These girls expertly throw each other around the ring to help promote high school sumo in Japan.
In Japan, sailor suit school uniforms denote youthfulness and innocence, but there’s plenty of strength behind the image too. Take the gun-slinging schoolgirl from the 1981 movie Sailor Suit and Machine Gun and its 2016 sequel, for instance, or the fighting schoolgirls in Japanese pose reference books. These seemingly contradictory virtues of innocence and power make for the ultimate badass schoolgirl, and whenever she makes an appearance, we can’t tear our eyes away from her.
Now a couple of fighting schoolgirls are stepping into the sumo ring to promote the 101st High School Sumo Kanazawa Tournament, which will be held in Kanazawa, in Ishikawa Prefecture, on 21 May. Using the 82 winning techniques of sumo, which include throws, twist downs, leg trips and body drops, these girls do a great job of demonstrating each move.
Check out “Sumo Girls Eighty Two Techniques” below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M73ZchccK2A
That’s a lot of information to process in two minutes! Let’s take a quick look at all the moves that appeared in the video.
1. Oshitaoshi 2. Oshidashi 3. Tsukidashi 4. Tsukitaoshi 5. Yoritaoshi 6. Kimetaoshi 7. Kimedashi 8. Yorikiri 9. Waridashi 10. Okuritsuridashi 11. Tsuridashi 12. Okuritaoshi 13. Okuridashi 14. Okurinage 15. Sokubiotoshi 16. Tsukiotoshi 17. Hatakikomi 18. Hikiotoshi 19. Okurihikitaoshi 20. Sabaori
▼ The”rear lift-out” (below left) and “lift-out” (below right)
are usually performed by picking up the opponent by their mawashi loincloth.
21. Abisetaoshi 22. Ushiromotare 23. Hikkake 24. Tottari 25. Sakatottari 26. Katasukashi 27. Shitatedashinage 28. Uwatedashinage 29. Ketaguri 30. Kekaeshi 31. Susoharai 32. Tsumadori 33. Kozumatori 34. Susotori 35. Ashitori 36. Komatasukui 37. Sutokomata 38. Kainahineri 39. Uchimusou 40. Sotomusou
▼ The “inner thigh propping twist down” (below left) and the “outer thigh propping twist down” (below right).
41. Uchigake 42. Sotogake 43. Chongake 44. Ukurigake 45. Kakezori 46. Kawazugake 47. Kakenage 48. Watashikomi 49. Kirikaeshi 50. Uwatehineri 51. Shitatehineri 52. Kotehineri 53. Kubihineri 54. Zubuneri 55. Gasshohineri 56. Dokkurinage 57. Amiuchi 58. Harimanage 59. Sukuinage 60. Kotenage
▼ The “Hooking Backwards Body Drop”
involves placing your head under the opponent’s arm and forcing them backwards over their legs.
61. Uwatenage 62. Shitatenage 63. Makiotoshi 64. Oosakate 65. Ipponzeoi 66. Nicchonage 67. Koshinage 68. Kubinage 69. Yobimodosh 70. Oomata 71. Tsuriotoshi 72. Okuritsuriotoshi 73. Mitokorozeme 74. Nimaigeri 75. Tsukaminage 76. Yaguranage 77. Ucchari 78. Sototasukizori 79. Tasukizori 80. Tsutaezori 81. Izori 82. Shumokuzori
▼ The Ipponzeoi one-armed shoulder throw is particularly impressive.
The High School Sumo Kanazawa Tournament has been held every May since 1915. The new video to help promote their 101st tournament this year is being supported by the two “Sumo Girls” in the clip, actresses Misaki Jimbu and Chihiro.
To thank everyone for watching the video, Jimbu posted this thank-you message on Instagram.
Striving for authenticity, the video was shot over three days under careful supervision, and an official Sumo Girls campaign website was created, complete with traditionally styled pictures, which have been used in newspaper ads.
If the Sumo Girls have piqued your interest in the tournament, the event will open at 8:00 a.m. on 21 May, and tickets will be sold at the venue for 800 yen (US$7.04) each, which is an incredibly good deal for a day of watching the sumo world’s up-and-coming stars.
Event information
High School Sumo Kanazawa Tournament / 高等学校相撲金沢大会
Address: Ishikawa-kenritsu Utatsuyama Sumo Arena, Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa-shi, Suehiromachi
石川県立卯辰山相撲場石川県金沢市末広町
Open: 8:00 a.m. on 21 May
Tickets: 800 yen each (available at the venue)
Website
Source, images: YouTube/hokkokushimbun