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10/17/2004 08:51:53 AM · #1 |
I was walking through Yoyogi Park in Tokyo with the family today when we came across a demonstration of Mongolian wrestling. It was really cool - like sumo, except with more colorful outfits. One of these wrestlers will actually debut as a sumo wrestler at next month's Grand Sumo Tournament.
Here are a few shots from the demonstration. As always, all comments appreciated!
Two wrestlers face off:
Here's the future sumo wrestler:
The winner throws candy to the crowd:
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10/17/2004 08:57:53 AM · #2 |
| Great shots. The third pic with the airborne candy is cool. Interesting wrestling jackets too. (look like something from Star Trek...) |
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10/17/2004 09:34:08 AM · #3 |
| Thanks for sharing these. Very colorful outfits. It's interesting to get to see pictures of other cultures. |
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10/17/2004 10:59:09 AM · #4 |
Thanks for your replies. I love sumo -- something about fat men in diapers being considered world-class athletes just appeals to me. :-) These guys are practicing an ancient version of the same thing, with typical Mongolian flare and colorful costumes.
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10/17/2004 02:02:47 PM · #5 |
Well, after living in Mongolia for four years and going to many different Mongolian Wrestling Tournaments there, I hate to say it, but those are 'not' Mongolian Wrestling Outfits (at least not from any tournament I ever went to). The Mongolian wrestling outfit is a long sleeve shirt (cloth, not leather) that has no front, but a string that is tied across the belly. The pants are like bikini briefs, very small. They would also have to be wearing Mongolian Boots. What it looks like to me is exactly what you said it is, something for the tourists.
The story behind the shirt with no front is supposedly that one time a woman entered the competition and won, so the guys decided to take the front of their shirts off so that it wouldn't happen again.
In Mongolian wrestling, if any part of your body except the soles of your feet touch the ground, you lose. There are no age or weight classes, so sometimes the matches are a joke with a big champion going against a little kid. I remember watching in the stadium where every once in a while, the big guy would slip and fall or something else and the little kid would win.
At the end of the match, the loser goes under the arm of the winner, whereupon the winner goes into a dance where he is imitating an eagle. No candy, guess that is just in Japan.
BTW, I also love Sumo, with the Mongolians in the Bashu's, it is followed closely in Mongolia, so I watched it many times. Now I'm in Belarus, and I don't get to see it anymore. Oh well.
Message edited by author 2004-10-17 14:15:04.
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10/17/2004 07:44:01 PM · #6 |
Yeah, I've watched some of Asashoryu's (the current sumo grand champion, who is from Mongolia) old Mongolian wrestling tournaments and his outfits looked like the ones in your pic. This demonstration was just a little gathering in the park with whatever stuff these guys brought with them to Japan. The younger wrestlers were wearing outfits similar to the one you posted, but made out of leather with small metal studs.
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10/18/2004 01:44:37 PM · #7 |
| Wow --- I saw the thread headline and thought that I could really contribute, but Skief beat me to the punch, and well said, as well. My wife and I lived in Ulaan Baatar, the capital city of Mongolia, for 1 year. It was a fabulous adventure, and it's beautiful country. I took almost 4,000 photos and had a pretty nice travelogue going on my web site, but our hosting organization censored it: I had said some harsh things about a corrupt (and well-connected) individual. |
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10/18/2004 01:59:14 PM · #8 |
Those are nice shots Phillip. I envy you living in Tokyo, must be great living in such a vibrant culture, with endless things to photograph. Also had a look at your portfolio, you have some nice stuff in there :o)
Cheers
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