New to sumo? Start with three things.
You do not need to memorize 82 kimarite or the full banzuke before you can enjoy a bout.
First, watch one bout
Watching from home? Start with the Japan Sumo Association’s home-viewing guide for your tournament. The page changes between tournaments, so the next programme may not be posted yet. Check each provider’s schedule and viewing conditions for your location. Once a bout begins, follow the feet: which wrestler is moving forward?
1. Who is moving forward?
After the tachiai—the initial charge—notice which wrestler is making the other move backward. Follow the feet as well as the upper body: is the advancing wrestler taking short steps underneath the hips, or leaning forward while the feet trail behind? This is a way to read the movement, not a rule that predicts the winner.
At the edge, keep watching the last step. A wrestler moving backward may still turn the opponent or keep a foot inside the boundary. If both fall almost together, wait for the officials rather than deciding from one camera angle.
2. Did someone get a mawashi grip?
When pushing turns into a close contest, look at the hands. A hand pressing the chest, an arm inside the opponent’s arm and a hand gripping the mawashi belt create different contests. Notice whether one wrestler can keep the hips close while the other is stretched out.
Try one question on the replay: what changed immediately before the finish—a grip, a foot position or the direction of pressure? You do not need to name every movement to see that change.
Three finishing techniques to start with
A kimarite is the officially recorded winning technique. Use these three as viewing clues, then check the announcement; a bout can move through several positions before its final technique.
Oshidashi: pushing out
Watch the hands on the chest or under the arms. The winner pushes the opponent out. On the replay, look for the point of contact and whether that pressure keeps the opponent moving toward the boundary.
Yorikiri: forcing out
Watch the close body contact and the steps. The winner stays close and drives the opponent out forward or sideways. A belt grip is an easy clue to look for, but the official definition focuses on the close-contact force-out.
Uwatenage: an overarm throw
Watch which arm reaches over the opponent’s arm to grip the belt. The winner uses that outside grip for the throw. The side of the camera is less useful than the relationship between the two arms.
For another replay, try yorikiri versus oshidashi or checking the official kimarite after a bout.
3. Remember one wrestler
Choose for any reason: a name, hometown, story, size or personality.
When you recognize the same wrestler the next day, sumo stops being a contest between strangers.
Keep one line about a bout
You might write that someone kept moving forward, or that you want to see a throw again. A note about what you noticed is enough; you do not need the technique’s name first.
Open the free viewing notebook
The finer points of ranks, stables, prize criteria and older records can wait until they become part of a question you want to answer.
Find one wrestler to follow · A simple guide to sumo’s divisions and ranks
Official technique definitions
The definitions above follow the Japan Sumo Association. The suggestions about what to watch are our editorial guide to following the movement.