Women Sumo Wrestlers

Women Sumo Wrestlers

Diego Azubel/EPA

Open weight sumo wrestler Olga Davydko glares at her opponent before the start of their match, hoping to up the intimidation factor. Unlike Greco Roman wrestling, which is contested at the Olympics and scored based on performance, sumo wrestlers try to force their opponents to touch the ground with any body part other than the soles of their feet, or push them out of the wrestling ring. Most matches only last a few seconds, but some can last several minutes.

Itsuo Inouye/AP

As the referee calls a start, Azumi Okada (right) and Eriko Kawai gaze at each other on the sumo mound.

Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

Miki Satoyama attempts to flatten her opponent with her body weight.

Petra Masova/AP

Klara Janu warms up against American sumo champion Emanuel Yarbrough, who appears to be three times her size. Not much of a warmup for Yarbrough...

Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

Female sumo wrestler Miki Satoyama stares down her opponent at the 2010 Japan women's sumo championships in a similar manner to a lion stalking its prey.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Taunia Arave (left) and Heather Colton battle during the U.S. National Sumo Championships.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Natalie Burns (left) and Taunia Arave engage in the sumo version of a cat fight.

Natasha Ikejiri (right) tries a new fighting technique in which she smashes her face into her opponent's arm.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Again, another clever fighting tactic: Natasha Ikejiri appears to headbutt Taunia Arave.

Yuriko Nakao/Reuters

Russia's Olesya Kovalenko goes for German Nicole Hehemann's neck at the 2006 world championships in Sakai, western Japan.

Wang Yuguo/Xinhua Press/Corbis

Gyongyi Kallo of the Ukraine throws her opponent to the floor.

Oliver Killig/EPA

Erika Makai of Hungary tries to rearrange the face of Ekaterina Kevb of Russia.

Noriko Yamaguchi/Reuters

Female sumo wrestlers roll on the ground as a seemingly-indifferent judge watches over them.

Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

While these two seem to be hugging it out, they're actually still brawling.

Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

These middleweights prove you don't have to resemble an elephant to be a sumo wrestler.

Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images

These amateurs are training to be the next generation of sumo wrestlers.

ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images

Veronica Kozlovskaya of Belarus stares down Maria Van Den Brink with the intensity of a tiger and the stance of a frog.

Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Luciana Watanabe of Brazil takes down Alina Boykova of Ukraine.

Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Nicole Hehemann (right) of Germany attempts to rip off Russia's Svetlana Panteleyeva's mawashi, the formal name of the loin cloths they wear.

Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Rie Tsuihiji of Japan prepares to face Ekatarina Keyb of Russia.

Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Katherine Hurley of the U.S. bypasses normal fighting techniques and strikes straight at the throat of Germany's Steffi Mueller.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Adele Jones (left), Steve Pateman, president of the British Sumo Federation, and Becky 'Pink' Williams channel their inner wrestler.

Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

Auua Zhigalova of Russia throws down Adele Jones of England during their match.

Scroll to Continue

SI Recommends

Essay: 1000 Mile Club An Escape From Feeling The Heavy Weight of Hate

By Steve Brooks, Special to SI.com

Sports Illustrated

Little League Baseball Player Dies During Game, per Report

By Madison Williams

Sports Illustrated

Renata Simril Leads to Transform Youth Sports in Southern California

By Madelyne Woods

Sports Illustrated