We are pleased to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/). The Story Crossroads theme for this year is “Fantastic Females in Folk & Fairy Tales.”
About Sumo Wrestling Training and Japan:
You can watch sumo practices or sumo tournaments. If you are a professional sumo wrestler in Japan, you need to belong to a sumo stable. There are about 44 sumo stables there where these athletes eat, sleep, and train. A retired sumo wrestler runs a stable and is called the stable master.
50-word-or-less summary
Forever Mountain (sumo wrestler) attempted to scare girl. She held onto wrestler’s hand. Girl was too strong for wrestler to let go. She walked him to her farm. Girl, Mother, and Grandmother offered 3-month training for sumo competition. Lifted cows. Uprooted trees. Wrestled Grandmother. Competition! Won!
Finding the Story:
Book – “Maru-Me and the Wrestler” in Tales of Fearless Girls: Forgotten Stories from Around the World – here
Book – Three Strong Women: A Tall Tale from Japan – here
Story and Activities – “Three Strong Women” – here
Finding the “Fantastic”:
Can you imagine trying to do a trick to have a girl jump only to be stuck? How fantastic when Forever Mountain got the surprise of his life when the girl laughed and would not let go of his hand? In fact, the girl was so strong that he drug trenches with this feet and she laughed and dragged him along.
Having a sense of humor AND the kindness to train him to become an even better sumo wrestler was wonderful! Three women really get the spotlight though it’s the girl, Maru-Me, that made everything possible.
Their farm pretty much turned into a sumo stable. You have to wonder if Grandmother was a retired sumo wrestler. Often, professional sumo wrestling prohibits women from participating but it did not stop women from actually training and having their own competitions.
Recommended Article:
Despite the tradition of sumo wrestlers being male, there have been female sumo wrestlers throughout time. Not always honored, but still around. Read this article entitled “Japan’s sumo wrestlers: Meet the women changing the face of the sport” written by Emiko Jozuka, Don Riddell and Daniel Riddell with CNN.
Thoughts?
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As for our past A to Z Challenges…
Story Crossroads celebrates the hybrid Summit & Festival on May 13-16, 2024 – yes, in-person and virtual – and would be honored for you to join us. Explore the schedule and register here: http://www.storycrossroads.org/Festival
Thanks to funding from National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; Western States Arts Federation; Utah Division of Arts and Museums/Utah Legislature; Utah Humanities; City of Murray; Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) of Salt Lake County; Salt Lake City Arts Council; and people like you.