SUM0

[jasonf]

check out the knock out slap at 1:53...Anyone know the rules for slapping to the face?

[iwalkthecircle]

sumo looks so fun....


is there such thing as skinny sumo player?
i am about 10% fat or lower.

[JAB]

Slapping is completely legal. No closed hand strikes, or chops.

I believe to be pro Sumo you need to weigh at least 165#'s but I could be wrong. No tattoo's.
Jake

[Interloper]

From what I've read and also heard about the art from old-timers and those who knew the old-timers, there was once a lot more going on in sumo in terms of internal training (I'm donning the flak jacket now ). Internal structure and power generation contributed to 1. making sumo players harder to throw, while making their own throwing skills more powerful and 2. generating even more power for those sumo slaps.

Looking at old photos and woodblock prints of sumo matches and players, competitors were always bigger than the norm, but I don't see pictures of grossly obese men with huge folds of fat like you see today. I have a number of Edo-period woodblocks and even a page from a sumo instruction manual from about 1850-1860, and the guys are big, but they are muscled more than fatty (maybe due to the artist being a bit flattering? But maybe not.) It gives me the impression that today's sumo has come to rely more on body weight to provide an advantage. I wonder what that could mean, when held in contrast to the old-style sumo?

As a historical note, Sokaku Takeda (founder of Daito-ryu) was the son of a professional sumo player, and learned the art at an early age. He was about 5' tall or less, and around 100 lbs (or less) as a youth, but would sneak off to sumo matches and come home with the top prizes. Maybe an indication that the skills themselves may have played a stronger role over sheer size.


Man, I don't know how they can do that stuff while wearing fundoshi -- the Japanese male equivalent to thong underwear! It's like an invitation to constant wedgies.

[Chris Fleming]

Sumo KO

[shmirsh]

Chiyonofuji was no tub of lard and held the top spot for about 10 years, regularly defeating fighters way bigger than him



53 successive wins.

[middleway]

If there is one group of hard asses in the world i wouldn't want to mess with .... its traditional Sumo-tori.

The dudes are as tough as nails and welded to the earth when they move.

From what I've read and also heard about the art from old-timers and those who knew the old-timers, there was once a lot more going on in sumo in terms of internal training (I'm donning the flak jacket now ). Internal structure and power generation contributed to 1. making sumo players harder to throw, while making their own throwing skills more powerful and 2. generating even more power for those sumo slaps.

Seriously .... is there ANY art that you dont think had 'internal training' originally .... lol



Cheers
Chris

[chrislomas]

To echo interlopers point on the size, I had (I own a second hand bookshop) an 1890s book of Japanese photo that showed a picture of a sumo training school and they were all pretty athletic looking.

[middleway]

To echo interlopers point on the size, I had (I own a second hand bookshop) an 1890s book of Japanese photo that showed a picture of a sumo training school and they were all pretty athletic lookin

Oh yeh i totally agree, the old sumo tori were built like brick shit houses but certainly not fat. They all had big hara which was due to the posture and training they employ. They look like having a Gorilla's posture to my eye in many ways ... n we know how powerful Gorillas are ...



cheers
Chris

[Ian]

[shmirsh]

excellent find Ian ! it might even persuade my wife that sumo is not all "fat lubbards in nappies bitch slapping each other"

[JAB]

Is there some fucking rule that if you post on EF you HAVE to include the word "internal??"
Do you guys realize it is just your silly asses that reference things like this?? I just had a talk with my mantis teacher the other week about the same subject. He was as baffled at it as I was, and said no one spoke like this in China growing up and training!

Jake

[middleway]

QFT ....

cheers
Chris

[Bodywork]

Is there some fucking rule that if you post on EF you HAVE to include the word "internal??"
Do you guys realize it is just your silly asses that reference things like this?? I just had a talk with my mantis teacher the other week about the same subject. He was as baffled at it as I was, and said no one spoke like this in China growing up and training!

Jake

Hmm... maybe I can swear in frustraion too.
Well to address your silly ass, Sumo used to have very specific exercises and ways of training. Do you know them? Do you know why they were important? WHat they meant to accomplish? So do other Japanese arts that clearly and definitively differentiate their internal conditioning training from their arts waza and external training. Do you know what they are? What they are meant to do?
Silly asses?
Since I am not a fucking chi fairy or floaty arms waving in a park doofus I would be quite happy to meet your "silly ass" and discuss it.
I get your point and since I personally use the word internal ...a lot- I can understand your frustration, but I don't really care about your personal training experiences and what your teacher says and does, or cut you up for it. Since you just stated what you think of mine- I just wanted to opine in return that I don't really need to take shit for it on an internal forum (and no one else does either) in order for you to make your point.
Maybe another way of looking at it is this
If you don't *personally* differentiate what you are doing internally from normal BJJ or wrestling -Than what's the fucking point? You're just another wrestler with good technique.

[Bhassler]

For the record, JAB used the word "internal" in his post. So although he hates it, he still feels compelled to follow the rule (as do I)....

Also for the record, Interloper was the only one who brought up the dreaded "internal" word. Are we to assume then that JAB was using the majestic plural? If so, does anyone know if it's correct to use the royal plural relative to anatomy? In that case I believe the pronoun remains plural but the body part should stay singular. Next time I suggest saying "your silly buttocks" just to be on the safe side since buttocks would be plural in any case.