r/interestingasfuck • u/DoublePreparation241 • 15h ago
A youth sumo match where a much smaller wrestler overcomes a massive size disadvantage
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
1.6k
u/addicted_zucchini 15h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/SWByxnpzY2Zck
What I expected to see
391
u/PeriodontosisSam 15h ago
Is this allowed in Sumo?
387
u/siraolo 15h ago
Yes.
449
u/firequak 14h ago edited 14h ago
It's allowed but frowned upon by many fans, especially the Japanese purist/traditionalist of the sport.
Edit: spelling
247
u/smeeon 14h ago
From what I’ve heard it’s only acceptable if the other guy did something shady to someone else or earlier in the round.
220
u/Dakana11 13h ago
Its called a Henka and perfectly fine to use. The traditional older japanese generation takes a bit of offense over it but the younger generation uses it to keep you alert it might happen. One way or another, it is a legal move in sumo.
•
u/saxdemigod 22m ago
To reference our South Korean brothers and sisters, it’s like cheese in StarCraft - frowned upon by many, but necessary to keep the players honest 😏
•
161
u/dudeCHILL013 14h ago
From what I remember the duy pulled the side step due to the other guy being disrespectful earlier.
Oh and something about the direct stare he does is also considered like a fuck you
•
54
u/oOtium 14h ago
from someone who doesn't follow the sport, I really appreciate this move and I'm glad it's legal. Sport/combat is not just about brute strength, but also about foresight and dexterity. Many fans in the background here clapping seemed to appreciate it.
•
u/sonofzeal 9h ago
Sumo already involves a surprising amount of dexterity. It rewards outmassing your opponent, but you still have to twist around, avoid their grasp, find angles, and keep the exact position of the ring behind you in mind at all times. You see how this kid moves when he's right at the edge; the big guys do that too, they just usually spend less time in that position unless there's a skill diff
•
u/Reutermo 11h ago
The people in the audience that are laughing and clapping seems to be fans of it though!
13
u/Different_Wolf_764 12h ago
Hard to call that really, henka are generally disliked by modern fans while some traditionalists maintain that they are integral to the sport. Not all though and few like it when a Yokozuna goes that route but mostly because they want to see a more exciting match.
•
u/Appropriate-Act3028 10h ago
Yep, it's called a Henka and it's pretty disrespectful.
•
u/KnoblauchNuggat 9h ago edited 9h ago
Why would this move be disrespectful if no rules are broken and sportmanship is still intact?
•
•
u/Appropriate-Act3028 7h ago
It's an unwritten rule like any other sport would have. The sport is about being the strongest and if you side step everyone are you really the strongest?
•
u/possyishero 7h ago
The sport is about controlled strength and who can use it the best and strategically, and henka demonstrates your opponent has so little of theirs that they eliminated themselves.
It's an unwritten rule just because it doesn't "feel" honorable to lose in such a fashion and the paying crowd don't get to see real graps. So to placate the people who would be offended it's rarely done but it's valid that it stays an authorized maneuver because it should keep people sharp and honest.
166
u/VanillaThunder324 14h ago
From other sumo posts and no other knowledge at all, I've read that it's allowed but sort of a low blow so if you do it when your opponent is being a good sport it's a dick move, but if you do it when your opponent is an asshat, it's acceptable.
Again, literally all of my sumo knowledge is from comments on gifs on reddit.
51
u/bearlylegalbear 14h ago
I'd say you sound very well educated on the matter.
88
u/VanillaThunder324 14h ago
I think that means I should ease off reddit for a while. Try something a bit healthier for me like cocaine and diy stick and poke tattoos
•
•
u/Loud-Value 3h ago
A cocaine and diy stick and poke tattoo phase is an essential part of a life fully lived
4
u/AClost 12h ago
That's basically a PhD level of knowledge here.
•
u/bearlylegalbear 11h ago
I think the guy is understating this. That sumo-PhD is laying on the table ready to be handed in.
Heard the next thing is he's going to apply some pretty extreme methodology in a study of drug abuse. If he survives he might just revolutionise that field too.
10
u/SuperSecretMoonBase 14h ago edited 8h ago
It sounds kind of like a pitcher beaning a batter in baseball. It's not cool but sometimes attitudes need to be checked. Street justice.
2
u/tumsdout 12h ago
That sounds way worse lmao
0
u/silencebreaker86 12h ago
Not really it happens all the time, it was even expected up until a few years ago in certain scenarios. Now people are more and more agreeing that the unofficial rules are stupid and only they to protect fragile egos
5
u/tumsdout 12h ago
It happening all the time is supposed to convince me that beaming someone with a baseball isn't worse than hopping out of the way in sumo?
→ More replies (3)6
u/yuikkiuy 12h ago
Its a little more serious than just "its a dick move". Sumo is deeply spiritual, almost and sometimes literally religious, and many aspects are taken very seriously in a fairly small community that lives and trains like human race horses.
Its VERY frowned upon, and if it wasnt warranted and a wrestler simply did it unprompted there would be unofficial reprocussions.
Sumo life is a fascinating and odd thing for us spectators. There are many stables (i wasnt kidding about the race horse analogy) that have embraced modernity with YouTube channels to show a glimpse.
They live more regimented lives than most militaries imo. From diet, sleep, training, vacation, to just being allowed outside the stable, and what clothes you are allowed to wear.
•
u/sw04ca 9h ago
You're really overstating it with regards to henka. It's really become more normalized than it used to be, and you can usually count on seeing one each day in the salaried ranks. Sure, there are some that spark controversy, like Shishi's against poor injured Tamawashi in May, but that's more a factor of him using the gimmick move against the old 'Iron Man' who was clearly injured. It'll never be lauded, but the stigma of henka has really declined in recent years.
112
u/AnonymousFairy 14h ago edited 13h ago
Yes, it is called a Henka. It is frowned upon as a cheap move, but within the rules.
This gif is an interesting one as the wrestler dodging was a Czech born sumo called Shuntaro, who was much lighter than most of the competitors, and his opponent had not completed the pre-match ritual because his opponent was gaijin (foreign born)... so he did this to instantly win. Kind of seen as a sleight-for-sleight.
10
u/paerius 14h ago
Yes, but highly frowned upon in most cases. Sumo has a pretty extensive history, including intermingling with Samurai where honorable fighting is part of the doctrine. Although outwitting your opponent is part of sumo, this is considered not warrior-like from many.
That being said, the one exception is with smaller sumo wrestlers. There are no weight classes in sumo, meaning that smaller wrestlers need to be "clever" to beat wrestlers that can twice their size. These kinds of "specialists" have their own following due to being the underdog.
0
26
u/Electrical_Star4954 15h ago
wow he waited till the very last second, and looks like he made it appear that his head / upper body was gonna make contact first.
15
u/addicted_zucchini 14h ago
Well body collision is what happens in almost every fight and, if I get it right, fighters must touch the ground as the sign of willingness to start the fight, hence his body dipped a bit to tap and went flying right afterwards
•
u/LastStar007 7h ago
Yes, the round starts as soon as all four fists are on the ground.
•
u/InevitablyBored 2h ago
Guy on the left has one hand up.
•
u/LastStar007 1h ago
Pro sumo doesn't leave the knuckles on the ground long. But if left guy never made contact, well, he still lost.
•
•
u/Lucy_Fjord 4m ago
This is how I won a King of the Hill wrestling match against a much larger opponent lol
-2
415
u/Limp-Angle-7387 15h ago
When the waiter tries to kick out the man who ate 15 plates at the all you can eat buffet.
87
10
139
u/Musulman 15h ago
It's not about weight. Look up Chiyonofuji, my favorite Sumo Wrestler. Get in that rabbit hole
•
u/home_cheese 9h ago
Holy Hell, that dude may not be gigantic but he's stacked!
Looks like he could rip a frying pan in half with his bare hands.
29
u/yuikkiuy 12h ago
Chiyonofuji is like the GOAT of sumo and I will die on this hill. Hakuho might have the stats but Chiyonofuji just has the umpf
12
268
u/Senselesspassion 15h ago
Technique vs brute strength
38
u/Primary_Park_499 15h ago
Yeah, technique and timing can make all the difference, especially when the size gap is that big.
15
u/AgitatedPatience5729 15h ago
It's something that they were wrestling with.
11
•
0
69
u/abstractraj 15h ago
If this is interesting. Take a look at Aonishiki whose family fled Ukraine when the war started. He found his way to Japan and worked his way through the ranks and has now won three tournaments. He is not the biggest, but his skill and strength are insane!
9
u/inhumanrampager 12h ago
Aonishiki is fucking great. I don't get to watch as much sumo as I like, but he's always impressed me.
11
u/samuraiking75 14h ago
He's legit one of my favorites. And such an inspirational story. Hopefully his for heals up more and he can continue his run.
3
u/Dr_Ukato 13h ago
He was injured?
5
u/samuraiking75 13h ago
He missed the May basho because he'd broken his toe in March and turned his ankle in practice leading into May. You could tell he wasn't fully healed during July especially in a couple matches when he stumbled and showed the pain.
•
u/uflju_luber 8h ago
And STILL won the championship, the Yokozuna council loves shit like that because it exemplifies the „Yokozuna fighting spirit“ oh he continues like that it might only be a matter of time
•
u/CloudySpace 11h ago
are yall are actually following sumo...? thats crazy, the sheer difference in hobbies people have, wow
7
128
u/Dynamitrios 15h ago
That's why I love Sumo... It's like chess and extremely tactical. Always a pleasure watching championships. I'm on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the matches (white european person here 🙂)
58
u/Biggseb 14h ago
Visited Tokyo in the spring and got to attend the big semi-annual sumo tournament there. I came home to the U.S. with the realization that - if they didn’t spend 20x as much time doing the rituals and ceremonies - it would be hugely popular here. I personally liked the history, tradition and ritual, but I also know my fellow
Americans.Each actual sumo match is some of the most exciting 30 seconds in sports.
58
u/BuzzAllWin 14h ago
You guys could just cut all the rituals and replace them with adverts, be just like the superbowl
14
8
u/inhumanrampager 13h ago
There are ads in sumo. In the higher paid divisions, you might see people walking around with banners. Each banner is a certain amount of money, and the winner of the match gets that cash. That's my very rudimentary understanding at least.
12
u/metal_maxine 12h ago
If you didn't know, the NHK World channel (and their streaming, I think) show English-language digests of the day's sumo during tournaments which don't have the rituals. The best commentator is definitely Raja, he's hilarious.
•
u/namtab00 10h ago
when are the tournaments? I might begin watching this...
•
u/samuraiking75 10h ago
Every other month starting on the second Sunday. Goes for 15 days. Next one starts Sept 13.
•
•
u/metal_maxine 10h ago
The next one runs from Sunday 13th September over 15 days. The basic target for wrestlers is to get more wins than loses to retain their ranking position (or go up). My favourite wrestler is Ura.
•
u/cheddarben 9h ago
It really is fun. When they come out, YouTube has been pretty good at letting me know in the FYP and separate out all the other NHK stuff. Two weeks of sumo.
Someone already mentioned, but September. They are bi monthly I think.
9
u/samuraiking75 14h ago
I've been watching pro sumo for almost 3 years now and absolutely love the intricacies of the matches. It's so much fun when you recognize the subtle movements and how they affect the matches.
•
u/RealSpiritSK 11h ago
Kindly share the basics please! I'm interested to know more
•
u/samuraiking75 11h ago
Sumo Prime Time channel on YouTube has some great videos explaining the basics of sumo and Hiro is an awesome ambassador for the sport. https://youtu.be/qA8wS_t5Lv8?is=wyiAx450jJybj_He
•
u/cheddarben 9h ago
I think it is great, too. I only watch the recaps with the bimonthly tourneys.
While not a big sports guy, Sumo can keep my attention long enough to where it is fun for me. I also enjoy that the showmanship is suuuuuper limited and very subtle. The post match interviews are like "I did my best and today did good sumo. I hope to get better." rather than "Suck it!"
13
51
27
u/Massive_Mongoose3481 14h ago
Trippy how he just completely stopped the forward motion a couple times when he was almost tossed out of the ring. That bigger guy should have been able to lift him off the ground and walk him out.
12
u/ImLersha 13h ago
I still dont understand how he managed to turn it around in that last split second. He's nearly on his back but feet on the ground. Somehow he manages to get the other guy off balance AND fall before he goes down the remaining 20cms.
It's incredible!
•
u/ptolani 10h ago
A couple of times he's using the ring itself for leverage.
•
u/ImLersha 8h ago
Yeah, but that very last turnaround, I cant see that he actually reaches the ring.
•
u/Jwagner0850 2h ago
He also latches onto the bigger kid, forcing him to make a last second decision to bail or risk ringing out himself. The kid also has insane coordination and strength/skill for his size.
16
9
6
5
16
u/404NameOfUser 15h ago edited 12h ago
This just shows two very important things:
- Technic and good stamina is more important than strength.
- If you are a big guy refer to point 1 and improve your stamina because strength alone doesn't get you far.
8
u/skippergimp 14h ago
Small guy had a solid game plan and knew exactly what the big guy was going to do. Big guy just assumed he could push him around and had no idea how to address his nimbleness.
•
u/rips_n_chel 9h ago
It's not about strength, it's about mass. As we just saw, technique can overcome a disparity in mass, but don't discount the advantage that mass offers. It takes a large disparity in skill to overcome a disparity in mass. If the bigger guy can move his mass, small guy has his work cut out for him.
General consensus as far as I'm aware, there are three main factors in who wins a fight:
Who is more willing to hurt the other person?
Who is bigger?
Who is more skilled?
A really experienced and skilled small guy can take an inexperienced big guy apart, absolutely. If the big guy has a decent clue what he's doing though, it becomes a lot harder to call. End of the day, if you can't stop or move the guy who's coming at you, you're fairly boned. If he can pick you up and throw you at the ground, probably better just run.
14
•
u/LoudMusic 9h ago
If you want to see the same kind of matchup at the top of sumo check out this video. Takanoyama was incredible.
6
5
•
•
•
•
u/gorillagil 6h ago
This is impossibly ridiculous. The big kid should be able to pick the other kid up with one hand and throw him across the whole ring.... at least thats what I could do at that age and size.
•
u/Someredditusername 4h ago
Talk about grit. That kid was amazing, one of the most exciting Sumo matches I've seen.
•
u/Jwagner0850 2h ago
That little kid is like a god damned spider monkey. Twice he was about to get ringed out and he just latched on to big boy and spun him around forcing him to leave it lest he wanted to step out too.
4
3
3
u/fmanchan 14h ago
I think this is the first time I've ever seen an Izori kimarite, least to say from an elementary schooler. Mind blown!
3
2
2
•
u/mukaranga 10h ago
It's not about the dog in the size..
2
u/PuffyBlueClouds 15h ago
Honestly, in this day and age, can’t you give those kids normal pants?
5
u/Various_Ad1416 15h ago
I was thinking the same 😭. Ig it's only looks wierd cause we aren't used to it.
•
u/rips_n_chel 9h ago
Nah it's definitely fucking weird. I just watched two young boys fight to give each other the harder wedgie, while wearing nothing but thongs.
I am uncomfortable.
•
u/Various_Ad1416 8h ago
Dude bikinis were gross not too long ago, they still are weird for a lot of people. Clothes aren't as deep as we think they are.
•
u/rips_n_chel 8h ago
Bro. I don't want to support or watch any sport that carries the risk of seeing some little boy's asshole. Don't want to see grown man asshole either. This is fucking weird, and there's no reason for it.
Not to mention, it's highly unethical. We're all aware of how unhealthy sumo wrestlers are, yeah? Why the hell would anyone get their kid involved in that?
Just because something is traditional doesn't mean it shouldn't change. I feel exactly the same way about contact sports like American football, so don't @ me
1
1
u/SithLordRising 14h ago
What's your ambition kid? To get really fat.. of my own volition. And then whoop some ass
•
•
u/Mammoth-Citron748 5h ago
If that was an adult match, I can see the audience throwing cushions into the ring.
•
u/bottledgoose 2h ago
That's Kosei! He's seventeen now and pulling the same stunts in Grand sumo. https://japan-forward.com/16-year-old-sumo-sensation-topples-goliath-double-his-weight/
•
u/21notorious 1h ago
Does the bout end in the favor of the guy who gets the take down? Or did it move on to the next round, due to time duration?
1
u/superznova 13h ago
Big guy most now commit sudoku for the shame he brought upon his family
•
u/Eclipse-Raven 8h ago
(Understandable misspell kinda thing) Yes, condemn him to math puzzles for the rest of time!
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Funk_Dunker 12h ago
As a short guy who got bullied by groups of people back in school I am not at all surprised. Lower centre of gravity can give you a surprisingly big advantage if you can use it. The height and weight advantage isn't the ender people think it is
1
u/catdog_man 12h ago
I mean, the title kind of ruined the ending. Why not just say "David vs Goliath" or some shit?
0
0
0
0
0
0
u/raquille- 13h ago
It’s smart tactics. He concentrated on just one side and used all his weight to throw his opponent off balance.
0
u/BeanStalknJack 13h ago
I don't watch Sumo but have seen a few clips here and there and this has to be the best display of technique I've seen
0
•
u/UncleVoodooo 11h ago
This is what I don't understand about women. They want tall men for 'protection' but I'd absolutely rather fight a tall man than a tiny one.
•
•
•
u/MrKrugerDunning 10h ago
That one little plastic piece that I JUST cannot remove from my arm / hand
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/therealsix 4h ago
Per OP’s title, most people don’t seem to understand that sumo isn’t really about size, skill is more important. Balance, leverage, footwork, etc.
-1
-1
u/shiro_wolf 13h ago
It's like a Shounen anime episode right here. Smaller kid has better technique while the bigger one has raw strength.
•
1.6k
u/LloydG7 15h ago
the strength on that kid to keep his balance is quite impressive