Sumo ? is not just a part of sports life in Japan. It is more than just a sport? watching sumo championships means to be in touch with Japanese culture and history. Everything ? fighters? clothes, their manner of behavior and even way of speaking ? reveals the big secret of ancient Japan to sumo championships spectators.

First trustworthy historical facts connected with sumo lead to the 7th century, when emperor organized the first tournament (642) special for Korean ambassador. Since then the line of annual fight tournaments under the aegis of emperor started. They can be judged as emperor's cup.

In general the first competitions had no sport but religious meaning. They were combined with ritual dancing, beads and theatrical performances. The sumo technique was not refined and gracious, it had more practical side. The main rules and system of judgment was formed in Heyan era (794-1185). Hair catching, leg pushing and head punches were strictly forbidden. Fighter's clothes transformed into femoral bandage. With classes? power growth and emperor's rights weakening sumo tradition lost their religious meaning and got new ones.

Modern sumo cradle is Edo era (after 1603). At the beginning of the 17th century Japan exhausted with endless war battles finally gained the peace. The most favorite way of spending time in new lifestyle was sumo. Just at that time 70 (throwing, backheel, undercut, clench) sumo canonical positions were completely accepted. That was a kind of world sumo championships anticipation that took part every year in autumn after the harvest term.

Sumo tournaments rules endured the line of changes in rules that anyway came to us almost in primeval variant. Sumo championships lost religious meaning and started secular one. They became rare events. In everyday life sumo was used from practical view as the theory base for the war art. During Edo era the new tradition of fighters? hierarchy began, the title of grand champion - yokozun started to work. The first canonized fighter was Akashi Shiganosuke. In the middle of 18th century new tradition entered the force. It is a tradition of annual two sumo tournaments in Osaca and Edo (Tokyo at the present).

The name of sumo fighters is sumotori. Before starting of sumo tournament sumotori tends to take part in grandiose ceremony called dohyo-iri (stepping the scene). The fighters appear with not loud but very rhythmic sounds letting out by wooden sticks. The fighters line up and clap their hands that symbolize the conjuring. This tradition was brought with rules from the ancient history. World sumo championships speed up. They are very important events for every sumo fighter so it keeps long time to get ready to them.

The more victories sumotori gains the nobler place he takes. The names of most popular sumo fighters who took part in sumo championships are Akashi Shiganosuke, Ayakawa Gorozi, Maruyama Gondazaemon, Onokawa Kisaburo and others.

Sumo championships shows are very popular all over the world not only in Japan but even in France, England, Australia and Canada.