Sumo Fan Magazine

Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

Haru Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Haru Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

The Amateur Game – Global and Going Places

Text and Photos Courtesy: International Sumo Federation

the 14th Sumo World Championships and 5th Shinsumo World Championships being held on October 15th, 2006 in Sakai city, Osaka, Japan.

The IFS is also doing its best to encourage the more widespread involvement of young people in the sport by welcoming foreign competitors into training camps run by Japanese university sumo clubs with the support of the Japan Sumo Federation, and by sending competitors and advisors to major tournaments held outside Japan. The Junior Sumo World Championships are held every year and this year the 7th Junior Sumo World Championships will be held on August 26th in Rakvere, Estonia. It promises to be a

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When you think about sumo, you probably have an image of professional sumo. However, for every sport there is a professional and an amateur side. That is where the International Sumo Federation (IFS) comes in.

The International Sumo Federation is a non-profit organization which represents amateur sumo all over the world. Our main activities include supporting the Continental Sumo Unions and 84 National Sumo Federations in their promotion of sumo, organizing Sumo World Championships, and lobbying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in our goal to make sumo an Olympic sport. Sumo is a sport for everyone, young and old, and needs no expensive equipment, so is very easy to take-up. Every year National, Continental, and World Sumo Championships are held and, through the efforts of IFS, world-wide interest in sumo is continuing to grow.

One aspect of sumo that many people are not yet aware of is that it is not just a sport for men. Interest in Shinsumo (women's sumo) is also growing and 1997 saw the first major sumo championship for women held in Japan. From the 8th Sumo World Championships, a women's open tournament was also organized, but it was in October 2001, on the occasion of the 10th Sumo World Championships, that we held the 1st Shinsumo World Championships in Aomori, Japan. This year will see both

Alina Boykova (UKR) vs. Tamami Iwai (JPN) – World Games 2005