The Fight For Women In Sumo Wrestling
Sumo wrestling is recognized as the national sport of Japan. It’s also traditionally been a male-only sport, but it’s gaining popularity among women and they are fighting for their place in history.
Japan’s National Sports
- Sumo wrestling originated in Japan and is recognized as its national sport.
- The history of sumo wrestling dates back to over 2,000 years, however, it gained popularity and began to develop into a professional sport during the Edo period (1603-1868).
- Today, Japan is still the only country where sumo is practiced professionally.
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Controversies
- Despite its popularity, sumo has faced multiple controversies including match-fixing, gambling, hazing, and exclusion of women.
- Match-fixing is when tournaments are organized unfairly in order to predetermine the result of a match.
- In 2011, a case was held and 14 professional wrestlers were guilty of match-fixing for money.
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Ancient Rituals & Traditions
- Professional sumo has always been a “male only” sport.
- Sumo wrestling and the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) rules are strongly based on religious rituals and traditions.
- The exclusion of women in sumo wrestling stems from traditional Shinto and Buddhist beliefs which state that women are “impure” due to menstruation.
- Based on these traditions, women are not allowed to enter sumo rings because the rings are considered to be sacred grounds.
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Values v. Morals
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- In 2018, a Japanese mayor collapsed from a stroke while giving a speech at a match.
- Multiple women rushed into the ring to perform first-aid during the medical emergency.
- A referee began to repeatedly announce that the women must get out of the ring.
- After the event gained public visibility and received criticism, the head of the sumo wrestling association, Nobuyoshi Hakkaku, stated his apology.
- Hakkaku thanked the women for their help but made it clear that these circumstances are only acceptable in life-threatening situations.
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Seeking Professional Status
- Many women have fought and petitioned for the sumo association’s ban against women to be lifted.
- A petition was created against the JSA.
- The following statement was made in the petition: “The president [of the JSA] was born from a woman who menstruated. If sumo is sacred, the physiology of a woman who gives birth is also sacred.”
- Although the petition was unsuccessful, there were over 17,000 signatures.
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They’re Still Fighting
- The JSA is showing no signs of changing its policies anytime soon, but the sport is continuing to gain popularity at the amateur level for women.
- Women are continuing to fight for equality, competing in sumo at colleges, local tournaments, and even in the Women’s World Championships.
Netflix Documentary: Little Miss Sumo
- In 2018, a short Netflix documentary was released that confronted the gender equality issues in sumo wrestling.
- The documentary is a story about Hiyori Kon, a woman in sumo who is passionate about fighting gender issues.
- “I believe that as a result of my hard work,” said Kon, “women’s sumo will stop facing discrimination. I will continue to strive for it with that belief.”
Photo Credits: Google Reuse, Unsplash
