Sumo

A Thinking Fan's Guide to Japan's National Sport

By: David Benjamin

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Paperback | 10 March 2010

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272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.3 x 13.0 x 2.0

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"The most entertaining and irreverent guide to sumo." - James Fallows, The Atlantic

Sumo

is a fresh and funny introduction to the fascinating world of sumo, Japan's national sport. Author David Benjamin peels away the veneer of sumo as a cultural treasure and reveals it as an action-packed sport populated by superb athletes who employ numerous strategies and techniques to overcome their gargantuan opponents. Sumo provides an engaging, witty, behind-the-scenes look at sumo today.

A complete guide to sumo for both curious novices and long-time fans, you'll learn about:

The greatest sumo match ever
The many strategies employed by wrestlers, such as "the Hooker," "the Bulldozer" and "the Matador"
Sumo's most stunning move
Why rikishi sometimes throw a match
The backroom politics that influence who is promoted to the highest ranks
The "foreign invasion" of sumo and what it means for the sport's future

About This New Edition

This book is a thoroughly updated revision of the popular The Joy of Sumo. Benjamin's enthusiasm and insight into the sport remain unmatched, and his humorous descriptions of the personalities and pageantry of the sport will have you laughing loud and often.

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Introduction	p. 7
The Pit	p. 19
"Death Valley"	p. 23
Rhythm and Recognition	p. 24
Big Al, Mad Dog, Tokyo Rose and the Silver Spoons	p. 29
Nomenclature: Proper and Improper	p. 32
The "Grouping Urge" Blubberbutts and Thoroughbreds	p. 43
Left/Right/Up/Down and All That	p. 45
Genus and Species	p. 49
Backstage: Choking Up in the Church	p. 57
Napoleon and Konishiki	p. 59
The Locker Room	p. 65
Aprons and Ads	p. 68
The Meditations of the Beast	p. 70
The Sumotori Rag: Pose-striking, Time-killing and the Eight Forms of Screwing Around	p. 73
The Importance of the Overture	p. 77
"Kokoro" and KITSH	p. 79
The KITSH Pecking Order	p. 81
Eight Ways to Screw Around	p. 83
Tachiai: Hookers, Bulldozers, Boxers, Stranglers, Matadors and Low-down Yankee Liars	p. 97
Jumpers and Receivers	p. 99
Bohr's Constant vs. The Human Factor	p. 101
"Fast Is Good, Heavy Is Better"	p. 104
The Five Styles of Tachiai	p. 106
To Live and Die at Tachiai	p. 110
The Fistfight at the Malamute Saloon and Other Japanese Cultural Treasures	p. 113
The Expert	p. 114
Hands, Feet and Angle	p. 116
The Guy in the Pajamas	p. 121
The Finish	p. 123
Extra Terms	p. 129
The Ripsnorter in Nagoya	p. 133
Chiyonofuji's Ghosts	p. 135
Asahifuji's Jinx	p. 138
The Match	p. 144
Afterward: "Keep Up Appearances Whatever You Do"	p. 153
The Membrane of Sportsmanship	p. 155
The Rite of Withdrawal	p. 159
The Interview	p. 163
The Basho Beat:"Give That Rhythm Everything You've Got"	p. 171
Banzuke: Confucian Confusion	p. 173
The Real Ranks: Upper Echelon	p. 175
The Real Ranks: Down Below	p. 180
The Weight of Concentration	p. 185
Good Basho, Bad Basho	p. 187
Tank This One for the Gipper	p. 189
Little Spoon, Tamaryu, and the Politics of Mono-ii	p. 192
A Sense of Honor	p. 196
"Yaocho Doesn't Exist"	p. 199
The Last-Day Blues	p. 202
How to Take a Dive	p. 206
The Rite of Passage	p. 207
The Statistical Imperative	p. 211
The Data Deficit	p. 214
Rating the Rikishi	p. 215
Whither Sumo Especially With All These Gatjin	p. 225
The Mongol Hordes	p. 226
Cracks in the Façade	p. 231
An American Solutio	p. 232
Jusc a Game	p. 241
Acknowledgments	p. 245
Glossary	p. 247
Index	p. 251
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Sumo

A Thinking Fan's Guide to Japan's National Sport

At a Glance

Paperback

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