Читать книгу Sumo for Mixed Martial Arts - Andrew Zerling - Страница 7

After witnessing a live professional grand sumo tournament in Japan, I became even more enthralled by this well-known but misunderstood martial art. The barrel-like physique of the sumo wrestler contrasts strikingly with the lean, muscular physique of the average combat sports athlete. Because of this, many see sumo as spectacle devoid of real athleticism. But make no mistake: professional sumo wrestlers are easily on par with Olympic-level athletes.

When I explored sumo more carefully, I found that it is just as deeply technical a martial art as judo or Western wrestling. In applying its techniques to my own diverse grappling martial arts training, I have gained an even greater respect for this underestimated martial art. I wanted to share my insights with the martial arts community, so I wrote a seventeen-page academic article titled “Sumo Wrestling: Practical Techniques for the Martial Artist” that was published in the final issue of the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. The encouraging feedback spawned my idea of significantly expanding my sumo article and making it a book.

Clinches and takedowns are the most overlooked aspect of many martial artists’ game. My book, Sumo for Mixed Martial Arts: Winning Clinches, Takedowns, and Tactics, solves this problem. Sumo wrestling’s little-known but ancient proven clinches, takedowns, and tactics offer a fresh, new perspective. Martial artists who stand to benefit from this book include mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, practitioners of all arts that involve grappling, self-defense practitioners, nongrappling martial artists, and serious sumo fans in general.

In this book, I first offer an overview of sumo wrestling. Second, we will examine sumo “case studies” to show in detail how a sumo wrestler can technically win a match. Third, we will take a close look at sumo from an MMA perspective. And finally, I will illustrate many sumo techniques relevant to MMA with photos—not line drawings—of actual martial artists performing them. This book is organized so the reader can progressively build on the information as it is presented in a logical order. To gain the most benefit, then, this book should be read from the beginning to the end.

The link between sumo and other martial arts has never before been deeply explored in a book. Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA are two of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and sumo has much to contribute to both. Many think they know what sumo is, but what they know is only the surface. This book goes far beyond the surface to uncover theory and techniques that can be of tremendous benefit to many martial artists. I sincerely hope this book brings sumo into the spotlight as a traditional and practical martial art to be studied by all types of martial artists.

—Andrew Zerling