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Rikishi

What is Rikishi?

In sumo wrestling, a "rikishi" is a professional sumo wrestler. The term literally means "strong man" or "powerful man" in Japanese. Rikishi range in rank from the lowest divisions to the top division, known as the makuuchi division. Within the makuuchi division, there are further ranks, with yokozuna being the highest rank a rikishi can achieve.

Rikishi follow a strict regimen that includes intense training, a specific diet to maintain their size and strength, and adherence to traditional customs and rituals. Their lifestyle is highly disciplined and regimented, reflecting the deep cultural significance and history of sumo wrestling in Japan.

Related Article: Sumo Wrestling: The Traditional Japanese Combat Sport

Nine Principles Never have a wicked heart. Train not by thought, but by practice. Learn a wide variety of arts and skills, and do not fix on only one. Know not only your own techniques but also those of many others. Find out rationally what is an advantage and what is a disadvantage. Foster an intuitive ability to judge all things. Feel an essence that you cannot see on the surface. Pay attention to the very smallest of phenomena. (Everything takes its own course, and sometimes we get unexpected results.) Do nothing in vain, for the energy and time we have is limited.
Kazumi Tabata

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Other Glossary terms

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Kai
Kai is the sixth stage in the Hassetsu, the "Eight Stages of Shooting," in Kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery.
K
Dojo
A Dojo is a term used in Japanese martial arts to refer to a formal training hall or place where practitioners gather to train, study, and practice their martial art.
D
Duillian
Duillian (对练), also known as Duilian or Two-Person Sets, is a traditional training method in Chinese martial arts where two practitioners engage in pre-arranged, choreographed combat sequences.
D
Baguazhang
Baguazhang, also known as "Eight Trigram Palm," is a traditional Chinese martial art that is part of the internal styles (neijia) of Chinese martial arts, which also includes Tai Chi and Xing Yi.
B
Nanquan
Nanquan (南拳), also known as Southern Fist, is a style of Chinese martial arts originating from the southern regions of China.
N
Wing Chun Stance
The Wing Chun stance, also known as "Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma" or "Character Two Adduction Stance," is a fundamental aspect of Wing Chun Kung Fu.
W
Ninja
A ninja, also known as a shinobi, was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare.
N
Sandā
Sandā, also known as Sǎnshǒu, is a Chinese martial art that combines traditional Kung Fu techniques with modern combat practices.
S
Enshin
Enshin Karate is a modern style of karate founded by Joko Ninomiya in 1988.
E
Nandao
Nandao (南刀), also known as the Southern Broadsword, is a traditional Chinese martial art that focuses on the use of the nan dao (南刀), a type of broadsword associated with the southern styles of Chinese martial arts.
N
Tai Chi
Tai Chi, also known as Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), is a traditional Chinese martial art that is practiced both for its defense training and its health benefits.
T
Simple Reaction Time (SRT)
Simple Reaction Time (SRT) is the measure of the time it takes for an individual to respond to a single stimulus.
S
Russian Fistfighting
Russian Fistfighting, also known as "Kulachniye Boyi" (Кулачные бои), is a traditional form of bare-knuckle fighting that has deep roots in Russian culture and history.
R
Economy of Motion
Economy of motion is a fundamental principle in martial arts, particularly emphasized in styles like Wing Chun.
E
Kodokan
Kodokan is the name of the institute founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882, where the modern martial art of Judo was developed.
K
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