Sumo: A Thinking Fan's Guide to Japan's National Sport

by David Benjamin

"The most entertaining and irreverent guide to sumo." -- James Fallows, The Atlantic

Sumo is a fresh and funny introduction to the fascinating world of sumo, Japan's national sport. Author David Benjamin peels away the veneer of sumo as a cultural treasure and reveals it as an action-packed sport populated by superb athletes who employ numerous strategies and techniques to overcome their gargantuan opponents. Sumo provides an engaging, witty, behind-the-scenes look at sumo today.

A complete guide to sumo for both curious novices and long-time fans, you'll learn about:
About This New Edition
This book is a thoroughly updated revision of the popular The Joy of Sumo . Benjamin's enthusiasm and insight into the sport remain unmatched, and his humorous descriptions of the personalities and pageantry of the sport will have you laughing loud and often.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Sports

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

David Benjamin became, at least in his own mind, prose laureate of Wisconsin with the publication of his Random House memoir, The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked.
Raised in Tomah, educated in Madison and Beloit, Benjamin paid his dues as a writer, journalist, essayist and author in regions as far flung as Paris and Tokyo, Brooklyn, New York and Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Last Kid Books, an imprint initially devoted to publishing his works, is the voice of David Benjamin, a voice rich with stories that entertain, amuse, surprise and — now and then — get under your skin.
The first three Last Kid Books, officially published on 1 April 2019, are Almost Killed by a Train of Thought, a collection of Benjamin’s essays, and two novels, Summer of ’68 and Skulduggery in the Latin Quarter.

Reviews

[Dodo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first found "Sumo" by David Benjamin at a local shop in Little Tokyo (Los Angeles). The cover was visually intriguing and the subtitle "A Thinking Fan's Guide" drew my interest. Over the years, my pallet for combat sports writing has matured from cranberry & vodka to a (minimum) 10-year single malt scotch. "A Thinking Fan's Guide" ostensibly implied an intellectual and well-thought out approach to sumo. Also Benjamin's book is marketed as a humorous and insightful take on sumo. Sadly, it is neither.

As a complete novice to sumo, I hoped his book could provide a better understanding of the sport. But Benjamin veers away from "thinking" to borderline disrespectful. He resorts to calling these athletes by disparaging names such as "Fatsoyama" and describing them as "These are jocks - big, dumb, immature, sheltered guys with swollen egos.."He even calls one of them "Lardass" (pg. 111). While it is understandable the author will try to inject humor into the work, he falls flat. Benjamin's humor is grating and distracting. The author even acknowledged that his taxonomical classification of the rikishi (sumo wrestlers) is disrespectful. He calls categorizes them as "thoroughbreds, butterbutts, jocks, hippos, butterballs, and cabdrivers." Benjamin writes,

"Sumo wrestlers, typically, are neither mature nor well-educated. Many are recruited straight out of junior high school and immersed immediately into a cloistered sumo world that doesn't encourage a lot of emotional and intellectual growth. Even at the age of 30 or older, Fatsoyama is very likely an immense infant, impulsive, demonstrative, and unpredictable." (p. 159)

I found reading the book to completion to be quite difficult. By page 55, I honestly wanted to stop reading. However, pushing forward and not being deterred are the key qualities to finishing this book. You'll eventually find a few gems of writing such as the author's admiration of the great rikishi Chiyonofuji, as well as a good explanation on how rikishis' developed their nom de guerre. Another strength of the book is Benjamin's willingness to critique the rigid cultural mores of sumo. He's quick to point out the silliness of upholding "sumo propaganda" such as the belief that sumo encapsulates the entirety of "Japanese-ness."

"Sumo" by Benjamin appears to be two works compiled together. The first half is an earlier published work "The Joy of Sumo" while the second is new material. While the first half is particularly hard to enjoy, the second half is enjoyable enough. His account of the epic match between Chiyonofuji and Ashifugi was quite compelling and the best piece of writing in the book.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this book is that the author wrote it so that the reader could become a better fan (with a greater appreciation of the sport). He clearly loves sumo and is passionate about it. However, his writing leaves a bad impression with sophomoric humor that contradictorily dissuades the target readers from finding the same love for the sport.

Overall, if you're interested in sumo - I would not recommend this book. But if there are no other available books, then make this book into a starting point for your adventure.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this revised edition of his classic book, David Benjamin gives the newbie Sumo fan everything they need to know to enjoy Japan's most famous sport.

Benjamin's approach is this - strip away the culture and mystic and sumo is a sport where two fat guys try to push each other down. So what does all that mystic and culture do for the game and which bits of it are important and what does it all mean anyway?

By using gently mocking nicknames for the wrestlers, and by constant comparison to other sports, Benjamin gives us an insiders look at how sumo works, why it works, and what there is to be gained by watching it. He gives a brief history, political insights, and peeks backstage all while maintaining a friendly, guy-at-the-bar, manner.

Best of all, and although this isn't really mentioned in the book we can assume the author knows, in this day and age, every match mentioned is on YouTube! Benjamin's writing is clear and easy to understand and he paints a great picture, but there is something to be said for putting the book down to watch the match the author describes and to then go back and read how the author saw the same match.

One bit of advice for the japan-phile, this book is irreverent and heartily mocks a lot of the institutions and mystery surrounding the sport. Further, this is not a book about Japan, this is a book that is unapologetically about sumo and little else.

This is a perfect read for fans of the sport or for those who want to delve deeper into Japan's national pastime.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sumo, as a sport, too often gets deified and lost in the Shinto ceremonies that are blatantly evident to all who watch, from the throwing of salt to the traditional mawashi(loincloth) the wrestlers wear. David Benjamin does a great job in smashing down the ivory tower of Japanese culture in order to reveal Sumo as what it truly is, a fascinating sport. Irreverent and stocked with colorful antidotes from Sumo history, this book is great for anyone wanting to learn more about Japan's national sport.

Truly a thinking fan's guide as the title suggests, the book focuses on the in-match techniques as well as the pre-match preparation of the wrestlers. Benjamin is keen on emphasizing those elements which make Sumo a great sport to watch (in person or on the couch) and is quick to bash the Japanophiles who, in his opinion, get too caught up in the Shinto rites, the cultural niceties, and the "honorable" way in which the sport is presented to the public.

What Benjamin helps to reveal is the true humanity of the sport by uncovering the real attitudes and intentions of its participants (wrestlers and administrators). By the time you finish you'll look at each Sumo match with more clarity and with more overall enjoyment. You'll become a fan of a sport seeped in history, masked in culture, and performed by fascinating "athletes" who are still venerated in Japan but looked at with skepticism/mockery by the West.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, insightful, totally irreverent introduction to the world of sumo. A true fan's guide, this one's probably not for the self-proclaimed Japanophiles bound by sumo's entrenched rituals and religious pomposity. This book explores details of sumo in a way rarely done in typical (Japan Sumo Association-approved) books on the sport. Although the numerous references to US sports like baseball, football and basketball can get annoying at times if you don't follow them, the comparisons made do provide some additional insight and other ways of seeing things in sumo that makes the text clearly animated in ways only a true fan can express.

[yengyeng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book before my first sumo match at the Kokugikan. Includes a nanosecond-by-nanosecond blow-by-blow of a very important match between 2 sumo greats that spans 8 pages and useful translation of sumo interviews (Wsrmsht = I don't remember). Fwah! Sumo is all drama - posturing, death glares, leg lifting-squat-stomp, bitch slapping, throat grabbing and jiggling mounds of flesh. And it's over in seconds! It is my new favourite sport.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a perfect book mainly because the first half is just a rewrite of Benjamin's early The Joy of Sumo. The second half is all new though, and Benjamin is very insightful. He comes at sumo from a different angle than most, and did it before many Johnny Come Latelies, some of whom (yes, freakonomics, I'm looking at you) never gave him credit.

If you don't mind some irreverence, Benjamin will help you understand sumo, which despite all its faults, is a wonderful combination of sport and culture.

[Tjibbe Wubbels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for the fan or would-be fan of sumo. The focus is on the joy of the spectator, not so much on the technical mumbo-jumbo and that really works for me. It's a really fun book to read and in the meantime you increase your knowledge of the sport and start watching sumo in an different way. Good stuff.

[Conde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to honestly like this book. But, for me, it wasn't an enjoyable read. By page 55, I was struggling to want to continue. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of David Benjamin's book is that the author wrote it so the reader could become a better fan of Sumo. However his writing and disrespectful sense of humor leaves you with a bad impression.

He's clearly passionate about the sport, but calls the wrestlers "Fatsoyama" and describe them as "...jocks - big, dumb, immature, sheltered guys with swollen egos...neither mature nor well-educated...Fatsoyama is very likely an immense infant, impulsive, demonstrative and unpredictable." There are a few chapters where the writing is excellent, however, you'll have to waddle through many pages of non-sense to get to them.

[R Fontaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

GAIJAN YOKOZUNA
Biography of Chad Rowan/Akibono.
(book pictured a representation)

The bio sheds light on how numerous Hawaiian/Polynesians moved to Japan to train as Sumo wrestlers.
Chad, as Akibono,became a Yokozuna (as did another Hawaiian, Musaha Maru) the most exulted level of Sumo.
Key Japanese Sumo translations:
Gaman-perseverance Saigo-to the end Gambarimasu - I will try my best
Honne-true feelings Tatemae-the face in front

[Avi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adolescent humor. Hundreds of ways of saying "these guys are fat!" I gave up about half way through and chucked the book. There's got to be better writing on sumo out there. If you can't find any, you might find this interesting, if you want to sit through a lecture on sports and fighting essentially told in a noxious eleven year old's voice.

[Orrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty, charming, I felt a vicarious fanaticism for Sumo after only a few chapters. Will definitely be checking out the next Basho, and doing a lot of 'miring of Chinoyofuji's sick physique.

Fun read, quite a few more chuckles than I thought I signed up for.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually quite enjoyed this book! This is an irreverent yet thorough - and very funny - explanation of how the Sumo world works.

[Ekim]

this book has an unberably white language which made me quit reading

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely good, if extremely impressionistic, guide to the sport. Benjamin's a talented writer, and he gives you a very "fan's eye" view of a sport he has enjoyed for years. A bit too "writerly" at points, I suppose, and too clever by half, but otherwise quite good. You'll learn the names of a lot of key players and get a general sense of the past thirty years of the sport, as well as the rules/rituals of the game.

[Ari Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haiku Review:

When the big men fly
You too can pontificate
Like one in the know.

[Manny in da house! · Rating 3 out of 5]

it definitely has some interesting parts in which you can learn quite a bit about sumo and its place in japanese culture. the sections in which the rules, different holds and moves, and the cultural aspects of sumo are discussed are incredibly insightful and can enhance one's interest in and knowledge of sumo very much!

but...... have you ever been stuck in a room with someone who thought they were a lot funnier than they actually are? and they need to remind you of their (self-proclaimed) amazing sense of humour every 30 seconds? that's what reading this book is like, an exercise in verbal masturbation by someone who is convinced his jokes (which are pretty much recycled fart and dick jokes) are ones which you've never heard before. it's easy to make fun of two fat guys in diapers running at each other, but if that's the only joke you can pull from this situation and you need to keep repeating what is essentially the same joke over and over just to show how funny you think you are, you lose the audience and your exercise in "humour" becomes nothing more than an annoyance.

it's good if you're new to sumo, but don't be fooled by its high rating here, or its completely ridiculous claim of being a "thinking fan's guide". although entertaining and informative in some places, benjamin gives us very little to think about here....

[Sumo Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think what happened was the publishers said "David, sumo's foreign fan numbers are bulging and we need you to revise your 1980s book in three seconds flat." So Benjamin revised his 1980s book by changing the names of wrestlers but keeping most of the text in tact. And he devoted about 80 pages to describing 1980s matches - with hardly any attention given to the present day. Hopelessly out of date.

[David Horney · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny, irreverant and insightful. a must read for aspiring sumo nerds