Sumo ‘surging’ in South Yorkshire, says UK champion

Britain’s reigning sumo champion has said the Japanese sport is “surging” across the UK as the Grand Sumo Tournament comes to London.

Will Bowles, who competes with Doncaster Sumo Club, said the competition, which is at the Royal Albert Hall this week, was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to see the world’s sumo wrestlers in the UK.

He said: “Clubs have popped up all over the UK, multiple clubs have opened this year. But Doncaster was the first British Sumo Union club and it’s blowing up this year. The surge of sumo is crazy.”

Mr Bowles, from Grimsby, oversees multiple sumo clubs in the north of England and is the reigning British open weight champion.

After seeing “legendary” sumo wrestler Chiyonofuji Mitsugu on YouTube, Mr Bowles decided to have a go at the sport and discovered the Doncaster club, which was set up by Adam Lloyd in 2012.

He said: “I have been involved in martial arts since I was eight years old. I’ve done the works, judo, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, Brazilian jujitsu, you name it.

“I’ve always been aware of sumo wrestling but like everybody else I just assumed it was two fatties pushing each other over.”

The Japan Sumo Association has brought the Grand Sumo Tournament to the UK for the first time in more than 30 years and it is only the second time the event has been held outside of Japan.

“Sumo has always been something Japan has wanted to keep sacred, so it’s significant they’re wanting to bring it to the Royal Albert Hall for the western world to see,” said Mr Bowles.

“The two yokozuna [grand champions] are the best on the planet. These are the cream of the crop, the best wrestlers you will see and potentially once in a lifetime.”

The aim of the game is to force your opponent out of the ring or onto the ground, as Mr Bowles explained.

“The standard rules are that you have to push your opponent out of the ring, or you have to make your opponent touch the ground with any part of their body other than the bottom of their feet.

“You would expect balance to be a big part of it, but we get some people who are so nimble they beat the bigger guys, because they’re good at sending their momentum in other directions, sending their force against them.”

A sumo bout can take as little as 15 seconds, “sometimes even less”, said Mr Bowles.

“In other martial arts you pace yourself, you’re feeling out your opponent, in sumo it’s all or nothing.

“You normally don’t know much about you opponent either, you just know that he’s in your weight class. So you don’t really have a choice but to explode off the starting line and do your best. You don’t have to think too much, you just do.”