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Azumazeki Sumo Stable Tokyo

25 images Created 19 Jan 2015

Azumazeki-beya is a stable of sumo wrestlers located at Higashi-Komagata, Sumido, Tokyo. Part of the Takasago group of stables, it was founded in 1986 by Hawaiian born Takamiyama. He was not only the the first foreign born rikishi to win the top division championship (in 1972) but also the first foreign born wrestler to ever take charge of a training stable.

The former Takamiyama was succeeded by the current stable master Ushiomaru after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in June 2009.

Ushiomaru is also a former rikishi who announced his retirement from active competition in May 2009. His highest rank was maegashira 10.
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  • Daily sumo practice is underway in the keikoba (sumo practice area). The atmosphere is disciplined and regimental.<br />
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Sumo of all experience train together but a rigid hierarchy is maintained. Each wrestler occupies the same place every day, with the junior wrestlers arriving first and standing furthest away from the oyakata (trainer sitting in the centre). <br />
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Like many spaces in Japan, the keikoba is small. This visitor friendly beya allows people to sit on the polished wooden floor area to watch daily practice. However, there are strict rules. No one is allowed to set foot on the clay training area or dohyo (ring), talking is forbidden and respect must be shown to sumo traditions all times.<br />
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Watching sumo practice is popular, so it can get very crowded on the tiny viewing area.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-24.jpg
  • The origins of sumo date back around 2,000 years. It has been practiced professionally for about 300 years. <br />
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Whilst many sports use technology and diet to develop efficient fitness and skill levels, sumo still embraces it's traditional Shinto roots.<br />
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In cramped training conditions, sumo perform a variety of seemingly old fashioned strength building exercises such as Shiko (leg stomping), push ups, lifting a hammer or old cast iron weights and even holding a large rock whilst performing leg squats. Cardio fitness is achieved by repeatedly performing strenuous physical exercises and continuous practice bouts.<br />
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The big wooden pole at the back is called a teppo and is used by wrestlers to repetitively slap their hands on. This is to practice engaging an opponent. The sound produced is like a loud ticking clock.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-15.jpg
  • Sumo are surprisingly flexible. Here, they perform Matawari (sumo splits) which are an integral part of daily training designed to promote suppleness in the body.<br />
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Depending on how close a tournament may be, practice can last anything from 3-4 hours daily, with at least 1 hour spent warming up and stretching. Practice usually starts around 6.45 am with a gentle pace. The intensity slowly builds before the more energetic and harder hitting bouts start.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-2.jpg
  • Younger sumo perform rigorous strength building exercises like push-ups and leg squats throughout the training session. All under the watchful eyes of more experienced sumo and the oyakata (trainer).<br />
<br />
More experienced sumo perform the same exercises at a more relaxed pace.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-18.jpg
  • The practice dohyo (ring) is made of specific clay and topped with a spreading of sand. It is 4.55m in diameter. Tournament dohyo’s are usually a raised clay platform with a round circle representing the ring. Wrestlers believe the dohyo to be not just a ring, but a place where gods descend.<br />
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Here a junior sumo sweeps the dohyo after warm up exercises with a traditional besom broom in order to prepare for practice bouts. Only sumo are allowed to set foot on the dohyo. Woman are never allowed to enter or even touch the dohyo as it's traditionally seen to be a violation of the dohyo.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-19.jpg
  • There are many ritual elements to sumo. Salt that is thrown into the dohyo at the beginning of bouts as it is believed to purify.<br />
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Some rikishi are famous for throwing large amounts of salt at a time. This can look spectacular and is enjoyed by watching spectators.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-25.jpg
  • One training drill technique is butusakari-geiko. This is where sumo push each other with force across the dohyo (ring) in order to learn the necessary leverage and hand placement (see the drag marks in the dirt).<br />
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Takami (left) is much bigger than Otaki (right) but the young 16 year old is still expected to push the heavy sumo aggressively. This can be an exhausting exercise and is repeated many times until the junior sumo nearly collapses in exhaustion.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-4.jpg
  • Sumo start young, sometimes at 14 years old. Here, 16 year old Yamasaki from Kaiso's Asakayama stable is no exception. <br />
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The size and shape of a young sumo is put into perspective as he trains next to older and much larger sumo. This is one reason why sumo eat so much as it supports physical growth.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-26.jpg
  • It may seem unorthodox to modern sport but there is no formal teaching of holds or manoeuvres in sumo. Wrestlers learn by trying and then repeating again and again. Others observe intensely. Even the more experienced sumo always watch the juniors and listen to the oyakata's (trainers) comments. Whilst the oyakata will often deliver instructions and feedback on each practice bout, it is not as animated or as involved as trainers from many other sports.<br />
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Sumo is an incredibly disciplined sport and can appear strange to foreigners at first. The wrestlers will always do as instructed, never comment or complain and try not to show pain, no matter how much they feel it. They just repeatedly shout "hai", bow their head and push even harder.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-28.jpg
  • Moshi-ai-geiko is a common form of practice bout. Here, the winner stays, chooses his next opponent and continues to fight until he has lost. This form of practice pitches all levels and sizes of sumo together.<br />
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As with everything in sumo, wrestlers must appear to be keen to fight. The moment a bout is over, sumo surge forward and raise their hands enthusiastically and shout loudly to be chosen.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-14.jpg
  • Nakata is one of the youngest sumo at the beya (stable) and is being trained by Takami. As with all young sumo, he is constantly pushed to the edge of his physical and emotional limits.<br />
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Sumo are rolled or thrown aggressively onto the floor during workouts as part of the toughening up process. Ridicule is included too. This helps develop the right mental attitude required to make it in this competitive sport. <br />
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After this exercise and completely exhausted, the young sumo will stagger to fetch water for their trainer and then bow and repeatedly thank him for teaching. Only then can he drink himself.<br />
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Observers in the public gallery often gasp in disbelief at the treatment young sumo receive. However, this is simply an integral part of the training.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-3.jpg
  • Takami (right) from Azumazeki-beya is seen here winning a bout at the New Year Basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan January 2015. Takamis' ranking is West Makushita 58th.<br />
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There are six tournaments held every year in Japan, each lasting 15 days. Three in Tokyo and one in Osaka Prefectural, Aichi Prefectural and Fukuoka Prefectural respectively.
    Azumazeki.jpg
  • The rules in sumo are simple: the first wrestler who leaves any part of the the ring or touches the ground with any part of his body besides the soles of his feet loses.<br />
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At the initial charge both wrestlers jump up from the crouch after simultaneously touching the surface of the dohyo (ring) with both fists.<br />
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Bouts are often very quick can and usually last just a few seconds.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-20.jpg
  • In a bout, a rikishi can generally use any technique or manoeuvre except hitting with a clenched fist (face, ears, body etc), pulling  hair, grabbing an opponent's mawashi (belt) in the crotch area or choking an opponent. <br />
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However, a sumo may push at the throat as seen here but without squeezing his hands. This technique is called tsuppari and is a thrusting open-handed strike to the upper chest or face.<br />
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Whilst rikishi use many techniques during a bout, his style can usually be classified into one of two:<br />
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Oshi-zumo - a tendency to push an opponent out of the ring.<br />
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Yotsu-zumo - a tendency to grab an opponent's belt and force him out of the ring. <br />
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The best rikishi combine the use of both styles effectively.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-5.jpg
  • A kimarite is a winning technique. Whilst there are over 60 official kimarite, usually around a dozen or so are regularly seen. <br />
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A rikishi can gain advantage over his opponent by reaching around and grabbing his opponent's belt and by doing so, keeps his opponent's arm pinned near his body. This technique is called uwate (outside grip). <br />
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Maintaining the outside grip, a rikishi can then throw his opponent down or use his leverage to force his opponent out of the ring.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-7.jpg
  • Very experienced eyes watching daily training...<br />
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On the left is current Azumazeki oyakata Ushiomaru.<br />
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In the middle is Kaio, a former rikishi and now oyakata of Asakayama-beya. Kaio's stable has 4 registered sumo as of January 2015 and were training with Azumazeki wrestlers.<br />
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On the right is Takamiyama who founded Azumazeki stable in 1986. Hawaiian born Takamiyama was the first foreign born rikishi to win the top division championship in 1972. he is also the first foreign born wrestler to ever take charge of a training stable.<br />
<br />
The former Takamiyama was succeeded by the current stable master Ushiomaru after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in June 2009.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-10.jpg
  • Seen here in the white mawashi (sumo belt) and timing leg squats on his mobile phone is Furiwake Oyakata - a very popular former rikishi known as Takamisakari. <br />
<br />
He used to represent the Azumazeki stable and was famous for his build up of eccentric series of muscle flexes and slaps and throwing large amounts of salt onto the dohyo. His nickname was robocop as it was suggested his movement inside the ring was very robotic.<br />
<br />
Now Furiwake is oyakata (trainer) at his old stable following his retirement early 2013.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-21.jpg
  • Fudano (left) is 23 years old and has been with Azumazeki for one year. Before joining, he used to play american football.<br />
<br />
Otaki (right) has is 16 years old and has also been at Azumazeki for one year.<br />
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Other sumo observe the bout or perform Shiko (leg stomping exercises) to develop lower body strength. This is a movement that sumo are well know for.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-27.jpg
  • The sounds that sumo make when they launch themselves at each other in training sessions is very distinctive.<br />
<br />
Younger and lighter sumo produce more of a series of short slaps with quick grunts and sniffs as their smaller and more agile frames react quickly to each others attacking moves. Whereas, the less agile and heavier sumo clash with a stinging and more prolonged crack as a large surface area of muscle and body mass collide. This is followed by a sharp exhale of breath.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-12.jpg
  • During rigorous and exhausting training drills a young sumo will often be slapped hard across the face by senior sumo or oyakata (Trainer). This can happen a few times each session and is done to toughen the spirit and mental attitude of a young sumo.<br />
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Here Kaiseio is slapped hard across his face by oyakata. He then bowed and thanked oyakata for training him.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-6.jpg
  • Practice bouts towards the end of a training session under the watchful eye of oyakata (trainer).<br />
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This is the time where bouts are more intense and can often be aggressive.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-29.jpg
  • At the end of a training session, oyakata (trainer) addresses the wrestlers and then closes the session with a number of sumo rituals.<br />
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All the junior sumo (who start practice first) have already left as they have regular chores to perform. These include cleaning, general duties and helping to prepare food as senior sumo will be hungry after practice.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-13.jpg
  • Sumo are relaxing and casually chat after a training session.<br />
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It's a real contrast from the sights and sounds they make during an intense training session when they often show immense aggression.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-17.jpg
  • Takami Sato has his hair prepared by a tokoyama - a hairdresser employed by the Japan Sumo Association to cut and prepare sumo wrestlers hair. This is done in a style called chonmage.<br />
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The Sumo Association rank tokoyama according to experience and ability and only the most senior tokoyama are entitled to prepare the more ornate oicho (or ginkgo leaf form of topknot) which sekitori ranked wrestlers wear in bouts and on formal occasions.<br />
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Upon his retirement, a rikishi has a ceremony called danpatsu-shiki. This is where he gets his topknot (oicho) cut in the dohyo (ring) sitting on a chair. His topknot is cut inch by inch by other rikishi, family members and friends. The final part is cut off by his oyakata (stable master). <br />
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This can be an emotional time as it signifies the end of his fighting career.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-23.jpg
  • Furiwake oyakata is seen here dipping his hand in black ink and imprinting it onto a square paperboard. This is called a tegata.<br />
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He will then write his shikona (fighting name) in calligraphy on the paperboard and give it to fans.
    Azumazeki Beya Sumo Stable-22.jpg
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