Samurai - Sumo Survival
Fat is Fit. The Sumo Wrestlers of Japan, pride of the Emperor, beloved of the Geisha, eat their way into condition for their most punishing sport. The training schedule is a ritual designed to shape theiT huge physiques into human battering rams. A Sumo bout is short but savage and surrounded with colourful ceremony.
Fully aware that Sumo can shorten their lives by up to 15 years, the Sekitori, the name given to the top rank of wrestlers, willingly, almost amiably, accept the harsh punishment of their chosen sport.
The worship of Sumo - the national sport of the Japanese-their obsession with golf and baseball, the stylish grace and beauty of gymnastics makes Japan a fascinating subject for the first of Vincent Hanna 's investigations into sport.
Producer BOB ABRAHAMS