November 18, 2006 - page 2

Although the physical difference was the first thing to strike me, the ritual involved in sumo is perhaps what makes it the most unique compared to Western sports. From the grave kimono-clad referees to the boys carefully sweeping the dohyo to perfection between bouts, the whole affair was conducted with an air of ceremony that seems to step back in time. Pre-fight rituals were apparently just as important as the match itself and far more time-consuming. Before they made any contact the rikishi would face off, fixing each other with deep glares as they stretched and crouched and charged.

Between these feints they retired to their corners to purify their mouths with water and throw handfuls of salt contemptuously over their shoulders. This ritual lasted up to four minutes, which seemed agonizingly long for me, but the crowd loved every moment as the anticipation was built to fever-pitch. When the fight finally began the match was brief and intense, often lasting mere seconds, during which the fans erupted in cheers. Then, suddenly, it would be over, and once again decorum reigned.