Sumo Wrestling is a competitive contact sport where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyo) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet.

Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally now. The Japanese consider sumo as a modern martial art, though the sport has a history spanning many centuries.

The sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the days sumo was used in the Shinto religion. Life as a rikishi is highly regimented, with rules laid down by the Sumo Association. Professional sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal "sumo training stables" known in Japanese as heya where all aspects of their daily lives - from meals to their manner of dress - are dictated by strict tradition.

In addition to its use as a trial of strength in combat, it has also been associated with Shinto ritual, and even certain shrines carry out forms of ritual dance where a human is said to wrestle with a kami (a Shinto divine spirit). It was an important ritual at the imperial court. Representatives of each province were ordered to attend the contest at the court and fight. They were required to pay for their travels themselves. The contest was known as sumai no sechie, or "sumai party."

Over the rest of Japanese recorded history, sumo's popularity has changed according to the whims of its rulers and the need for its use as a training tool in periods of civil strife. The form of wrestling combat probably changed gradually into one where the main aim in victory was to throw one's opponent. The concept of pushing one's opponent out of a defined area came some time later.

Betting on Sumo

Betting on Sumo is rarely offered. But if it were, it would most likely be like betting on boxing and would use a "Money Line."

In Money Line bets, the odds for a match are based on $1.00. A "minus sign" (-) preceding the number indicates a favorite. A "plus sign" (+) preceding the number indicates an underdog.

Like boxing matches, Sumo can also feature proposition wagers on how long a wrestler would last in the ring, draws, or how a wrestler could be ousted.

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