Rikishi

Rikishi (力士) is the Japanese term for a professional sumo wrestler. The two kanji characters that make up the word are "strength/power" and "gentleman/samurai"; consequently, and more idiomatically, 'a gentleman of strength'. This is reflective of the strength and toughness expected of a sumo wrestler and the gentleman samurai image still afforded to sumo wrestlers who have continued into modern times to dress as the samurai of old.

In popular use, the term rikishi can mean any sumo wrestler and an alternative term to sumotori (sumo practitioner) or the more colloquial sumosan. Within the world of sumo, rikishi is used as a catch-all term for wrestlers who are in the lower, un-salaried divisions of jonokuchi, jonidan, sandanme, and makushita. The more prestigious term sekitori is used to refer to wrestlers who have risen to the two highest divisions of jūryō and makuuchi and who have significantly more status, privilege and salary than their lower-division counterparts, as enumerated here. For details about the differences in competition between divisions see Professional sumo divisions.

The life of a sumo wrestler is strictly regimented, and has detailed prescriptions and rules for rikishi that have been observed for centuries, so much so that rikishi can be seen more as a way of life than a career.

They are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot, or chonmage, similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo Period. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the chonmage and traditional Japanese dress at all times when in public. Sumo life centers around the training stables to which all active wrestlers belong. In addition, most wrestlers, and all junior ones, live in their stable in a dormitory style: training, cleaning, eating, sleeping and socializing together. For more details, see Life as a professional sumo wrestler.

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