WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO BE A SUMO WRESTLER

To become a sumo wrestler, you must first join a sumo school. To enter the school, you must be 15 years old, at least five feet seven inches tall, and weigh at least 165 pounds (75 kilos). Your parents must agree to let you join, and you must pass a physical exam. After you join, you live with other wrestlers for many years, and sumo becomes the most important thing in your life.

Life is hard when you join a sumo school because rank is very important. When you enter, you are at the bottom and have to work for the wrestlers of high rank. You have to get up at 04:00 in the morning and clean, wash, and cook. You must really want to be a sumo wrestler. Don’t forget this is a position of great honour in Japan. It’s like being a super star or a national hero. Many of the top models and actresses in Japan want to marry a sumo wrestler.

A sumo match always starts with an ancient ceremony. First, the wrestlers face each other and raise their arms. In the past, this showed that they didn’t have any knives. Next, they clap their hands and stamp their feet to send away the bad spirits. After that, they throw salt in the ring. This means that the ring is clean and ready. This ceremony can take one or ten minutes because each wrestler is different. Then the two wrestlers stare at each other. Finally, the match starts and is over in a few seconds. A match rarely lasts one minute. The rules are: a wrestler mustn’t pull hair, hit with a closed fist, or choke the other wrestler. The first wrestler to touch the floor is the loser.