Mawashi

A mawashi (Japanese廻しor回し) is a Sumo Wrestler by the belt, the fighter ( rikishi ) wear during competition and training. During the ceremony, they enter the ring at the start of a tournament day ( dohyō -iri ) and the " bow dance " ( Yumitori - shiki ) at the end of a day of fighting the upper echelon of wrestlers wear a ceremonial Kesho - mawashi (see below).

Fight - mawashi

The mawashi rikishi for the upper echelon consists of silk and is available in a wide range of colors. It has a length of about unbound nine meters and a width of about 60 cm. It has a weight of four to five kilograms. These dimensions are for all mawashi same, regardless of the body size of the Ringers. Therefore, relatively "narrow" built fighters often seem thicker mawashi to wear than their larger counterparts. Is a mawashi worn by folded, wrapped several times around the waist of the fighter and passed between his legs and is finally mounted with a large knot at the back.

At the front a series of starched silk strips are inserted, the so-called Sagari (下がり). The number of strips is always 17 to 21 if they fall out during a fight, throwing the Gyoji ( referee ) immediately from the ring. The Sagari serve no useful purpose except decoration.

If a mawashi be solved during a fight, the fight can be stopped in order to allow the fighter concerned to rebind his belt. Loses a wrestler during a fight his mawashi completely, he will be disqualified and his opponent declared (不浄 負け, Fujo -make ) the winner. However, this is not happened, at least in Japanese Profisumō for many decades.

The mawashi is more than a piece of clothing, it is an important part of Sumōsports as many of the 82 winning techniques ( Kimarite ) based on grips on the opponent's mawashi, as this provides the best point of attack. However, are strictly prohibited handles on the vertical part of the mawashi, which passes between the legs. Occasionally try fighters knock out with little tricks one advantage: If, for example, the mawashi bound only very loosely, throws are difficult. Other wrap the belt very tight and sprinkle it with water to prevent the opponent can Zufassen.

Although only the colors are black, purple and dark blue officially allowed by the Japanese Sumoverband, this looks but tacitly transgressions of time, as long as the colors are not too bright. Often the belt color of a wrestler remains relatively constant: Musashimaru almost always wore a silvery gray, Asashoryu fought mostly in black. However, many sumo wrestlers are superstitious when it comes to the color of their mawashi. Often, trying to break a " losing streak " by changing the belt color.

Silk mawashi only be worn in public fights. During training, use is made of heavy, woolen tree models. The members of the top two divisions, called sekitori (关 取), wearing white belt with a characteristic curved end. Sagari are not worn it.

Rikishi the lower divisions must wear black cotton belt both in competitions and in training. In competition, they shall supplement to ungestärkte Sagari cotton.

Amateur fighters finally are limited in their selection of white cotton. However, the shape is different from that of the professional Trainingsmawashi.

Ceremonial mawashi

Ceremonial mawashi or Kesho - mawashi (化粧 回し) are those that are supported by the higher echelons at the solemn ceremonies in the ring. The silken "belt" bears on the front of a kind of apron, which is costly decorated and filled with golden fringe. Such mawashi easily cost several thousand euros. Occasionally bears the Kesho - mawashi a reference to the sponsor of a fighter: The Bulgarian-born sumo wrestler Kotooshu applied initially on his ceremonial mawashi example, a yogurt brand, the ozeki Chiyotaikai other hand is adorned with the logo of Bayer AG. Kesho - mawashi may also gifts of fan clubs. Especially popular wrestlers have a large number of such Fangaben.

Yokozuna that occur in a separate ceremony, have sets of three identical Kesho - mawashi, those two are doing borne by their assistants.

• Sumō
• Costume design (Japan)
• Belt
• Men's Clothing