Saturday 1 December 2007

Sumo in Fukuoka










This was a real spectacle and well worth the trip to the biggest city on Kyushu, Fukuoka. We watched the big guys arrive. Sumo has opened up so there are now many international competitors....the Mongolians hold the top positions!











This sport is really tough. The wrestlers have to push each other out of the ring (or off the sand raised platform) or put the other into the dirt first. Some fights can last a couple of minutes, other last a few seconds! The roof above the ring is symbolic of a Temple. Sumo is traditionally a religious affair. The referee was a Buddhist priest however nowadays the ref is highly trained for his work.












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