What sumo wrestlers look like in childhood and youth

Photographer Charles Fréger (Charles Fréger) decided to find out what young sumo wrestlers who recently came to this sport look like. His project "Rikishi" (Rikishi) — a series of portraits of sumo wrestlers at the very beginning of their sports career. 

Regardless of the fact that all wrestlers are different, they are united by one thing-a strong penetrating look. Rikishi (the so-called young sumo fighters) are taught not only techniques and grabs, but also to look into the eyes of the enemy so aggressively and fearlessly.

The history of Japanese sumo wrestling dates back to the Heian period ("period of calm"), that is, to the time period from 794th to 1185th years. And, as with any other ancient martial arts, it's not just a sport, a fight, or a competition. This is a fusion in which there is a place for history, religion, the organization of free time, and, in fact, athletics. 

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The roots of sumo lie in the worship of the gods — this was the original meaning of this type of wrestling. Well, now we know sumo as the most famous Japanese professional sport.

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The characters ' faces show reverence; most of them have piercing eyes. Such a view is a kind of preparation in the contemplative struggle, because sumo is not just a physical strike, it is also a psychological struggle, expressed in the struggle of views-in the truest sense of the word. 

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Sometimes an experienced wrestler can fall from the assertive gaze of his smaller opponent, and this is the essence of the sumo philosophy. But still, a massive body is also important for Sumo wrestlers — even many young wrestlers weigh well over a hundred.

4.

Some boys, not yet becoming professional wrestlers, can weigh under a hundred. Despite the huge body weight, the percentage of fat in sumo wrestlers is small: the average figure is 14% (on average, for a resident of Japan, this figure varies from 15 to 19%). However, not all of them: for some wrestlers of the higher divisions, it is from 23 to 39%. 

5.

The massive body of the wrestler is formed due to nutrition and long training sessions. But at the same time, excessively heavy weight is not always an indicator of strength: the sumo wrestler becomes less mobile and agile, it is more difficult for him to use many techniques. Since there are no weight classes in sumo, sometimes real heavyweights under 200 kilograms are won by wrestlers with a small weight.

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