How to speak Sumo 101 –A
A Brief Explanation of Sumo Ranks
Cultural News, April 2008
By Jim “Yukikaze” Lowerre
This article has been written to help new sumo fans become familiar with some of the terms used in the sport – in this case, the ranks within sumo.
The banzuke is the official ranking list which is published six times a year by the Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association), the government-approved professional organization which runs professional sumo tournaments. Divided into “East” and “West” sides, it shows where every professional sumotori (wrestler) is ranked, from the mightiest grand champion to the newest recruit. This determines the ‘pecking order’: who eats first, who does the dirty chores, what clothes can be worn and who sleeps late are among the things determined by banzuke position.
The Makunouchi (or Makuuchi) Division is professional sumo’s “major league.” The 42 sumotori in this division are listed on the top row of the banzuke. The word translates as “behind the curtain,” a reference to the past when high-ranking sumotori sat behind a curtain while awaiting their matches. The men who will be appearing at the June exhibition are those who are ranked in the Makunouchi in the May banzuke.
The men in the Makunouchi Division fight a single torikumi (match) every day of a basho (tournament). A basho runs fifteen days, so eight is a very important number. A sumotori who wins eight or more torikumi in a basho is said to be kachi-koshi: he is very likely to be moved up in rank for the next basho. A sumotori who loses eight or more torikumi in a basho is said to be make-koshi: he will almost certainly be moved down in rank.
The lowest rank in the Makunouchi Division is the maegashira. There are 32 of these, numbered from 1 to 16 on both the “East” and “West” sides of the banzuke, the top row of which they occupy. These men are also known as hiramaku.
The komusubi rank marks entrance into what is known as the sanyaku. Men at this rank have a tough time: they have to face the strong competition above them very early in the tournament. Komusubi is a testing ground for those who have ambitions to reach the higher ranks.
The next rank up from komusubi is sekiwake. Sumotori who occupy this rank still have to contend with tough competition, but they have an easier time in the early part of the basho. It is their performance in this rank that determines whether they are worthy for further promotion.
In sumo history, the rank of ozeki was once the highest in the sport: it is now the second-highest. To become an ozeki, a sekiwake must win 32 or more matches over three consecutive basho. An ozeki may only be demoted if he has two consecutive make-koshi performances.
Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo. Any man who holds this rank is a living symbol of the Japanese national identity with the status of a demi-god. To be considered for promotion, an ozeki must not only win two consecutive yusho (championships) but be judged to have suitable dignity and worthiness to be a living symbol of Japan. Yokozuna are never subject to demotion, but usually retire when they feel they can no longer uphold the standards of the rank.
Jim “Yukikaze” Lowerre first put on the mawashi in 1997 as a charter member of the Southern California Sumo Kyokai. Later that year, the “Dohyo of Dreams” – as of now the only permanent working sumo facility in the USA – was built in his backyard.
The current United States Grand Masters’ heavyweight champion, Jim serves the amateur sumo community as editor-in-chief of the Sumo Shimpo newsletter and as Board Secretary of the United States Sumo Federation, of which he is a Life Member. He and his soulmate Lorinda live in Garden Grove, California.