Structure

Rules

History

Glossary

The Rules of Sumo

The sport of sumo has very few rules, which can result in some exciting bouts. Sumo takes place in a ring approximately 15 feet in diameter that is raised about 2 1/2 feet off the ground on a huge block of clay called a dohyo. A light sprinkling of sand is applied inside of the ring. The edge of the ring is made of tightly wound straw bands called tawara and rises up about 3 inches out of the dohyo. A new dohyo is created for each tournament. Five judges, or shinpan dressed in black kimono, sit below the dohyo and around the ring. These judges are former rikishi themselves. A referee, or gyoji, dressed in an elaborate kimono stands at the edge of the ring and officiates the bout. At the end of the bout, the gyoji points to the winner. In a particularly close bout, any of the five judges can dispute the call made by the referee. In this case, a conference, called a mono-ii, is held inside the ring with the gyoji and five shinpan to discuss the match. In modern times, television instant replay is used to determine the actual outcome of a match when in dispute.

A rikishi loses a match when any part of his body other than the bottoms of his feet touches the dohyo or when he is pushed or thrown outside of the ring. In the middle of the ring are two white lines called shikirisen. These lines are the starting points of each rikishi for each bout. When a judge gives the signal for the rikishi to fight, both rikishi crouch behind their respective shikirisen and face each other. When both rikishi place both hands clenched in fists on or behind the shikirisen, the bout begins. The tachi-ai, or initial charge, is extremely important in gaining the advantage and momentum over your opponent.

During the actual bout, a rikishi may use any technique or maneuver except pulling his opponent's hair, hitting his opponent with a closed fist, boxing his opponent's ears, choking his opponent (although he may push at the throat), or grabbing his opponent's mawashi in the crotch area. Rikishi use all sorts of techniques during the bout; however, a rikishi's style can usually be classified as one of two styles: oshi-zumo, or a tendency to push your opponent out of the ring, and yotsu-zumo, a tendency to grab your opponent's belt and force him out of the ring. The truly best rikishi are adept at using both styles to beat their opponents.

At the end of each bout, a kimarite, or winning technique, is announced informing the spectators exactly what method was used to win the bout. While there are over 60 official kimarite, only a dozen or so are seen regularly. Perhaps the greatest advantage a rikishi can gain over his opponent is to reach around and grab his opponent's belt thus keeping his opponent's arm pinned near his body. This technique is called uwate, or outside grip. Maintaining the outside grip, a rikishi commonly throws his opponent down (uwate-nage), or uses his position to force his opponent outside of the ring (yorikiri). As a sumo fan, understanding the different kimarite and techniques used by the rikishi, greatly enhances the viewing experience.

At the bottom of this page is the complete list of kimarite. If a rikishi is particularly adept at using a certain kimarite, we will list his name in red just after the definition. Close attention should be paid to the smaller rikishi, especially the Mongolians, as their small statures force them to resort to a wide variety of moves. The names of the kimarite are usually compound words that combine two or more techniques together to explain the method used to win. Here are some of the more common compounds:

oshi = push with elbows bent
uwate = outer grip on belt
otoshi = drop
tsuki = push with elbows locked
shitate = inner grip on belt
hineri = twist
yori = lean or force with one's weight
kiri = literally to cut, or force out
k/gake = trip
okuri = send out of the ring
nage = throw
dashi = send out of the ring
soto = outside
taoshi = knock down to the ring
hiki = pull down
uchi = inside

abise-taoshi forcing one's opponent down inside the ring with the body.

ami-uchi forcing the opponent down to the ring by grabbing his arms, spreading the body out, and then pulling him down.

ashi-tori lifting the opponent's leg up forcing him to topple to the ring floor off balance.

chon-gake tipping the opponent's opposite side leg by the ankle (e.g. right leg tips right ankle) making it aloft, then pushing opponent down.

fusensho winning by default because your opponent didn't show up for the bout—usually because he is injured.

gassho-hineri gripping the opponent's head with both hands and twisting him down.

hansoku winning by default because your opponent performed an illegal maneuver.

harima-nage rear-belt throw.

hataki-komi pulling one's opponent down to the ring by the head, neck, or shoulders Roho

hiki-otoshi pulling one's opponent down by the arms. Roho, Hokutoriki

hikkake grabbing your opponent's arm from the inside and using the other hand to grab the opponent's other hand or arm and pulling or twisting him down.

ippon-zeoi dodging an opponent's tsuki, grabbing his stretched arm over the shoulder and hurling him over your body (this is a throw frequently seen in judo).

isami-ashi winning because your opponent accidentally stepped outside the ring while on the offensive.

izori dodging opponent's charge by crouching down, then grabbing his leg with both arms and mounting him on your back, then leaning back making him fall first.

kaina-hineri taking opponent's upper arm with one arm, placing palm of other arm from above and pressing down causing the opponent twist and turn over.

kake-nage locking one arm around the opponent while wrapping one leg around his leg, then swinging the off-balance opponent down.

kake-zori leg-kick sacrifice throw.

kata-sukashi putting one arm under the opponent's same arm (right arm to opponent's right arm, etc.) and while pulling forward slapping down on the shoulder with the other hand.

kawazu-gake in self defense wrapping a leg around the back of the opponent's leg and wrapping the arm around the opponents neck causing both to rikishi to fall back with the counter-attacker on top.

ke-kaeshi foot-sweeping the opponent's ankle and pulling him down to the ring floor.

keta-guri kicking the opponent's ankle from inside out while he is charging causing him to topple over.

kime-dashi locking both arms around the opponent's outstretched arms and driving him out of the ring. 

kime-taoshi locking both arms around the opponent's outstretched arms and forcing him down to the ring floor. 

kiri-kaeshi pressing the leg on the outside of your opponent's thigh and twisting his belt causing him to trip.

komata-sukui while holding the opponent's belt with one hand, using the other hand to grab his thigh while throwing with the belt hand causing him to lose his balance and topple over.

koshi-kudake winning because the opponent accidentally loses his balance and falls, usually by the hip being unable to support his shifting weight.

kosh-inage throwing your opponent after picking him up and mounting him to your waist.

kote-nage locking you arm around your opponent's arm and throwing him down. Kaio, Kasugao

kubi-hineri putting one hand on the opponent's neck and the other on his elbow and twisting the opponent down putting pressure on the neck.

kubi-nage curling your arm around the opponent's neck and throwing him down.

maki-otoshi wrapping your arms around the opponent's torso and twisting him down.

mitokoro-zeme putting your leg against the opponent's inner-thigh and while tripping him grabbing the back of his other knee to throw him off balance.

nicho-nage while maintaining an inner-grip on the opponent's belt, planting the leg around the opponent's opposite leg and using this as a pivot to throw him down.

nimai-geri kicking or sweeping the opponent's ankle from the outside to make him fall.

okuri-dashi pushing the turned-around opponent out of the ring from his back side.

okuri-nage throwing the opponent out of the ring with a grip on the back of his belt.

okuri-taoshi pushing the turned-around opponent down to the ring floor from his back side.

oomata lifting up the opponents inner thigh to topple him.

oshi-dashi pushing one's opponent out of the ring with both hands. Chiyotaikai

oshi-taoshi pushing one's opponent down to the ring floor with both hands.

saba-ori pulling inward on the opponents belt while leaning forward to bring him to his knees.

saka-tottari counter move by escaping the opponent's arm bar and grabbing his arm and elbow in return and twisting him down.

shitate-dashi-nage with inner-grip on opponent's belt, pulling him forward and throwing down.

shitate-hineri grabbing the opponent's front belt and twisting him down.

shitate-nage throwing opponent down with an inside grip on his belt. Tochinonada

shumo-kuzori crouching down, lifting up opponent high, and falling backwards to the ring.

soto-gake wrapping leg around outside of opponent's leg below the knee and tripping him.

soto-komata twisting the opponent with a grip on the belt, while scooping the other hand under the opponent's thigh to trip him off balance.

soto-muso twisting the opponent with a grip on the belt while placing the other hand behind the opponent's knee to trip him off balance.

soto-tasuki-zori clutching the opponent's arm and outer thigh, lifting him on your shoulders, and tipping him back to the ring floor.

sukubi-otoshi pushing the opponent to the ring floor by the back of the neck.

sukui-nage throwing opponent down without a grip on the belt and usually with a forearm to the armpit. Wakanosato, Hakuho

suso-harai sweeping the opponents feet from under him with the hands from the rear.

suso-tori grabbing the opponent's ankle from the outside causing him to trip.

tasuki-zori clutching the opponent's arm and thigh, lifting him on your shoulders, and tipping him back to the ring floor.

tottari grabbing opponents wrist with one hand and elbow with the other, standing to the side of opponent, and twisting his whole body around to topple him down.

tsukami-nage lifting opponent up by the belt and dropping him down.

tsuki-dashi pushing opponent out of the ring with stiff arm thrusts. Chiyotaikai

tsuki-otoshi pushing opponent down to the ring floor from the side with a stiff arm thrust, usually after side-stepping the opponent's charge.

tsuki-taoshi pushing opponent to the ring floor with alternating stiff arm thrusts.

tsuma-tori while pushing opponent from the side, grabbing his foot or ankle to cause him to fall forward.

tsuri-dashi picking one's opponent up by the belt and carrying him outside of the ring. Asashoryu

tsuri-otoshi picking one's opponent up by the belt and dropping him down inside the ring. Asashoryu

uchi-gake tripping opponent by placing leg below the knee on the inside, and pushing over.

uchi-muso twisting the opponent with a grip on the belt while pushing with the other hand on the opponent's inner-thigh to trip him off balance. Kotomitsuki

utchari counter move by placing both feet on the edge of the ring's straw, supporting opponent's weight on own torso, and twisting him out of the ring.

uwate-dashi-nage with an outer grip on the opponent's belt, simultaneously throwing him over and pushing him down.

uwate-hineri with an outer grip on the opponents belt, pulling him down to the ring floor in a twisting motion.

uwate-nage throwing opponent down with an outer grip on his belt. Takanohana, Kaio

wari-dashi maintaining an outer grip with one hand, using the other hand to press on opponents upper arm causing him to lean backwards out of the ring.

watashi-komi pulling the opponent's calf forward with one hand while pushing against his body with the other causing him to topple to the ring floor.

yagura-nage maintaining an outer grip on the belt, using the other hand to lift the opponents knee on the same side and twisting him down.

yobi-modoshi while retreating, using charging opponent's momentum to push him down.

yori-kiri forcing the opponent out of the ring from the front while maintaining a grip on the belt. Most rikishi; this is the most common kimarite.

yori-taoshi forcing opponent to fall over backwards at the edge of the ring while maintaining a grip on his belt.

zubuneri with the opponent's head up against your chest, grabbing his elbow and twisting him down.