Sumo Wrestling:
The Sport of Champions
Japan Seminar Project
Submitted by
Michelle Cullom and Bernadette Ward
Introduction
• Sumo wrestling is a one-on-one competitive contact sport in which two
wrestlers (called rikishi) try to force one another out of a circular ring
(or dohyo) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of
the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is
practiced professionally.
• The sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes
many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the
days sumo was used in the Shinto religion. Life as a rikishi is highly
regimented, with rules laid down by the Sumo Association.
• Professional sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal "sumo
training stables" known in Japanese as heva where all aspects of their
daily lives - from meals to their manner of dress - are dictated by strict
tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxhKb-zZoWE
Purpose
• Students will prepare to present a mock sumo wrestling
exhibition. Each core subject class will focus on a specific
project that will be displayed at the exhibition to provide
information about the sport (such as its origin and
requirements - physical, training, eating, etc.).
• They will conduct research, analyze information, create
displays (PowerPoint, brochures, flyers, photo essays,
advertisements, bulletin boards, etc.), and publicize the
event.
• This project can be used in upper elementary through high
school.
Subject Area Projects
Language Arts:
Haikus, Internet Research, and Research Folders
Social Studies:
Historical Study of American and Sumo Wrestling
Mathematics:
Food Label Analysis of Sumo Meal Used for Weight
Gain/Maintenance
Science:
Steroid Research
Technology:
Photo Essay and Photo Exhibition
Language Arts Project:
Haikus, Internet Research, and Folders
Create a haiku for the sport or a particular wrestler.
Find an internet reading develop questions for your
classmates to answer from the website.
Choose a particular wrestler to use as your main subject in
a decorated folder. Conduct internet research to get
biographical information about your person. You could
use pictures or perhaps Japanese art to decorate your
covers.
Research holidays and festivities that occur around the
same time as the Sumo champions.
Social Studies Project:
American vs. Sumo Wrestling
Research the history of both American and Sumo wrestling.
Create a Know, Want to Know, and What I Learned poster.
Create a compare and contrast poster.
Develop a group timeline to be posted at the exhibition.
View posters and pictures then create a poster having to do with
the types of wrestling along with biographies of different
wrestlers. This would involve brainstorming a list.
Create a Japanese map and map of the United States along with
fact comparisons such as population, space, religions, foods, etc
just for the general information.
Math Project:
Food Label Analysis
• Research the sumo wrestlers daily diet.
• Identify the ingredients in “chanko-nabe” (a weight
gain/maintenance stew).
• Analyze food labels for ingredient in chanko-nabe by
looking at fats, calories, cholesterol, etc.
• Prepare a chart (display) that shows the information from
the analysis.
• Prepare a wrestler’s daily diet to be sampled at the
exhibition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1wnbNIUrc
Science Project:
Steroid Research
Research steroids (types, physical effects, psychological
effects, health risks, fairness in competition
Research famous athletes who are known to use or have
used steroids.
Prepare a poster of the information gathered from research
for display at the exhibition.
Conduct a student body survey on their view of steroids.
Design a graph to reflect the survey results.
Technology Project:
Photo Essay and Photo Exhibition
Photo Essay
• Select a topic or subject to research for their photo essay.
• Create or find photographs that show different things about the topic.
• Organize the photographs into a story.
• Write an introduction that summarizes the topic.
• Write captions that help tell the story.
Photo Exhibition
• Make each photo essay into a poster.
• Decide on an arrangement for the photo essays.
• Display the photo essays.
• Choose a name for the exhibition.
• Make a catalogue for the exhibition.
• Have a grand opening for your exhibition.
Sumo Exhibition
Contact party supply company to reserve Sumo Suits (you
may have to go online to find the suits).
Set-up the ring using the sumo ritual.
Prepare a place for the subject level projects to be
presented or displayed.
Publicize the event.