Wrestling With the Big Questions

Sumo wrestling may have originated in Japan 1,500 years ago, but now it’s a crossover sensation. Amateurs from around the world gathered at the New Otani Hotel in Los Angeles last month to grapple for gold, silver and bronze medals at the fourth annual U.S. Sumo Open. To win a match, a wrestler must push an opponent out of the ring or make him (or her) touch the ground. No punches or kicking are allowed, but slapping and tripping are. We asked some participants to weigh in.

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Kurt Rightmyer

39, West Covina

Assistant editor, Sharing Ideas magazine

5’ 10”, 230 pounds

What makes a sumo?

Number one, you have to have heart. You can never back down. Second, you have body, conditioning as well as mental preparation. Three, you have to have technique.

What drew you to sumo?

The warrior spirit. The way of bushido, the way of the samurai, is a philosophy that I respect greatly.

Misconceptions about sumo?

That it’s just a bunch of fat guys who are uncoordinated. Sumo is about technique and strength. It’s also about grace, the nuance of the subtle, deft touch, the right movement at the right time to catch your opponent off guard. I’ve seen 400-pound guys do the splits.

How do you psych up for a match?

I need some solitude. I try to create a mental space where you have inner peace but you’re ready to explode.

What are your other passions?

I’m a blues guitar player. I’m a published poet. I ran for governor [of California] last year.

How’d you do?

I finished 81st, with 832 votes.

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Amanda Soule

28, Boise, Idaho

Travel agent

6’ 3”, 380 pounds

How did you become a sumo?

I went to Tokyo to visit friends and they told me the U.S. has women’s sumo. As soon as I got back to the States, I looked it up and have just gone from there.

What makes you a sumo?

It’s really more the spirit. Having that strength, that power, but being able to control it and focus. The camaraderie is amazing. It’s a big-girl sport.

How do you psyche up?

I can’t reveal that. It’s very personal for everyone.

What opponent is toughest?

Someone who understands that it’s psychological as well as physical.

What are your passions besides sumo?

I travel. I love to see new cultures.

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Marcus Barber

33, Hemet

High school music teacher

6’ 6”, 450 pounds

How did you come to sumo?

All the martial arts I’ve done in my past. About four years ago, someone said, “You look like a sumo wrestler.”

You could do film roles.

I’ve done occasional role things. I’m bad-guy No. 3, or I’m the bad guy that the metrosexual has to beat up.

What drew you most?

I love the Japanese tradition. The pageantry, the ceremony; it’s beautiful.

How does sumo compare to American pro wrestling?

WWE is bodybuilders who go to monster camp. WWE can be fake, it can be real. There’s no such thing to my knowledge as fake sumo.

Is there a sumo personality type?

More often than not it’s the gentle giant archetype.

What are your other passions?

My daughter. She’s 14 months old.

I also enjoy writing music, fencing, educational research. I’m getting another master’s degree, in education at UC Riverside.

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Harry Dudrow

63, Long Beach

Courier/trustee of the United States Sumo Federation

6’ 2”, 258 pounds

How did you become a sumo?

In 1993 I was channel surfing and I stumbled upon “Sumo Digest.” I was hooked, much to my wife’s chagrin.

Does psychology come into play?

They face each other in the middle of the ring and stare at each other. They do it at least four times. It’s not uncommon for someone to be beaten before the match ever starts.

What makes a sumo?

On the tailgate of my Toyota pickup truck it says “Shin Gi Tai.” Shin means heart, spirit. Gi means technique and Tai means body.

Do you fit the credo?

I’m in pretty good shape for an old guy.

You’re kind of scaring me, to be honest.

I took up judo at 57. I’m a brown belt in judo. I’ll make a black belt if I put in more time. In sumo I’m a shodan, which means first degree.

What are your other passions?

Model railroading and playing war games with lead soldiers.

Now you’re really scaring me.