稽古 · · Practice
The fundamentals,
patiently.
Stance, movement, balance and the rules, taught from scratch. Nobody wrestles before they are ready.
The basic exercises
What a session is built on
Sumo training rests on a small number of exercises repeated for a long time. They are the conditioning, the balance work and the technique all at once.
-
Shiko 四股
The leg-raise and stamp. One leg lifts high, the body settles, and the foot comes down into a deep squat. Balance, hip mobility, and a root driven into the ground.
-
Suriashi 摺り足
Sliding steps along the floor in a low stance, feet never leaving the ground. Moving forward without giving up the base.
-
Teppō 鉄砲
Thrusting practice that connects feet, hips and hands, so the push comes from the whole body rather than the arms.
-
Tachiai 立合い
The initial charge. It is built up gradually and safely, and only then do bouts in the ring begin.
Your first session
What to expect
Most people who come along have never wrestled before. You will learn stance, movement and balance first, and you will not be asked to wrestle until you are ready.
Bring comfortable sports clothing and water. Training is barefoot. You do not need a mawashi or any specialist kit to start.
You do not need to be a particular size or shape, or to be fit before you begin. Competitive sumo has weight categories, and speed, balance and technique matter as much as size.
For internal artists
Pressure-testing the root
If you train t'ai chi or Lohan Palm here, sumo is an honest mirror. It shows quickly whether your structure holds when someone is genuinely trying to move it — and the low, patient basics of sumo feed straight back into standing practice.