The basic rules of sumo wrestling are described on this page. Other links to sumo wrestling are available as well.
Sumo is a competitive full contact wrestling sport where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohy?) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet.
The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. It is generally considered to be a gendai bud? (a modern Japanese martial art), though this definition is misleading as the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from the days when sumo was used in the Shinto religion.
