r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/GaddockTeegFunPolice • Jul 31 '26

Image The leg of a professional sumo wrestler (Ura Kazuki )

Post image
29.1k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

762 comments sorted by

5.2k

u/Successful_Theory373 Jul 31 '26

People when they realise it's not always flab: 😲

2.3k

u/reticulatedtampon Jul 31 '26

I notice a lot of bigger guys tend to have pretty jacked legs. Makes sense when there's a lot of weight to carry around

1.4k

u/mcc9902 Jul 31 '26

Unless you're immobile then you have to be absolutely jacked beneath all the fat. A 500lbs guy is the equivalent of a 200lbs Guy carrying an extra 300lbs everywhere.

773

u/wallstreetchills Jul 31 '26

Quick maffs

220

u/f3ydr4uth4 Jul 31 '26

Man’s not hot

129

u/r4o2n0d6o9 Jul 31 '26

And da ting go skrrrra

81

u/AscendedViking7 Jul 31 '26

ka ka ka ka ka

40

u/ThetaDee Jul 31 '26

Haven't thought about that in a while. That was nice

4

u/V01DM0NK3Y Aug 01 '26

Everyday, man's on da block. Smoke trees.

12

u/MyOtherRideIs Jul 31 '26

Tra la la la la la la

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u/fukkdisshitt Jul 31 '26

My bro and i were the same size when we wrestled.

I've gained 40 pounds since then mostly muscle. Bro gained 160 and looks fat but he never quit heavy lifting. He only quit cardio, eats too much, doesn't drink alcohol.

He reps his bodyweight and makes it look easy. Some kinda muscular tall guy made the mistake of trying to rob him one day without any weapons. Dude just got rag dolled and my brother got to record the security cam. He Keri showing everyone for like a year lol

77

u/NRMusicProject Jul 31 '26

Dude just got rag dolled and my brother got to record the security cam. He Keri showing everyone for like a year lol

That would be pinned at the top of every one of my social media profiles.

53

u/rips_n_chel Jul 31 '26

Dude just got rag dolled

Mfs when they face the reality that is a disparity in mass. If the bigger guy can move that mass, smaller guy is fucked. It takes a large skill disparity favoring the smaller combatant to overcome a significant difference in mass. Technique can count for a lot, but not really when the other guy can literally pick you up and throw you at the ground.

51

u/fukkdisshitt Jul 31 '26

I've been doing bjj for 11 years. I do well in competition at the brown/ black belt level.

My bro started a year ago and is stupidly hard to deal with. Especially once he learned to not let me grab his chin. He tapped me the other day smothering me with his fatass shoulders.

My only option is to survive until he runs out of gas but now he's learning how to conserve energy and is getting in better shape.

On the flip side one guy i train with, who's done it a bit longer tag me lost about 70 pounds recently. He's had a hard time adjusting to his lack of weight. Sometimes he tried to pull big man moves but they don't work anymore.

22

u/rips_n_chel Jul 31 '26

Ah hell you got more experience than me then, shit. It's a crazy thing when you experience it firsthand, on either end of the equation. I was a fat kid, and I took all the emotional damage that can cause straight to heart. Had no confidence in myself, until I got into MMA. Just a little bit of coaching on how to apply my strength, and I could tap anyone in my class.

Still remember that slow realization. I had the power the whole time, it just took a perspective shift. I was a husky farm boy, I had strength for days, and still do. "You can go through that guy, so why are you letting him stop you?" Fair enough, coach. Seriously feels like cheating sometimes, and I guess in a sanctioned fight it absolutely would be. I do worry sometimes that I rely on my size, and my technique might suffer as a result.

25

u/Open-Platform-1305 Jul 31 '26

Blowjob-jutsu can get someone out of a lot of trouble, but it's never a guarantee.

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u/TheRealRigormortal Aug 01 '26

The “Butterbean effect”

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u/Otherwise_Spirit1552 Aug 01 '26

If the bigger guy can move that mass, smaller guy is fucked.

Yah, even if somewhat somewhat out of shape generally you "only" need to be able to grab them... after that is either their mass moving somewhere, or yours on to them.

Lots more to it like maintaining stamina, avoiding getting hurt but... 180lb athletic dude while definitely able to do serious damage is probably not going to have a good time if some 300lb dude gets a good grip and decides to do a falling bear hug on them.

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u/Korps_de_Krieg Jul 31 '26

Can confirm. I went from 320 to 240 and was surprised how much muscle I had from effectively doing weight vest training any time I move.

14

u/TRIKKDADDY Jul 31 '26

Damn! im exactly at this stage now, i'm planning to lose 100lbs and some, currently 320lbs, 6ft and i used to weight 240 10yrs ago. congrats man, must feel great

6

u/Korps_de_Krieg Jul 31 '26

My knees and back are thanking me for sure! I’m 6’5 and built like a corn fed lad, so I’m never gonna be skinny, I just want to be healthy

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u/FuckYouVerizon Aug 01 '26

Don't stop pushing you'll feel amazing when you get there. I never breached 305, but I've been bouncing between 210-220 the last 6 months. I'm certainly built to carry a little weight (6'3" broad shoulders, solid build) but the muscle you have beneath it all from simply being (moreso if you're athletic) is substantial. My legs are certainly jacked and the muscle is starting to show more. I couldn't be happier and my wife certainly agrees. Congratulations, and keep it up, you've got this.

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u/uluviel Aug 01 '26

I lost 200 pounds, and some of it quite quickly (bariatric surgery). I felt like I was walking in low-gravity for a year.

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u/WearyTranslator3338 Jul 31 '26

A lot of road cyclists, who were bigger, but lost weight, can push crazy watts!

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u/Forsaken-Income-2148 Jul 31 '26

Electrifying!

9

u/Admiral-Tuna Jul 31 '26

DANGER DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!

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u/yahsoccer Jul 31 '26

Math checks out

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u/TheBroboat Jul 31 '26

I'm starting to lose weight and I'm hoping I can keep these tree trunk motherfuckers. These legs have been carrying my heavy depressed ass for years and years.

53

u/TheKrnJesus Jul 31 '26

Gotta do your leg workouts ma boi

36

u/TheBroboat Jul 31 '26

It's the next very intimidating step in my lifestyle changes. Right now just walking and diet change.

27

u/spreta Jul 31 '26

Hey man I’m a fat dude turned skinny guy turned fat dude again and I’ve finally been able to stick to a good gym routine and I gotta say just show up man it’s scary but worth it. Even days where you don’t have the juice just go and do 20 minutes on a treadmill and leave that’ll be 20 minutes of movement and a little bit of acclimation to the environment.

14

u/No-Consideration-716 Jul 31 '26

I second this. Just going is half the fight. Once you get there you can flake out early if you are not feeling it but more times than not you will end up doing a full workout. ("Fuck it, I'm already here!!!")

Additionally, you will feel better about yourself if you go and the bail out early as opposed to not going at all. Plus you help to maintain the mental habit of wanting/needing to go.

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u/izzymaestro Jul 31 '26

Walking can be enough. You've already built up muscle capacity carrying more weight for years, just keep exercising them and they'll lean up.

300+ lb olineman buddy lost 80lbs in 9months doing 20k daily steps and cutting sugar and carbs. Still sqauts almost half a ton!

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u/spartanbrucelee Jul 31 '26

Your calves will probably still be huge if you're eating enough protein and regularly training them

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u/TheBroboat Jul 31 '26

Def gotta work on protein intake. Meal planning is still very much an undeveloped skill

12

u/StrangeReindeer2470 Jul 31 '26

I've lost about 150 lbs, and while I did lose about 10 lbs in overall muscle, my legs are pretty muscular still. I've got about 68 lbs of skeletal muscle mass according to an in body scan.

As a 48 yo woman that's about 20 lbs over the average woman my age and height. I just kept walking.. I have a sedentary job, so I started getting up every once in a while and walk around the block or similar. Just to keep moving. I aim for 9k steps a day. 

So it's totally possible to keep the tree trunk legs.

4

u/Skylance420 Jul 31 '26

Even if they do diminish over time, it'll be much easier for you to build them back up with some weight lifting than the average joe. Muscle memory isn't just a random phrase, shit's real

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u/Papanurglesleftnut Jul 31 '26

Especially since a common move in sumo is to pick up your opponent and carry them out of the ring. A 300-450lb dude carrying a struggling/thrashing 300-450lb dude requires a lot of strength.

11

u/sanseiryu Aug 01 '26

Very few sumo wrestlers do that technique, tsuridashi. It takes incredible strength and power. The last one to do that well was a Georgian who went by the name Tochinoshin https://youtu.be/6RVTLgT7K6A?si=dhm_tD2FQZDh7vTy. May have been the strongest sumo wrestler at that time. He was 6'4" and 350-360lbs. When he was at the top of his game, he would fight at the initial charge and try to get both of his hands on the opponents belt. Try is the word as the other westler would do their best not to allow him to get that hold, often using slaps, rotating palm strikes, to the face, head, throat and upper body. Pulling, tripping, leaping to the side at the initial charge. Generally, neither would avoid the clash as they are barely three feet apart. So heads can collide, bodies smash into the other, any slip, trip that makes the opponent touch the ground or step outside the ring or pushed out or lifted out. If he did get his hands on the belt, he would square up gather his feet and legs beneath him and force him backwards and out of the ring. Then there were the power lifts of the opponent off the ground and just walk him feet kicking, up and out and land him outside the ring safely. The pusher and thrusters will shove thier opponents violently and hard out of the ring. There are no cushions, no pads, no ropes to stop your momentum out of the ring, just the bodies of spectators, judges and othe wrestlers who are sitting around the raised platform. Just imagine sitting on a cushion ringside and suddenly 400+ lbs of fat and muscle comes flying out of the ring toward you. He made the second highest rank in sumo but knee injuries plagued him. He did win one tournament but eventually retired. Very popular wrestler despite not being Japanese. Ura is a crowd favorite as his acrobatic techniques and tumbles whether winning or losing is always entertaining.

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u/BookBarbarian Jul 31 '26

Yep. And remember Sumo wrestlers have to move around not only one but two big guys

33

u/SmackedWithARuler Jul 31 '26

Every day you’re lifting.

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u/userhwon Jul 31 '26

As you get fat your legs get trained AF. Continous, slow progression for months or years. Exactly how strength training works best.

Doesn't mean you're not still a lardass.

16

u/Ibeepboobarpincsharp Jul 31 '26

As a lardass that isn't immobile, I can confirm my legs are strong af.

4

u/Eldias Aug 01 '26

I will probably forever remember getting told "Wow, you have nice calfs" on a work site while climbing a ladder with 200 lbs of shit on my shoulder. It's the only good thing being 240lbs has done for me.

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u/TactlessTortoise Jul 31 '26

And actual sumo professionals have an insanely strict regimen not only with exercise and flexibility, but also diet. They're more like hippos than Michelin marshmallow dude, where we expect just flab but there's a shit ton of muscle under the hood. They have this huge muscle mass and core strength that they then pad with a ton of fat to overpower the opponent in weight-wielding. Still not great for heart health long term, sure, but they're human tanks.

81

u/Chemical-Elk-1299 Jul 31 '26

And some sumos are just straight up visibly jacked. Like abs and everything.

49

u/sw04ca Jul 31 '26

Maybe some of the newcomers, but in the upper divisions the slimmer guys are still ~120 kilos (about 250 pounds). Google 'Asakoryu' and you'll see a guy who has a killer physique, but no chance of visible abs. You can't really do sumo at the top level without some extra weight. A 175-pound sumo wrestler just isn't viable.

23

u/Icy-Cry340 Jul 31 '26

Chyonofuji competed at ~20% bf and did have some visible abs.

https://i.imgur.com/aQEDQPD.jpeg

When I think of sumo and killer physique he’s the one that always comes to mind, dude looked incredible.

https://i.imgur.com/zaiTX5r.jpeg

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u/TactlessTortoise Jul 31 '26

Jesus, I'm 22% body fat and am far from "big" so the amount of muscle the guy is packing is probably nuts

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u/Ulrik-HD Jul 31 '26

Some of it is genetic, if you accumulate more visceral fat they can still be visible at higher body fat percentage. 3x World's Strongest Man Tom Stoltman had visible abs at 150+kg body weight.

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u/meta_irl Jul 31 '26

Offensive linemen are the same way

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u/UNHHHStoppable29 Jul 31 '26

Some people still think hippos are just all fat and slow. RIP to the souls who found out the hard way.

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u/WearyTranslator3338 Jul 31 '26

I’ve seen a hippo, in real life at a safari in Zambia, going full speed. Lord have mercy!

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u/OccidentalTouriste Jul 31 '26

There are few things more terrifying than being in a dug out canoe and seeing a bull hippo surface, eye you up and then disappear beneath the water again. Had this delightful experience on the Okavango delta.

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u/KingCarbon1807 Jul 31 '26

I'd have the bow of that canoe in the air and paddling to throw a goddamn rooster tail.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/Paddy_Tanninger Jul 31 '26

Being on the fatter side also lets them train and eat constantly so their muscle mass is always growing, forever in a bulk phase.

It takes a huge toll on your skeletal muscle mass to cut weight. Without performance drugs it's pretty much impossible to shed bodyfat without losing some muscle at the same time.

Same reason that guys who compete in strongmen/olympic lifting are never slim. You want to grow as much muscle throughout your career as you possibly can, so you're pretty much permanently bulking.

At some point you do kind of plateau and won't realistically keep increasing your bodyfat% anymore. Your weekly caloric expenditures start to match your weekly intake.

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u/Goodknight808 Jul 31 '26

Like the Walrus, Seals and Sea Lions, Manatees, etc. They look like they are all blubber.

They are like hippos and are almost pure muscle.

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u/AlexSmithsonian Jul 31 '26

That's a lot of flab. Flab has weight. If flab falls on you, you die. In other words, never underestimate a fat guy. And Sumo wrestlers? They've got the arm strength to literally break your head off with one slap.

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u/eek711 Jul 31 '26

They fat, but they ain’t soft.

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u/ContinuingAnyway Jul 31 '26

They are carrying subcutaneous mostly for bulk, but if they cut weight they would be huge. Kind of like hippos

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u/SnooRabbits9672 Jul 31 '26

I watched documentary on pro Sumo Wrestlers and basically all they do all day is train/work-out, eat, & sleep. This does not suprise me haha

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u/TuataraToes Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

I highly recommend going down the sumo rabbit hole.

The stereotype is "fat wrestler" when the reality is a life dedicated to skill and strength. Unless they're top ranked they LIVE at the gym (stable) and train like crazy for many hours every day. If they aren't training they're eating. Or doing karaoke.

Many bodybuilders, strongmen and pro athletes have visited the stables and we're surprised how tough it is.

Why do they put on so much fat over the muscle? Because they're so damned strong if you don't weigh enough you're simply picked up and walked out of the ring. They have serious power.

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u/ExpatInIreland Jul 31 '26

I got to do the whole, get in the ring with a real retired sumo wrestler thing, in Japan, it was super fun and informative and man, I could tell he wasn't even using like 2 percent of his strength with me. Even the tough guys and MMA bros who challenged them, you could tell neither sumo even broke a sweat or tried at all. Their every waking moment is dedicated to it and it's just so impressive.

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u/flamesreborn Jul 31 '26

Same! I'm 220 5'9 average fat guy. I went against one of the younger non money making professional ones and I used 100% of my strength and I was absolutely red and struggling and I don't think I moved Ryu a foot without him just moving on his own. He then picked me up like a toddler and placed me outside the ring LMAO. So humbling. They are insanely strong. I have absolute respect for them.

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u/willargue4karma Jul 31 '26

lmfao what a great way to ring-out someone

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u/bobmailer Jul 31 '26

Their every waking moment is dedicated to it and it's just so impressive.

I feel like this is Japanese people in general, especially if they're keeping up a traditional art.

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u/kaya-jamtastic Jul 31 '26

They’re also insanely flexible

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u/KvellOnWheels Jul 31 '26

The rikishi in the post is KNOWN for his flexibility and athleticism. He can do a standing back flip.

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u/FriendlyCraig Jul 31 '26

Yeah, Ura had a bad tourney this month, but he's still a 300lb tank that was zipping around everywhere.

It's crazy how he's one of the smaller and faster guys, not a big super strength guy.

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u/LoveLightLibations Aug 01 '26

I so wanted Ura to have a better tourney. He seems like such a nice guy. That being said, Aonishiki looked unstoppable. It’s crazy how athletic these guys are. I attended the May tournament while on vacation in Japan. Nearly an impossible ticket to get as a foreigner, but so worth the effort.

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u/TheFrozenMarmoset Aug 01 '26

My wife loves Ura and Wakatakakage. I have loved watching Aonishiki’s journey, but I have a soft spot for Asakoryu. Jacked little bastard is finally starting to learn to not floor it every time and I love watching him take out bigger opponents.

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u/ejolson Jul 31 '26

he can do a what now

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u/sipoloco Jul 31 '26

A standing backflip

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u/classiccuj Jul 31 '26

A what now?

54

u/Sipikay Jul 31 '26

A 5 foot 9, 310 pound muscle hamster of a man can do a standing backflip.

28

u/Big-Farmer-2192 Jul 31 '26

Fuck. I can't even walk straight. 

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u/-JudeanPeoplesFront- Jul 31 '26

You must be a very big farmer.

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u/ZiroLeHutt Jul 31 '26

That's because he is Ura, probably the most loved rikishi of them all. His fights are always entertaining.

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u/nachobel Jul 31 '26

I mean, he’s no Kotoeiho!

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u/zerololcats Aug 01 '26

Kotoeiho here demostrating that point rather well...

https://youtube.com/shorts/2HoOrloQtw8?is=910jZQWg6x3x3Yko

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 Jul 31 '26

From personal experience I know that sumos can easily put their legs behind their head.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/TahoesRedEyeJedi Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

It’s an easy to find hole; they just finished a Grand Sumo, and all the highlights are free on YouTube, with English commentary. Just google “grand sumo” and watch the NHK highlights.

Spoilers ahead: Aonishki, the Ukrainian prodigy, just won a dramatic double playoff to become tournament champion, wrestling through multiple lower leg injuries.

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u/AlcibiadesTheCat Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

Spoilers bro I was only on day 12 :(

But fuck yeah I love Aonishiki, and I love Kotozakura's ring entrance, that little shoulder roll like a baller

20

u/TahoesRedEyeJedi Jul 31 '26

IM SO SORRY 😭 

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u/FlaccidCatsnark Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

We just finished watching the basho a couple days ago. Woulda been kinda miffed at the spoiler, as we were rooting for our favorite, Aonishiki. It's hard for latecomers to watch anything online and still stay uninformed about outcomes anymore. For example, I was shocked to see how many reaction, review, science analysis, etc. videos had been put out about Project Hail Mary before I finally watched it.

Besides NHK, there's another YT channel that reviews the bouts where they freeze-frame and point out specific techniques the wrestlers use. I like watching NHK first for a more direct (if highly edited) experience, then following up with the other channel to learn more about how these dudes do it.

Edit: LOL! Just noticed that /u/AlcibiadesTheCat hasn't masked his own spoiler in the comment. Whaddya gonna do?

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u/JayMecha96 Jul 31 '26

Kotozakura with the Popeye mean mug into the camera before throwing the salt is my favorite

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u/AlcibiadesTheCat Jul 31 '26

Man has 4 titties and I can't be mad because he could fight ten of me.

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u/fundraiser Jul 31 '26

i'm a takayasu and kotoeiho ring entrance fan as well

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u/JayMecha96 Jul 31 '26

Kotoeiho's shiko is a thing of beauty. So flexible

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u/fundraiser Jul 31 '26

+100 to this it's honestly such an easy and entertaining watch. you pick up on the rules quick and the matches are incredible

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u/AForse Jul 31 '26

Yah, it’s pretty amazing to watch some 350lb ‘lardass’ pick up another guy of the same size by his mawashi (loincloth) and literally carry him out of the ring.

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u/Alberound Jul 31 '26

Dude, in the latest tournament, Fujinokawa did that to Oho.

The thing is Kawa is one of the smallest top rank rikishi at 177cm, 123kg (~5'10", 270lb) and Oho is 192cm, 185kg (6'4", 407lb). Just got a great position and lifted a guy ~50% heavier than him.

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u/KvellOnWheels Jul 31 '26

I couldn’t believe it. I mean, picked him up like a BABY.

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u/Self--Immolate Jul 31 '26

My buddy has been showing our discord group the Grand Sumo tournaments and I swear when two of these guys lock up their legs, it looks like two legs put together. Nothing but huge muscle with a layer of flab.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/Baskreiger Jul 31 '26

Ive watched about every fighting sports out there. When i found out sumo i was amazed. The ranking system, the grapling skill, the endurance of fighting 15bouts in 15days, no escape, no excuses, violent but respectfull, referees are very fair, extremely harsh on cheats and dishonorous behavior. Truly an awesome sport to follow. Nhkworld on youtube, highly recommend too

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u/pilgermann Aug 01 '26

Ura specifically is unusually athletic. He's known for crazy throws and techniques that require insane flexibility. He's also not big by sumo standards, just an insane athlete. Sadly probably near the end of his career.

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u/FrankyMornav Jul 31 '26

stables? Tomorrow I work 12 hours, nothing to do, dump all your info inside me

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u/monkeyhitman Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

To go pro, you join a roomshare/frat/gym and it's pretty much your life 24/7.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heya_(sumo)

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u/Straight_Flan1347 Jul 31 '26

It’s my boy Ura!

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u/Slick_36 Jul 31 '26

I never expected my adorable little pink submarine destroyer to pop in my general feed, but I am all for it!

He's a technical wizard and as charismatic as it gets.

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u/PessimiStick Jul 31 '26

I like Ura because he's the only rikishi that looks like he's actually having fun. Win or lose, he just gives off the "hell yeah I'm a professional sumo wrestler, this shit is siiiiiiick" vibe all the time.

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u/ShiDiWen Jul 31 '26

If he loses, he loses spectacularly. Like, watch out if you’re in the first few rows!

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u/IAmTheFatman666 Aug 01 '26

Hell even if he wins sometimes he goes further off the dohyo than his opponent. He's such a true gem of his sport.

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u/TheRealMrMaloonigan Jul 31 '26

Ura rules! Big fan of Asakoryu too. I like my stocky little sumo dudes rocking the giants.

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u/Straight_Flan1347 Jul 31 '26

My wife loves the stocky fellas. Asakoryu and Fujinokawa!

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u/tomcat2285 Jul 31 '26

Fujinokawa is my guy. He was a giant killer this month. 

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u/EarlyFuture4342 Jul 31 '26

My roommates have gotten me into Grand Sumo - I love Ura!!

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u/mourningmymortality Jul 31 '26

Weird seeing his actual leg without the strapping

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u/brocktacular Jul 31 '26

I have his handprint and signature, called a tegata. It is bonkers how big he is and he's not even close to the biggest guy in grand sumo.

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u/triskadekta Jul 31 '26

Same, I got it for my wife as a present. It’s on our mantle.

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u/ankerverse Jul 31 '26

I could beat him.

Not at sumo wrestling, obviously. Maybe like... Checkers? Or like, a mario kart race?

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u/moroheus Jul 31 '26

You're delusional if you think you can beat Ura Kazuki at Mario Kart

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u/OldCardigan Jul 31 '26

Maybe bagging for shock and target shocking him works, if I need to beat just him

52

u/deanrihpee Jul 31 '26

a big mistake to challenge Japanese at their game

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u/Mirror74 Jul 31 '26

Lol you're not joking. When Mario Kart 8 came out I played the shit out of it and got pretty good, multiplayer I did pretty well, but every other race there'd be a Japanese player that absolutely SMOKED every other player/country.

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u/twirlerina024 Jul 31 '26

For real, I try to time my online multiplayer for when the Japanese kids are in school.

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u/unimportantinfodump Jul 31 '26

Haha this is like me telling people I beat an Olympian at badminton.

She was an Olympic cyclist

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u/fukkdisshitt Jul 31 '26

I've met a handful of Olympic wrestlers. Some aren't good at non grappling sports at all but they are mostly hyper competitive at every damn thing

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u/the_seed Jul 31 '26

100 m sprint?

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u/BallSeaman Jul 31 '26

He’ll just E. Honda across the finish line. I bet his 40 yard dash is sub 4

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u/gottabequick Jul 31 '26

I bet his 5 yard dash is one of the fastest on the planet, no joke.

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u/CMD_BLOCK Jul 31 '26

Bro could slightly flex his leg and cause a 7.0 earthquake, defeating you and your checkerboard simultaneously in one fell swoop

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u/First_Piano_7765 Jul 31 '26

idk man, those dudes have insane focus, you might still lose at checkers

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u/cycycle Jul 31 '26

I imagine they play old fashioned board games like go, backgammon and checkers in between training.

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u/Wayelder Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

So I'm 6' my son 6'2' I know all my friends are big guys typically 6'2"-6' 5".

we were in Japan and 3 sumo got off the train in Nara?

I've known big guys. I knew a man who was a pal of Arnold's (knew him back in the day) etc. etc.

You cannot understand how big these men are! It's like standing beside a horse or a bear.

They are confusing to meet. It's staggering what they do to themselves!

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u/ExpatInIreland Jul 31 '26

Not all of them are tall or huge though! One of the shortest sumo wrestlers was only 5'2" and 222lbs.

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u/Wayelder Jul 31 '26

all sizes...but have you been in the room when they enter?

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u/FunGuy8618 Jul 31 '26

It's like a regular horse compared to log pulling horses. Scale object by 250% built mufuggas

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u/Neither_Remove_3463 Jul 31 '26

Might not be tall, but 222lbs is huge for a 5'2" dude

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u/I_have_questions_ppl Jul 31 '26

It's staggering what they do to themselves!

Apparently they dont live as long as the average Japanese person so must be pretty hardcore!

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u/drunk-tusker Jul 31 '26

No amount of fitness is going to make the strain on your body(particularly cardiovascular strain) go away.

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u/WestOrangeFinest Jul 31 '26

Yep. We see it in NFL players as well.

The offensive linemen are routinely 6’3” 315 lbs in their playing days. They’ll retire and within the year, they’re down to a slim 210 lbs.

There really isn’t a safe way to carry that much weight, even for athletic freaks.

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u/Doctor_Saved Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

There was a video of NFL lineman Micah Parson trying to move an average looking Sumo wrestler. He wasn't very successful.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/s/vBHHyM1CFN

And Sumo wrestling doesn't have weight classes.

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u/brownhotdogwater Jul 31 '26

There is a ton of skill too. I saw a guy 1/2 the size of the other take everyone out

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u/Doctor_Saved Jul 31 '26

And Micah Parsons is also built for speed, which is a lot less critical in the relatively small sumo ring compared to an NFL field.

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u/Tangential_Comment Jul 31 '26

Speed is still important in sumo, explosive speed on the initial charge can win a match instantly.

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u/billth93 Jul 31 '26

I feel like an offensive lineman or interior defensive lineman would be a more 1:1 example, since exterior defensive linemen are frequently not simply driving their opponent back. Exterior defensive linemen are obviously strong but generally have a build more for speed relatively speaking

Still interesting nonetheless

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u/Doctor_Saved Jul 31 '26

This is very true. They have more space and time to get that speed up.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/ESCMalfunction Jul 31 '26

He also did poorly againt Tanji who was a 17 year old Makushita wrestler at the time.

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u/hiro111 Jul 31 '26

I am becoming a huge fan of sumo. These guys are absolute monsters, have no doubt about it. Also, the training they do is very, very intense and difficult. Hours in the ring grappling every day.

Ura is actually fairly small for a top level rikishi and known to be wily and agile. He wears a pink mawashi, which is very non-traditional and is always smiling, which is again non-traditional. He's a very popular rikishi. The really big rikishi like Onosato are huge men, he's 6'4", 412lbs. It's a brutal, unforgiving sport where demotion is always on the line.

If you haven't been following the sport, a Ukranian named Aonishiki just won the July basho in dramatic form. He was injured in several ways but managed to pull out the win in a three way playoff. He lost his ozeki rank (second highest) due to injury and clawed his way back on his first opportunity. His background and story are inspiring and he carries himself with a ton of maturity and resilience for a 22 year old.

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u/CrashTestDuckie Jul 31 '26

Not only is the sport itself extremely entertaining, the sumotori are highly entertaining outside of the ring. The bios, nicknames, and signature moves several sumotori post are great. Tamawashi and his crafting skills makes me giggle.

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u/hiro111 Jul 31 '26

The personalities are the best part. I'm a particular fan of Papa Takayasu, Yoshinofuji and Atamifuji.

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u/gnanny02 Jul 31 '26

We followed the Hawaiian Konishiki when we lived in Japan in th 80s but not much upon returning to the states. But my interest has been renewed watching Aonishiki. Even my wife, who used to leave the room when it came on, cheers for him. As you point out his story is inspiring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aonishiki_Arata

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u/Arminius_Fiddywinks Jul 31 '26

That man never missed Leg Day in his life.

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u/Dr_Ukato Jul 31 '26

They do crazy leg exercises. The most standard traditional exercise is basically a split where you lift one leg as high as you can, some will lift them all the way to where the foot is pointing at the ceiling.

Then you hold that for several seconds, balancing all your weight on one leg then stomp down hard.

They'll do that a few hundred times. It's an exercise most Sumo will do everyday without fail.

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u/Asiatic_Static Jul 31 '26

Kotoeiho! Known to me as anti-air

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u/IkariYun Jul 31 '26

He hasn't missed leg day since his father's conception

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u/CMD_BLOCK Jul 31 '26

He doesn’t do leg day. He does leg Epoch.

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u/acertifiedkorean Aug 01 '26

Every day is leg day when you're 350 pounds

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u/EyegoreMusic Jul 31 '26

Also, early in his career he could still do a back handspring pretty easily
https://www.reddit.com/r/SumoMemes/comments/1mx0q07/ura_backflip_in_hd/

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u/somecallmemo Jul 31 '26

When I was in Japan I went to a sumo demonstration and dinner with some retired lower level sumos and was forced by my gf to get in the circle with one as part of the show.

I’m 6’2 190 former athlete and he told me to push him as hard as possible and he didn’t even budge an inch while laughing and talking. They’re definitely not just fat, there is a shit ton of muscle on those dudes.

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u/bolanrox Jul 31 '26

farm boy strong x30

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u/KayabaSynthesis Jul 31 '26

It's honestly surprising how many people live with the misconception that sumoka are fat. They're martial artists, of course they're in shape. The shape in question being "wall".

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u/DonBandolini Aug 01 '26

i mean, don’t get it twisted, they ARE fat. they’re just also strong and athletic. turns out you can be all of those things at once.

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u/yearsofpractice Jul 31 '26

I remember someone on here once saying they were on an exchange trip to Japan and visited a Sumo gym. They were given the chance to face off against a 16 year old sumo trainee. Apparently the sumo kid picked him up like a “trash bag full of polystyrene”. That imagery’s always started with me when I think of the power of sumo wrestlers!

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u/rick_monkchez Jul 31 '26

Ura? godamm! didnt expect to see him here...he is an exciting guy who (probably) will never make it to the top

But I do love seeing him play

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u/x_SyruS_x Jul 31 '26

And that's why people who actually watch Sumo tell everyone, that these guys could quite literally throw normal people around like potato sacks without even trying.

Professional Sumos have subcutaneous fat, so they store it on the outside of their bodies. Underneath that, most of them are absolute beasts. The fat is only there to give them more weight, as Sumo has no weight classes, and as protection for themselves. More weight means you have more force for the Tachi-ai (when two Sumos charge at each other at the start) and to be harder to push out.

There are absolutely "just" obese Sumos, especially in the lower ranks, but the ones in the higher ranks are bulldozers.

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u/bolanrox Jul 31 '26

like actual gladiators were not ripped either. you get cut when fighting it looks good etc but its not getting close to any vitals.

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u/CervantesX Jul 31 '26

Not sure why they picked one of the smallest guys...

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u/Saikotsu Jul 31 '26

To make a point. "This is one of the smallest guys and his legs have zip codes"

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u/Slick_36 Jul 31 '26

He's one of the strongest.  His grip strength blew every other wrestler's away.  He's relatively small but a great example of the sport's hidden athleticism. 

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u/colourlessblueidea Jul 31 '26

Recently fell into the watching sumo. Ura is much smaller than most, but they’re all extremely strong. Check out a dude like Atamifuji or Kotozakura to see a true unit.

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u/NecessaryLocation704 Jul 31 '26

He belongs in the absoluteunit subreddit.

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u/LMGDiVa Jul 31 '26

Ura! He's such a fun Rikishi(Japanese name for sumo wrestler) to watch!
He's known as Ura the Acrobat because he wins in ways that look wild quite often.

He's top division, ranks of the best in the sport right now.

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u/orlybatman Jul 31 '26

I like how he's standing so far away and stretching way out to reach the microphone over as though he's afraid he'll be eaten if he gets too close.

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u/Curious-Yam4591 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

Legs like tree trunks, some of them are absolute units..Pro sumo is the only reason, I finally started lifting weights, & spend the majority it of doing leg work. I will, have my own set of sumo legs!

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u/YunJingyi Jul 31 '26

Every day is leg day.

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u/antidoteDave Jul 31 '26

I want to work as a sumo hype-man.

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u/Dull-Salamander5914 Jul 31 '26

He is only 5’9”. Over 300 pounds

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u/kinggoosey Jul 31 '26

Everyday is leg day

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u/boon83 Jul 31 '26

E Honda

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u/NotJimmy97 Jul 31 '26

Sumo wrestlers are fuckin ripped. People think they're just really fat guys - but underneath that fat is a shitload of rippling muscle.

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u/CaliKindalife Jul 31 '26

I watch Sumo. They all have massive very muscular legs.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/QuandariousDingle54 28d ago

They are built like bulldozers.

If you watch a match of professional sumo you can practically see impact frames. Also the physics behind these guys is crazy. Sometimes they are hitting eachother with a quarter ton of force or more. Fucking insane