Full Sumo - The Complete Guide to Japan's National Sport: Rituals, 82 Kimarite, Rankings, Stables, and the Hidden World of Professional Sumo (Full Sumo Series)

The Complete Guide to Professional Sumo

Sumo wrestling is a world unlike any other - where centuries-old ritual, strict hierarchy, and elite athletes shape every moment inside the ring.

Full Sumo goes beyond what most fans see, breaking down how wrestlers enter the professional world, how they train and live within the system, how bouts are decided, and what it takes to rise through the ranks.

Designed for both new and dedicated fans, this sumo wrestling book offers a clear, structured understanding of the sport.

Inside this book, you’ll learn how sumo really works:

• The rules of victory inside the dohyō
• The two core fighting styles - oshi-zumo (pushing and thrusting) and yotsu-zumo (belt grappling) - and how they define strategy in the ring
• The 82 official kimarite (winning techniques) and how they appear in real bouts
• The rituals rooted in Shinto tradition - from ring purification to pre-bout ceremonies
• The banzuke ranking system and the demanding path to Yokozuna
• The ichimon system - the five major sumo families and their influence on rankings and internal politics
• Life inside a heya - daily training, hierarchy, and discipline behind the scenes
• Life after retirement - the paths available to former wrestlers, from coaching and elder roles to leaving the sumo world
• The business, politics, scandals, and modern evolution shaping today’s professional sumo
• A complete day at a sumo tournament - from entering the arena to the final bow-twirling ceremony

Sumo is not only tradition - it is discipline, pressure, and survival inside one of the most demanding systems in sport.

This is sumo explained from the inside out.

Ideal for readers who want a deeper, insider understanding of professional sumo.