by a protein-rich meal and then an afternoon nap - all in the pursuit of gaining weight.

Hailing from Scotland, Another Perspective

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

"We considered it a very touristy activity, but we actually developed passion for the sport," says Julia.

"Subsequently, we tried to find communities, resources, just to deepen our understanding about it," the other fan explains.

Unique Chance

Traveling to Asia is generally the primary approach to see a top-flight sumo tournament.

This week's event marks only the second occasion the tournament has come to London - the first time was in the early nineties.

Even visiting the country doesn't ensure of obtaining admission, with current times seeing completely booked tournaments.

First-Hand Experience

For numerous spectators, the UK competition represents the premier chance they have experienced the sport directly - and it lives up to the hype.

"Observing directly, you get a sense of the speed and the power which you don't get on TV," explains an attendee. "They are so big."

The Bouts

To succeed, one rikishi needs to move the other man from the dohyō or to the ground using physical force.

The most use one of pair of techniques to achieve this, often in moments - pushing, or grappling.

Either way, the sound of the two wrestlers meeting in the initial contact of the match resounds around the auditorium.

Prime Locations

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

During one particular match, a tall wrestler went plummeting into the audience - perhaps making those in slightly cheaper seats breathe a sigh of relief.

Internal Challenges

Of course, the size of the athletes is one of the primary elements most people consider when they think of sumo.

The facility's operators revealed they "had to source 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 demanding existence of a rikishi doesn't look as appealing as it once might have.

Its popularity among the younger generation is also being threatened by different athletic pursuits, while Japan's falling birthrate will not help.

International Network

Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.

"Seeing all this ritual and ceremony that is part of sumo is quite special," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it directly, you experience being you are more engaged."

For other enthusiastic fans, the intensity "made it so incredible" - as did meeting the fellow enthusiasts.

"Leaving a very niche online community and being able to observe numerous sumo fans live and being able to converse with other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was completely valuable."