I’ve recently been pulled into the unique lifestyle of sumo wrestlers in Japan. There are many different topics to cover within sumo; living in a sumo house, working your way up the ranks, chores as a sumo wrestler, foreigners in sumo, life after sumo, do’s and don’ts of sumo culture, karaoke, language, technique, etc. As an introduction to the sumo lifestyle, I would like to point out some notable topics.

The sumo lifestyle is interesting in that it is a full time commitment that has a financial system built in for young wrestlers to have their needs taken care of as they train and progress into the upper rank professionals. Therefore, once you move into a sumo house, you are not under financial obligations to pay rent or monthly bills. During their time as an amateur wrestler they become assistants to the professional wrestlers and receive a small salary for their work, but room and board, training, transportation, are taken care of by the stable master.

While the stable master is the coach and CEO of the sumo stable, the master also assumes the characteristics of a father. young sumo wrestlers requesting to enroll in a sumo house when asked the reason for their enrollment will answer 「親孝行がしたいです。」(oya koukou ga shitai desu) a symbolic phrase to show filial piety and mutual devotion between parents and children. The young wrestlers at age 15 and 16, come to live at the stable with the intent to dedicate themselves the the lifestyle of sumo.

While the sumo wrestler offers their devotion to the stable master in the form of filial piety, the sumo wrestlers receive an opportunity to develop themselves and fully devote their energy to dedicating themselves to the 3 prongs of budo. 心技体 (shin gi tai) or spirit, technique, and body are the three prongs of the sumo lifestyle. The sumo lifestyle encompasses not only the technical and physical training of the body but the spirit and mind as well.

Sumo at it’s core has maintained the essence of budo or the martial way. Not only in it’s conceptual practice of spirit, technique, and body, but also in the application of living the sumo lifestyle. This lifestyle is possible because it thrives in a systematic approach of the amateur wrestlers being raised into professional wrestlers under the same roof. This systematic approach, I believe, is the reason sumo is able to maintain it’s deep cultural roots, diligent training, and functioning ranking system.