Word: sumo
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...Sumo Facts...
...confirmed and thorough reader of TIME, I want to congratulate you on your well-written article on Japanese sumo [TIME, Feb. 10]. For Americans not acquainted with Japanese sports and customs you did an admirable job of writing the article including the proper spelling and usage of the Japanese words...
However, you have omitted a few facts about sumo. You speak about the liberality in allowing the contenders to delay the starting of matches. The actual fact is that ancient custom holds that all preliminary ceremonies even including breathing must be performed in absolute rhythm to prevent one participant from obtaining any undue advantage over the other in the start...
...foreigner, who has witnessed all the matches to which he could get tickets, sumo is very much the opposite of being dull. The preparatory ceremonies, consisting of certain prescribed movements of the arms and legs and purification of the ring, are even more interesting than the actual matches. Moreover, between championship bouts a modern innovation is to hold comedy bouts. The sumo men participating are specially trained comedians and acrobats. The antics they go through and the arguments they hold over the decision, when there is one, are far more amusing than the antics of U. S. wrestlers...
Incidentally, just before I left Japan one of the sumo wrestlers said he was retiring from the sumo ring to study boxing and become the world's champion. Keep your eyes open for this man, he is bigger than Primo Camera...