Sumo is a sport that lies at the very heart of Japanese cultural identity. Not merely a display of showy strength, sumo-some of the oldest living sports-was once emblazoned with ancient Shinto rites, strict codes of conduct, and a deep veneration of its history. While globally the image of two huge men in a ring grappling is familiar, the soul of sumo lies in the spiritual world and the austere life of its practitioners.

Sumo’s origin can be traced over 1,500 years back to agricultural rites that sought favor through prayer for plentiful harvests. The contest, in its earliest form, was presented before shrines to entertain the spirits of the Shinto gods. It grew to develop into a sort of martial art and public entertainment for the imperial court. Stamp your feet (shiko) to expel evil spirits, scatter salt (shio-maki) to purify-the rituals now seen are reminders of that sacred past.

At the very core of every single sumo match is the dohyō, an elevated clay-and-sand ring. A bout or basho kicks off with a series of pre-bout rituals. The wrestlers, or rikishi, engage in a ceremonial dance with clapping and stomping while adorned with their ornamental aprons or keshō-mawashi. There is an air of solemn expectation and ritual in the atmosphere. The judge-come-Shinto priest, or gyōji, attends to the sacred dohyō.

The match is, in every sense of the word, a rare and breathtakingly short, yet explosive occasion. The conditions are very simple: one either pushes the opponent out of the ring or causes him to touch the hard ground with any other part of his body than the sole of his feet. There are some 82 officially recognized winning techniques (kimarite) that can be employed, from straightforward pushing and throwing to very complicated leg sweeping techniques. What truly sanctions the meaningfulness of a fight is the initial charge, or tachi-ai, where both wrestlers explode up from their crouched positions and collide head-on with tremendous force. The judge could have just as well waved his hand and declared a winner after a couple of seconds, so fast were the reflexes and power exhibited.

Life as a professional sumo wrestler entails rigorous discipline and self-sacrifice. The aspiring rikishi joins a sumo stable at a very young age, often as a teenager. Their lives and routines are governed by a strict hierarchy. They live together inside the stable and follow a predetermined routine of training, household chores, and meals. Training begins before dawn and consists of keiko sessions-an extremely arduous practice method. Extreme gluttony is perhaps the principal hallmark of the sumo lifestyle, especially when it comes to chankonabe-the calorific stew that aids a man in maintaining that tremendous sumo physique. This environment of living, eating, and training together builds a close bond between them, with senior wrestlers mentoring juniors, but it also requires a mountain of mental and physical fortitude.

At the very top of a sumo wrestler’s career lies the yokozuna or grand champion; such a title is conferred not merely for athletic skill, but more so for being a worthy representation of the dignity and integrity of the sport. A yokozuna must win tournaments consistently and behave impeccably, otherwise the moral and cultural values of sumo would not lie in living form. This level of accomplishment and conduct is scarce, and any decline in a yokozuna’s abilities is all but construed as a disgrace, with retirement being the only orderly option.

Once upon a time, sumo was a sportsman desiring the very hearts of the Japanese. The six professional honbasho draw millions of viewers; and the various tales that concern the rikishi touch crowds, who are inspired by the passion and strength of the sumo wrestlers and their great respect for tradition. Still, the evolution and modern aspect of the sport now sees wrestlers of several kinds on the ranks. Yet, unlike most other sports, its essence remains: it is more or less a spiritual ritual and hard martial art-less of these, and there may be deep and therefore timeless art all along gripping the heart of the world.