You know that sumo is Japan’s oldest martial art.That it goes back to Japan’s earliest civilization. That sumo bouts are mentioned in the Kojiki, Japan’s mythological stories of its creation.

You know that sumo bouts can be won in only two ways: Force your opponent out of the ring, or cause him to touch the ground with any part of his body other than his feet.

You know that while professional sumo gets much attention, sumo as a sport is pursued by hundreds of thousands of amateurs in Japan, and that many high schools and colleges have sumo clubs or teams.

Now, Here Are Some Things You May Not Know

Overall, there are two strategies in sumo. Yotsu-zumo refers to a style of sumo in which the wrestler, or rikishi, seizes the belt of his opponent and “grapples,” trying for a throw or some related technique.

Oshi-zumo calls for a forceful, driving action, accompanied by slaps or shoves, that sends the opponent reeling backward, either out of the ring or to the ground.

Which is the better strategy? If you think that baseball fans immerse themselves in a sea of statistics, studying batting averages, left-handed vs. right-handed pitchers throwing fastballs on cloudy days, and so on, you would find sumo’s preoccupation with such things even stranger. Statistics have been kept on literally every professional bout in sumo going back to the 17th century.

Obviously, there are lots of records in sumo. Even so, there’s no clear evidence that one of the aforementioned strategies is better than the other. Oshi-zumo, driving the opponent before an onslaught of slaps and shoves, has been more successful in more bouts.

However, when one adds other relevant factors, such as the strategy used by the opponent—does he also try to push, or does he go for the belt and try to effect a throw?—we find there’s no meaningful statistical advantage in pursuing one method over the other.

Oshi-Zumo vs. Yotsu-Zumo

It’s easy to think of oshi-zumo as simple, unilateral force and yotsu-zumo as clever manipulation of technique. But the truth is that one “style” includes elements of the other. There are subtleties in the way a rikishi directs his strikes and changes just fractionally his direction of force.

There is tremendous brute strength involved in even the most sophisticated throw or takedown. Very large rikishi early in their careers often concentrate on oshi-zumo, using their size and power. As they mature and move up in the ranks, they’re expected to moderate this and begin working on throwing techniques.

Rikishi are also classified, roughly, by body type. Those who are massive and “blubbery” are called ankogata. Slimmer, leaner wrestlers are called suppogata.

These words, incidentally, are invariably written with katakana, the form of shorthand used for foreign words, so it’s impossible to say where exactly they came from. (The –gata on the end is just like kata, or “form.”)

Is It Possible to Win a Sumo Bout Even If a Prohibited Part of Your Body Touches the Ground?

This is a good trivia question. The answer, surprisingly, is yes.

If you throw your opponent in such a way that you’re going to fall atop him, endangering him, you can break your fall with your hand. You can prop yourself up using the ground of the ring to keep your weight off your opponent below you.

This act is called kabaite.

It was seen most famously in 2004, when the 350-pound Kotonowaka threw Asashoryu conclusively but used his straightened arm to keep his weight from crushing Asashoryu. In an act that’s still debated, the referee called for a restart.

Asashoryu then threw Kotonowaka and won the tournament. Kotonowaka’s fans were outraged; their hero’s concern for his opponent had cost him an important bout, and they insist the call should have been kabaite.

Honbasho and Junior Competitors

Honbasho, the professional tournaments of sumo, are held six times a year, lasting all day for more than two weeks. While the matches of the most senior rikishi are wildly popular, many sumo aficionados like to arrive before dawn to watch the moshi-ai geiko of the junior competitors.

These are actually warm-up sessions. A rikishi takes on a steady stream of opponents, staying in the ring “king of the hill” fashion, until he’s defeated. The action is lively.

Isami-Ashi and Kimarite Dewa Nai Kimarite

Isami-ashi is an odd term heard in sumo. Literally meaning “brave feet,” it refers to the crashing charge a rikishi makes to force his opponent back and out of the ring. His opponent shifts, and the rikishi’s momentum carries him forward so fast he can’t put on the brakes.

He runs himself out of the ring—and into defeat. Isami-ashi is a colloquial way in Japanese of describing someone whose excessive enthusiasm gets him in trouble.

To win because of a mistake made by one’s opponent, as in isami-ashi, is called kimarite dewa nai kimarite. It means “winning without winning.” Another instance in which this term is used is when a rikishi trips or falls on his own, known as koshikudake, or “the hips are smashed.”

The idea of a specific term being used to denote that someone won not through his own effort but because of a mistake made by his opponent is intriguing. Sports do not include words for this sort of thing. A soccer player can score an “own goal” if he accidentally puts the ball in his own side’s goal.

The resultant victory, if there is one, though, is just a victory. Same for a baseball game if a passed ball goes by the catcher and allows a run from third base.

In sumo, however, a notation is made in the records that the win was not normal. Why? Is it because sumo, even though it’s a sport, is something more? Perhaps it’s a nod to sumo’s ancient martial past, when “winning” was more than just a matter of sport.

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