Sumo terminology

thumb|right|Chanko set right|thumb|One example of chankonabe

A , or, more colloquially, , is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who participate in professional sumo tournaments (called ) in Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally.

thumb|upright|A 19th-century samurai with a The is a type of traditional Japanese topknot haircut worn by men. It is most commonly associated with the Edo period (1603–1868) and samurai, and in recent times with sumo wrestlers. It was originally a method of using hair to hold a samurai kabuto helmet steady atop the head in battle, and became a status symbol among Japanese society.

thumb|200px|A sumo , the , in full traditional dress

thumb|A dohyō in Takamatsu A dohyō (, ) is the ring in which a sumo wrestling bout occurs. A typical dohyō is a circle in diameter, bounded by partially buried rice-straw bales. In official professional tournaments (honbasho), it is mounted on a square platform of clay high and wide on each side.

thumb|A match with the 69th Hakuhō Shō|Hakuhō defeating Dejima as the 68th Asashōryū watches in the background

thumb|A gunbai The is a type of signal baton and Japanese war fan. Once held by military leaders (such as ) and priests in the past, it is used in the modern day by umpires in sumo wrestling.

In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or .

A , or Grand Sumo Tournament in English, is an official professional sumo tournament. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi (sumo wrestlers) on the banzuke ranking. Before the 19th century, a wrestler's record at a tournament was of little consequence and the number of honbasho held every year varied, as did their length. Honbasho have been organized by the Japan Sumo Association since 1926, following the merger of the Tokyo and Osaka sumo associations. Since 1958, there are six tournaments held over 15 consecutive days in four locations every year. T

Wikipedia glossary

right|thumb|The banzuke from the January 2012 tournament

training stables in professional sumo

prize in sumo

A sekitori (関取) is a rikishi (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and jūryō. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fraction of those who enter professional sumo achieve sekitori status.

thumb|upright|A dressing the hair of professional sumo wrestler Takayasu Akira|Takayasu A is a traditional Japanese hairdresser specializing in the theatrical arts (kabuki and ) and professional sumo. The trade is the result of a slow evolution from the traditional Japanese barbers of the Edo period, some of whom gradually started to specialize in hairstyles of actors, puppets, and . The word uses a Japanese character meaning 'floor', because in the Edo period barbers had shops on simple raised floors.

thumb|right|upright=1.1|Japanese sumo wrestler Toshimitsu Obata was known by his Kitanoumi Toshimitsu, and he was generally referred to simply as Kitanoumi. A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The use of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and developed further in the Edo period, when ring names were used to hide the identities of early , many of whom were masterless samurai called . By the 20th century, use of ring names became governed by customs within the Japan Sumo Association.

is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked (maegashira|) wrestler's victory over a yokozuna (sumo)|.

are various fouls that a sumo wrestler might commit that will cause him to lose the bout. They are:

thumb|150px|Hideo, at the May 2008 tournament A , often translated in English as "usher", "ring attendant", or "ring announcer", is an employee of the Japan Sumo Association, responsible for various tasks essential to the traditional running of professional sumo tournaments () in Japan. The are involved in building the (wrestling ring) or calling wrestlers () to the ring when it is their turn to fight. They are also entrusted with other roles, both administrative and artistic, in the service of the stable to which they are attached.

Ringside judges in sumo

is the technique used in sumo by a (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the (referee) at the end of the match, though judges can modify this decision. The records of are then kept for statistical purposes.

is a distraction technique in the sport of sumo wrestling, literally translating to "fool-the-cat trick". At the start of the bout (tachi-ai), a wrestler claps his hands in front of his opponent's face, causing him to blink. It is a way for smaller wrestlers to gain an advantage, allowing them to jump behind a larger and stronger opponent, or dive in more closely.

right|thumb|250px|Asasekiryu|Asasekiryū (left) acts as tachimochi during his stablemate [[Asashōryū's dohyō-iri in January 2008.]] thumb|right|An example of a yokozuna acting as a tachimochi, at Minanogawa's retirement ceremony at the [[Yasukuni Shrine in 1942.]] In professional sumo, the tachimochi (太刀持ち; lit.: sword carrier) is one of the two attendants that accompany a yokozuna when he performs his dohyō-iri, or ring entrance ceremony. The other attendant is called the tsuyuharai.

thumb|200px|Kotoōshū Katsunori|Kotoōshū, winner of the May 2008 , receives the Emperor's Cup is the term for a championship in Japanese. This article focuses on championships in the sport of professional sumo.

thumb|upright|Takanohana Kōji|Takanohana and Kitanoumi as in 2013 A , also known as an , is a sumo elder exercising both coaching functions with active wrestlers and responsibilities within the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). All are former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank to be eligible to this status. The benefits are considerable, as are guaranteed employment until the mandatory retirement age of 65 and are allowed to run and coach in (sumo stables), with a comfortable yearly salary averaging around ().