SUUUUMO!

26th October - Tokyo

After walking around in Ryoguko at some unpleasant time before 7am, we arrived at a rather non-descript building in a very typical Tokyo back street. However, when the door was partially openned by a man with too much neck, we knew we were in the right place - the sumo stable.

There are a few myths about sumo that I think I can clear up right now.

1) no, sumo cannot do flying headbutts, nor can they fly in general

2) yes, they can do the hundred hand slap - we watched them practice it by slapping a wooden post, albeit quite slowly

3) no, they don't smell cheesy - a common misconception

4) my height and weight make me eligible to train as a sumo

Our few hours there really allowed me to gain some respect for these chubbers. They work incredibly hard, taking turns to push each other across the ring, slapping posts and getting thrown on the floor by their larger superiors. When you see them working in such close quarters, it is impossible not to notice how powerful these boys are.

Perhaps the hardest thing they do is eat their single main meal (chanko) each day. This can be the equilvalent of up to 10 normal meals in one sitting. I'm greedy, but that's excessive.