Seika Yochien (Preschool/Kindergarten) has a Sumo Day each Spring. William was asked to raise the flag (hata) for the event.
The sumo warmed up, and all the little sumo as well. William is looking at that guys butt (or so it seems). The raised square for the circle ring, the dohyo, is made of dirt like sand. I don't think William wanted to sit down on it.
This is my absolute favorite picture of William, framed in the rikishi's warm-up routine. Double click on the pic if you'd like to enjoy it as much as I did. William's blonde hair just stands out.
The mawashi William is wearing is a piece of diaper-type cloth, about 3 meters in length. I had to go twice to learn how to tie it, and then that day, a Japanese lady did it for me. I accepted the help graciously. William ran around in it for about 4 hours, and it never sagged or bagged, so she did an excellent job!
Seika has a Sumo Stable send a couple of wrestlers (rikishi), and they begin by doing a demonstration match.
The smack of their bodies when they first hit is amazing. They are hurtling themselves at each other at full force.
These guys were pretty well matched, so we got a respectably good show. William's in the pink blanket. They told me AFTER the day that I needed the Japanese kids towel. There are plastic snaps on it to 'snap it up' and around the kids. Pretty cool invention. I just LOVE finding out about these things afterward...
This guy won by picking up the other guy, and taking him out of the ring. If you get picked up, pretty much, it is over. :) Tim thought it was interesting that the loser has to bow and acknowledge at the end that he's lost, then he has to push the winner across the ring as a show of apology. I guess there's no giving up in Sumo.
The school chose 10 of the kindergarten level boys to have a tournament. At first, I was disappointed William wasn't one of them (there are too many in the kindergarten level for all to wrestle, 37 I believe). However, I know how hard it is when William loses, that I didn't want to deal with the crying. It was a fun little tournament. Then, the winner got to take on the sumo rikishi winner. They always bow to each other at the beginning.
This is another pic worth double clicking on. The little guy's name is Motohira, and he's so intense going against the big guy!
The tides did turn, and the rikishi playfully picks him up. The referee is laughing at it all. Very fun!
In the end, Motohira gets the 'best' of the rikishi.
And they say sumo isn't rigged...
The Seika's main lady, Encho Sensei (she began the kindergarten 62 years ago, with help from the Americans) has to walk on a mat to be on the dohyo (she's a woman), to give Motohira his 'trophy.'
William's little group that gets to go against the #2 rikishi.
I think this will always be such a great memory of Japan. They really have fun with letting the little boys push and shove, and show them how to use their power in a respectful way.
William really got into it, too! He's actually not trying to hit the guy, but running after him to grab onto him.
William was always near the front to shove the guy, and having a ball.... okay, maybe the rikishi's mawashi is a bit better tied than that...
So the rikishi just picked William up and ran around backwards with him!
Again, fortunes turned to the little rikishi tide, and they put all their power into it, and.....
VICTORY!!!! William has won a sumo match! He is our little Sumo Wrestler!
Seika Yochien (Preschool/Kindergarten) has a Sumo Day each Spring. William was asked to raise the flag (hata) for the event.
The sumo warmed up, and all the little sumo as well. William is looking at that guys butt (or so it seems). The raised square for the circle ring, the dohyo, is made of dirt like sand. I don't think William wanted to sit down on it.
This is my absolute favorite picture of William, framed in the rikishi's warm-up routine. Double click on the pic if you'd like to enjoy it as much as I did. William's blonde hair just stands out.
The mawashi William is wearing is a piece of diaper-type cloth, about 3 meters in length. I had to go twice to learn how to tie it, and then that day, a Japanese lady did it for me. I accepted the help graciously. William ran around in it for about 4 hours, and it never sagged or bagged, so she did an excellent job!
Seika has a Sumo Stable send a couple of wrestlers (rikishi), and they begin by doing a demonstration match.
The smack of their bodies when they first hit is amazing. They are hurtling themselves at each other at full force.
These guys were pretty well matched, so we got a respectably good show. William's in the pink blanket. They told me AFTER the day that I needed the Japanese kids towel. There are plastic snaps on it to 'snap it up' and around the kids. Pretty cool invention. I just LOVE finding out about these things afterward...
This guy won by picking up the other guy, and taking him out of the ring. If you get picked up, pretty much, it is over. :) Tim thought it was interesting that the loser has to bow and acknowledge at the end that he's lost, then he has to push the winner across the ring as a show of apology. I guess there's no giving up in Sumo.
The school chose 10 of the kindergarten level boys to have a tournament. At first, I was disappointed William wasn't one of them (there are too many in the kindergarten level for all to wrestle, 37 I believe). However, I know how hard it is when William loses, that I didn't want to deal with the crying. It was a fun little tournament. Then, the winner got to take on the sumo rikishi winner. They always bow to each other at the beginning.
This is another pic worth double clicking on. The little guy's name is Motohira, and he's so intense going against the big guy!
The tides did turn, and the rikishi playfully picks him up. The referee is laughing at it all. Very fun!
In the end, Motohira gets the 'best' of the rikishi.
And they say sumo isn't rigged...
The Seika's main lady, Encho Sensei (she began the kindergarten 62 years ago, with help from the Americans) has to walk on a mat to be on the dohyo (she's a woman), to give Motohira his 'trophy.'
William's little group that gets to go against the #2 rikishi.
I think this will always be such a great memory of Japan. They really have fun with letting the little boys push and shove, and show them how to use their power in a respectful way.
William really got into it, too! He's actually not trying to hit the guy, but running after him to grab onto him.
William was always near the front to shove the guy, and having a ball.... okay, maybe the rikishi's mawashi is a bit better tied than that...
So the rikishi just picked William up and ran around backwards with him!
Again, fortunes turned to the little rikishi tide, and they put all their power into it, and.....
VICTORY!!!! William has won a sumo match! He is our little Sumo Wrestler!
1 comment:
It looks like everyone was having a blast! Those pictures are too funny!
Post a Comment