Nothing Compares to Feeling the Royal Albert Hall Shake When Sumo Wrestlers Clash

Not many athletic disciplines can captivate an audience through 45 minutes of ceremony before the opening contest is even contested.

Yet the intricate traditions unfolding in a small clay ring - mostly preserved for hundreds of years - accomplished exactly that.

Experience the Grand Sumo Tournament

This week-long competition at the Royal Albert Hall features 40 of the very best rikishi showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to 23BC.

London's Victorian concert venue has been completely reimagined, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the ring.

Time-Honored Rituals Meet Current Innovations

It is here the athletes, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their leg stomps to drive away dark forces, and where they strike their hands to summon the gods.

Above all this traditional ritual, a giant, revolving LED screen - that appears natural at an professional sports event - offers the audience all the data and video they could want.

Worldwide Followers Find Sumo

For one dedicated fan, it was a "unexpected footage" that first caught her attention a couple of years ago.

This was rapidly enhanced by the discovery of specialized online content for sumo stables, where competitors stay and exercise, starting their day early to train, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an afternoon nap - all in the service of bulking up.

Hailing from Scotland, Alternative View

Julia and her partner Cezar discovered sumo through a established path: a visit to the country six years ago.

"We considered it a common sightseeing event, but we actually ended up loving the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"After that, we tried to discover networks, resources, just to expand our knowledge about it," her partner continues.

Unique Chance

Traveling to Asia is generally the primary approach to see a top-flight sumo tournament.

This current tournament marks only the second occasion the tournament has appeared in the capital - the first time was in over three decades ago.

Even visiting the country isn't a guarantee of getting a seat, with current times seeing completely booked tournaments.

In-Person Viewing

For many attendees, the current event represents the initial opportunity they have seen live sumo - and it doesn't disappoint.

"Seeing it up close, you get a sense of the speed and the strength which you can't experience on TV," notes one fan. "Their stature is remarkable."

The Matches

To succeed, one wrestler needs to move the other man off the clay or to the ground using raw power.

The most use one of two styles to accomplish this, often in instantaneous actions - shoving, or grappling.

Either way, the noise of the two wrestlers meeting in the first moment of the match echoes around the hall.

Front Row Positions

The cushions right next to the ring are of course highly prized - but also, somewhat dangerous.

During one recent bout, a tall wrestler fell into the audience - perhaps making those in more affordable locations feel relieved.

Organizational Issues

Of course, the dimensions of the wrestlers is one of the primary elements most people think of when they consider the sport.

The venue's management revealed they "had to source and purchase additional seating which can withstand 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its successful competitions - is not without its troubles behind the scenes.

Potential Issues

Perhaps the demanding existence of a sumo wrestler doesn't look as attractive as it once might have.

Its popularity among youth in Japan is also being competed with by different athletic pursuits, while Japan's declining population will create further complications.

Global Community

Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.

"Experiencing the custom and formality that goes with sumo is quite special," one enthusiast notes. "Now, seeing it live, you experience being you are more involved."

For other dedicated followers, the drama "created amazing experiences" - as did interacting with the fellow enthusiasts.

"Leaving a very niche online community and being able to observe numerous sumo fans directly and being able to speak to other people who are similarly enthusiastic as we are - it was worth every penny."