I am Byamba, three-time World Sumo Champion — Ask me Anything!

Is there a lot of strategy involved in Sumo wrestling? What "tactics" do you use?

From an outsider's perspective it just looks like 2 dudes pushing each other, so I am hoping you can give me the inside view on what's really going on.

There is a lot of strategy, actually. Usually, the first split second of the match determines the winner. A faster start gives a huge advantage.

Also, the method of attack is critical, and I adjust my charge, based on who the opponent is. For example, against someone who has a strong slapping attack, I move in a certain way to "catch" him right away and get a grip on his belt, so I can stop the slaps and overpower him,

Hi! Thanks for doing this AMA!

As a sumo wrestler in modern times, do you still follow any of the strict traditions of the past? I've heard things like wrestlers couldn't drive their own cars, have special wardrobes they wear in public and such. How much has wrestling changed since the formation?

edit: sp

Professional sumo wrestling in Japan is not just a sport. It's a full-time lifestyle, 24/7 and almost 365 days a year. It's not like "normal" sports that have a season. Pro sumo wrestlers are like soldiers in the military, year-round.

Even today, pro sumo wrestlers live in a very similar way to their predecessors, historically.

However, after I left pro sumo, I have had the chance to compete in international sumo all over the world. There are no lifestyle restrictions, and I can manage my own training and schedule. On the down side, though, it's not as easy to find strong people to train with on a regular basis.

Can you do any E. Honda moves?

Sorry, I don't know E. Honda.

Has your mawashi ever fallen off during a tournament fight resulting in disqualification and embarrassment?

No, it has never happened to me in nearly 100,000 matches (in practice and in competition).

Hi Byamba, thanks for your time. How are non-Japanese sumo wrestlers in Japan treated? Are they held in as high regard as their Japanese counterparts?

I felt like I was treated fairly in Japan. In sumo, respect is based on rank. So, since I did well in competition, I earned respect there.

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I don't know exactly, but I probably eat 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day, if I am training a lot.

What do you eat on a regular basis to maintain this high income of calories?

Here's info on typical sumo diet:

http://www.sumobyamba.com/dietnutrition.php

Now, in Los Angeles, I sometimes eat chanko-nabe, but I eat a wide variety of other very healthy foods.

I saw you when you were at 918 F St a few months back. (Proof!)

Two questions:

1. I've seen you move in person. You're ridiculously fast for a guy your size. What sort of speed training do you do? Any at all?

2. Do you have a favorite sushi fish?

I practice the initial sumo charge many, many times, to improve my speed. I also go jogging, and do sprints.

I like almost all sushi -- tuna, salmon, whatever.

What is the match that you remember the most in career and why?

I can never forget the first time I won the World Sumo Championships in 2006. The final match was against the Russian Champion, who is 6'8", over 500 pounds, and very muscular. We smashed heads incredibly hard at the start, and he rebounded, falling out of the ring before I did! So, I became World Sumo Champion!

That was a really happy moment for me because that status also opened up the door for me to apply for and receive my green card here! So, I am happy to be in the United States thanks to my sumo success.

I also want to give back to others, which is why I coach sumo practices in Los Angeles, and demonstrate sumo all over the country, to share this amazing tradition.

Are you or other wrestlers in this sport pretty popular with the ladies?

Of course!

Sumo oranges - awesome or offensive to sumo wrestlers?

Those are fine.

How are people responding to the "corruption" in sumo? Are there fewer fans these days?

I'm not so worried about that, because you see scandals in any sport, from doping in baseball, to Lance Armstrong, to NBA referees fixing the course of games, in collaboration with gamblers.

So, any sport has it's dark side, but I think most sumo wrestlers and coaches play fairly.

What's the heaviest weight that you can lift?

I don't max out because it makes the muscles too stiff. Flexibility is much more important in sumo than strength. So, I do a lot of high rep lifts that simulate the constant motion and dynamic action in a sumo match.

How do you think you would do in a mixed martial arts competition?

MMA has a lot of techniques. I have experience in other martial arts. When I was 15 in Mongolia, I was already national junior Champion in judo, sambo, and Mongolian wrestling. So, I know that I have the ability to do very well in MMA!

Anyway, though, I would want to train specifically for MMA before I try to do a real fight, but I am sure I would do well.

What's your favorite food... And how much can you consume in a single sitting?

I love Japanese food. For example, everyone knows sushi, and it's one of my favorites. However, I also love "chanko-nabe", which Americans are NOT familiar with. It's a kind of "sumo stew", and we eat it every day in pro sumo in Japan.

In terms of quantity, I eat more than most people (maybe double), but it's not a ridiculous amount.

I am also a master chef, and can make great sushi and the best chanko-nabe!

What foods do you eat to gain weight?

Normally in sumo, we eat "chanko-nabe" after training. See http://www.sumobyamba.com/dietnutrition.php

It's very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and the broth is rich. We have this after practice, to help absorb nutrients and recover energy. We usually have bowls of rice along with it, for more calories.

When you retire, do you plan on shedding (losing) a lot of weight? It seems like it would be a health hazard to be that heavy for too long.

I plan to use a little weight (maybe going from 370 lbs to 300 lbs) after I retire. Even now, though, my body fat percentage is pretty low, and I am very healthy, so probably can't lose an enormous amount because it is mostly muscle!

Hey Byamba! First, I would like to start by saying you are awesome. Second, what are the repercussions of being in such a demanding sport?

Thank you!

Sumo is a tough sport, but if you train properly, eat a healthy diet, and sleep enough, you can maintain a good condition. We do a lot of warm-ups and calisthenics to prevent injuries, too. Beyond physical steps, sumo requires mental toughness and discipline, too.

What type of opponent do you find most difficult to face? Is it their technique, their proportions or some other factor that makes them challenging?

Also, have you ever developed a rivalry with a particular opponent, and how did that turn out?

Thank you for doing an AmA!

Opponents with speed and good technique are much more dangerous than opponents who are simply large or strong.

Could top sumo wrestlers make it in the nfl as lineman?

Yes, I think so.

Stephen Levin and his team with Freakanomics made a compelling case towards the prevalence of cheating, or yaocho, in the sport of sumo. Do you have any comment on this?

I don't know about that book, but I think in any sport, there are a few athletes who might break the rules.

Your take on wrestling not going to be an Olympic sport anymore?

That's too bad.

• How did you start?
• Do you go through any specific weightlifting regimen?
• Do you have a Specific diet?
• When starting Did you lose a lot?
• How do you train?

You can see my Bio (http://www.sumobyamba.com/bio.php) for information on how I started.

In terms of diet, this shows how I used to eat in Japan (http://www.sumobyamba.com/dietnutrition.php). Now that I live in Los Angeles, though, I eat more variety, i.e. not only Japanese food.

This explains my training regimen in Japan (http://www.sumobyamba.com/traininglifestyle.php). Now, in Los Angeles, I mix in more activities like jogging, additional weightlifting, and basketball.

Even at the beginning, I almost always won! That's because you always start in the lower divisions, and the opponents there are smaller, weaker, and younger. Even as I moved to higher divisions, though, I continued to win most of matches. By the time I was 18 years old, I was already the highest-ranked sumo wrestler on my entire team.

Hi Byamba, thanks for doing this AMA!
How did you break through the sumo world? How did you start off?

You can see my background here:

http://www.sumobyamba.com/bio.php

I've heard that Japan isn't too pleased about how sumo champions tend to be from other countries these days.

Have you personally experienced any backlash from the Japanese due to you being born in Mongolia?

I didn't experience prejudice or discrimination in Japan.

On the other hand, people usually like to support their local heroes, so many of the Japanese wrestlers have a stronger fan base than us Mongolians. That isn't negativity toward us, though. That's just because many fans like wrestlers who grew up in their own area.

What goes into your training regime?

You can learn about Japanese sumo training here:

http://www.sumobyamba.com/traininglifestyle.php

Now, my training is a little more flexible because I am in Los Angeles.

Since most sumo wrestlers I've seen are very large, are health problems related to weight or diet very common?

Sure, there are some unhealthy or overly obese sumo wrestlers.

Really, though, almost all of the champion-level sumo wrestlers are great athletes, in great shape, with very few health problems.

The Japanese sumo diet is very healthy, high in protein and vitamins, low in fat, with almost nothing but fresh vegetables and meats, and nearly no sweets.

What got you interested in becoming a Sumo wrestler? What is your Win - Loss Record? Are there many Non Asian Sumo Wrestlers?

Thanks you look like a beast.

When I was 15 in Mongolia, a Japanese Grand Champion scouted my country for young athletes, and he picked me. You can see a short bio here -- http://www.sumobyamba.com/bio.php.

I won most of my matches in professional sumo, but I don't have the exact numbers now.

In international sumo, I have an extremely high winning percentage, definitely 95% or more. For example, in the annual US Sumo Open (http://www.usasumo.com/ussumoopen2012.html), I've competed for the past 6 years, and my record there is 59 wins and 1 loss! Many of my opponents there are national sumo champions in their respective countries.

In Japan, there are just a very few non-Asian sumo wrestlers, because pro sumo allows only one non-Japanese wrestler in each team. Sometimes a team has 30 or 40 guys, so the percentage of foreigners (and especially the percent of non-Asian sumo wrestlers) is very small.

In international sumo, there are people of all ethnicities competing.

Hey Byamba, thanks for the IAMA. I am a judo practitioner, and have seen a few big throws in sumo. do you work on hip throws or foot sweeps in your sumo training at all?

Yes, we work on all those moves.

What would you have been, if you had not been a Sumo Wrestler?

I would have gone into business.

No offence meant, but are Sumo fighters naturally this heavily built or is it acquired? Just tried imagining you (per your picture) in a business suit, and found myself unable to.

When I walk around in shorts and t-shirt, most people guess that I am between 250-300 pounds. I am really close to 370 pounds, but when my trunk and legs are covered up, it's hard to tell how thick they are.

See photos of my here in a kimono:

http://www.sumobyamba.com/photoalbum_espn.html

I don't think I appear as big there.

Also, look at theh last photo (bottom right of the page) here:

http://www.usasumo.com/news/newworldchamp.html

I am wearing a dress shirt and slacks.

When I started pro sumo, I was "only" about 200 pounds, so it took me a lot of time to put on so much muscle.

Ever swim with a dolphin?

Not yet!

how much can you bench squat and deadlift ?

See above. I don't really max out, but I do high-volume, high-rep training.

I do lots of stretches and calisthenics, to keep limber. I do a better full leg split than Van Damme, actually.

Maxing out on weights tends to impair the flexibility.

How much do you weigh?

I'm about 370 pounds.

What kind of training exercise (cardio, strength, etc) do you do as a sumo wrestler? Do you have a special diet you have to adhere to?

See these pages for more information:

http://www.sumobyamba.com/bio.php http://www.sumobyamba.com/traininglifestyle.php http://www.sumobyamba.com/dietnutrition.php http://www.sumobyamba.com/qa.php

However, these days, in Los Angeles, my schedule, training, and diet are more flexible.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I play basketball, watch movies, and hang out with my friends.

Hey Byamba, I'm not really a big Sumo wrestling fan but I can definatley appreciate the dedication and hard work that guys like you put into it. The question I had was one of Sumo hierarchy - I don't know if it still exists but I heard that in Japan, people purposely loose matches because if they were to win, everyone would be very angry - because apparently they hold wrestlers in much more high regard if you establish yourself and make gains through long periods of time/dedication (years); - rather than a "Mike Tyson" so to speak, who just demolishes all his opponents even though he's only been sumo wrestling for a year or less. Thoughts?

Thanks

I'm not really familiar with the phenomenon you are talking about. I always try my best to win every match, no matter what.

It sounds like you left Japan pretty early in your career. Even though you've been successful after leaving, do you ever wish you could have stayed there? What was the hardest part about giving that up?

Yes, I had a big decision to make. I like many things about sumo culture and life in Japan. However, there were some challenges and restrictions in pro sumo life.

So, even though I was moving up the ranks and had a bright future in pro sumo if I had continued, I finally decided to leave, to explore other options with more freedom.

do you follow a bulk and cut nutrition schedule or just permanent bulk?

I don't do either of those. I just stay at the same comfortable weight all year-round.

What sort of strength training is used for Sumo wrestling? Do wrestlers squat, deadlift, press, and clean; or is strength gained more through sparring?

I do some strength training -- mostly multiple sets of high reps, in exercices like bench press, squat, dumbell curls, etc.

do you think that diet, and added mass, are key to the strength needed in sumo? in other words, if one were to focus on strength training alone, without trying to put on extra bodyweight, could the person still be successful?

Yes, you can focus on strength, speed, and technique. Even if you are not so huge, it's OK.

What is the hardest part of doing what you do, what tests your mental strength and makes it feel like you can't go on any further, if anything does make it hard for you that is.

Real sumo training is very tough. If you try authentic Japanese sumo training, you will probably want to give up in a few minutes. So, mental toughness is key.

how bad is the corruption in the industry

I am not really aware of that.

Please describe a typical meal you would eat when you're bulking up.

See http://www.sumobyamba.com/dietnutrition.php

If you were given the opportunity to contend for the WWE Tag Team Title at Wrestlemania, who would be your Tag Team partner?

Sorry, but I don't follow pro wrestling much, so I don't know who to choose!

Can you please describe your highlight match (Your most epic battle)?

Yes, I described it above, and I'll repeat it here:

I can never forget the first time I won the World Sumo Championships in 2006. The final match was against the Russian Champion, who is 6'8", over 500 pounds, and very muscular. We smashed heads incredibly hard at the start, and he rebounded, falling out of the ring before I did! So, I became World Sumo Champion!

What is your opinion of the segment in the movie Freakonomics which discussed that some matches in Sumo were rigged. For example the statistics about how often one gets their 8th win to end with a winning record.

I don't know about that movie, but I think in any sport, there are a few athletes who might break the rules.

You vs Fat bastard....who wins?

I don't know "Fat Bastard", but I'm sure I can beat him. Size is not so important.

I am more concerned about facing a strong, fast 200-pound opponent, than a fat, 600-pound guy.