Be the Change: It's Sumo time!

As luck would have it, I arrived in Japan last month at the perfect time for the beginning of one of the biggest sumo wrestling tournaments. Figuring out the subway, catching a train, and getting in line by 7am to snag a ticket was well worth the early wake up call. AND it was also the opening day of the tournament.... so I was fortunate enough to be able to see the opening ceremonies as well. Lucky me. :)

Opening Ceremonies

The line for tickets well before 7am

Before going to this tournament, I had never seen a sumo match and I don't even like wrestling. AT ALL. I just wanted to see what the hype was all about. BUT, I am now the biggest sumo fan ever. Ok well maybe not ever...but I am definitely a sumo fan! After watching Sumo matches literally all day...from 8:30am-6pm....I definitely have a new found respect for this sport.

My BFF

There are soooo many rituals in this competition it is unbelievable. It actually made watching wrestling SUPER relaxing and at times I felt like I was in a meditation center. Weird, I know.

A couple of the the rituals they do: they throw salt on the ring to get rid of any evil spirits.....that's also why they stomp their legs on the ground. They are "crushing" any evil spirits that may be there. And all of the rituals they do are offerings to the God. I feel like a nerdy history buff right now but sumo wrestling is a tradition that dates back over 1500 years and a lot of the traditions from back then are still preserved today. It's pretty cool. :)

The "referees" change kimonos about every 30 minutes. One of my favorite parts :)

The arena we were in was pretty amazing....We could bring in our own food and drinks...SO of course I enjoyed the matches with some lovely Japanese beer and sushi. :) The crowds at these tournaments go nuts....especially for the Yokozunas....aka the grand champions.
Oh and there are also ladies that walk around with mini kegs on their backs....no joke. :)
I tried to snag a picture but they were too quick...