education
MARTIAL ARTS (part 2)
SUMO.
Of all types of Japanese martial arts, sumo has never been the art of warriors and from the very beginning was a combination of competition and Shinto rite. The first reliable information about sumo competitions dates back to 642 AD, when, at the direction of the emperor, a feast was held at the court in honor of the Korean ambassador. Most of the ancient rites associated with sumo have survived to the present. Continue reading
PREPARATION IN AIKIDO
The suit for aikido classes consists of a cotton jacket, pants and a belt. The color of the belt, just like in judo and karate, determines the level of aikido mastery. All masters above the first dan must additionally wear a traditional Japanese skirt-pants (hakama) in black. Unlike other types of wrestling, the atmosphere in the dojo, where Aikido practitioners train, is rather “soft” than “strict”. Continue reading
