Giants of Sumo - Softcover

Patmore, Angela

3.44

9 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0356181200 ISBN 13: 9780356181202

Publisher: Queen Anne Press, 1991

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Sumo is fast becoming the UK's top cult sport. It is larger than life, full of colour and splendour, and has giant-size characters to match. They fight not just one another, but invisible forces in a Zen world which is, for them, a way of life. These huge stars are national heroes in Japan, and are already big news in Britain. They include the 35V2-stone Hawaiian Konishiki, known as the Dump Truck; a blazing typhoon called Terao; and the most formidable Grand Champion for many years, Chiyonofuji, the Wolf. Channel 4's ever-growing audiences are among the many keen to know more about the great men themselves, who are set to arrive in the UK for the 1991 Japan Festival, when they will fight in the Royal Albert Hall. Here they all are, from the Grand Champions and big favourites to the heavy set of the lower senior ranks. Find out about their triumphs and disasters, their tastes and techniques, as well as all the background information on rules, rituals, training and tournaments to help you enjoy this mesmerising sport.

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Synopsis:

The Rikishi - "strong men" - are national heroes in Japan, and their sport, Sumo wrestling, is rapidly gaining cult status in the UK, this book profiles the leading exponents of this mesmeric martial art, many of whom receive masses of fanmail from their British admirers. The top stars, e.g. supreme champion Chiyonofuji - the Wolf - and Konishiki - The Dump Truck, are huge figures of great charisma, charm and individuality, and Angela Patmore describes their physical and mental attributes as well as their style of combat and career record. The art of Sumo lies not so much in the fleeting wrestling match, but in the vital four-minute face-off - the Shikiri Naoshi - prior to the physical explosion. The psychological battle is everything and Angela Patmore examines how a match is lost and won as the wrestlers glare and posture in a bid to establish mental supremacy. The book also includes information on its 2000-year history, rituals and ceremonies, rules and techniques, stable life, training, salaries and the year-round schedule of the circuit.

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