Sumotori is the name of a sumo wrestler in Japanese. Mawashi or mawashi is a sumo wrestler's belt tied around the body in a special way. Since sumo wrestling is a traditional martial art for Japan, this terminology is used all over the world.
Mawashi in the tradition of sumo
Sumo is an ancient traditional martial art practiced in the land of the rising sun to this day. Each fight between wrestlers is accompanied by numerous rituals, one of which is the special clothing of the wrestlers - a sumo belt called mawashi. This is the only clothing that is acceptable for a wrestler.
Some wrestlers hang sagari on their mawashi - these are decorations that have a decorative function. They do not mean anything and do not symbolize.
Mavashi is a special belt - a wide ribbon made of dense fabric. As a rule, dark matter is used, but it happens that some sumo wrestlers perform in light mawashi. The belt is put on a completely naked body, it is wrapped several times around the wrestler's torso and between the legs, then fixed with a special knot. Since mawashi is a long ribbon, then all the attire on the body of the wrestler really looks a little like a thong.
The place where the wrestlers fight is called doha. If one of the sumo wrestlers loses the mawashi on the doha (for example, the belt is untied), then this means an automatic disqualification. Gedzi - the chief judge - strictly monitors that traditions and rules are strictly observed.
The meaning of this, at first glance, strange attire for wrestlers is as follows: since sumo involves gripping, the clothing of wrestlers should contribute as little as possible to vulnerability on this side. Mawashi is impossible to grasp, and therefore the traditional belt, although it may seem unusual looking to a person far from sumo, is still very functional.
Mawashi variations
As a rule, experienced skilled wrestlers wear special mawashi - silk. But in amateur sports, this type of clothing is sometimes worn directly on shorts or swimming trunks.
There is a separate type of mawashi - kesho-mawashi. This is a belt that looks more like an apron. It is richly decorated with embroidery and hanging elements. Such mawashi is used only for ritual purposes; it is unacceptable for wrestling.
Other attributes of a sumo wrestler
To style a sumo hairstyle or tie a mawashi requires knowledge of a special art, which in modern Japan is almost forgotten outside of sumo or traditional theater.
According to tradition, sumo wrestlers grow long hair, which is put into a special hairstyle before the fight - a bun on the top of the head. Wrestlers from the top divisions have a slightly different, complicated hairstyle that not only looks more intricate and beautiful, but also softens the blows of the enemy. For example, if a wrestler falls head down, then the force of hitting his head against the doha with such a special beam will be significantly less.