Shikiri
What is Shikiri?
Shikiri refers to the pre-match ritual and stance in sumo wrestling. Before the actual bout begins, both sumo wrestlers (rikishi) engage in a ceremonial process called shikiri-naoshi. This involves a series of actions, including:
- Stomping the Ground (Shiko): Wrestlers lift their legs high and stomp the ground to symbolize driving away evil spirits.
- Throwing Salt (Shio-maki): Wrestlers throw salt into the ring to purify it.
- Squatting and Staring (Shikiri): Wrestlers squat at the shikiri-sen (starting lines) and engage in an intense staring contest, attempting to psych each other out and gauge their opponent's readiness.
This ritual can be repeated multiple times as part of the psychological and physical preparation for the match. The shikiri period is a crucial aspect of sumo, emphasizing the mental and spiritual readiness of the wrestlers before the physical confrontation begins.
Related Article: Sumo Wrestling: The Traditional Japanese Combat Sport
It's funny. When you're coming up and you're striving for your black belt it seems so, so important. I've been a black belt for over twenty years, now. I've been a black belt for longer than it took me to get to black belt: longer than it took me to get through all the other belts combined. At some point in all of that you start to realize that the belt don't actually matter. You start to realize that what matters is being on the mat. What matters is the time you get to spend with this art. The rest of it is just window dressing.
Richard Bresler