A Look At Sumo

在日本国技相擈里，体型是关键 Size matter in Japan's national sport

When it comes to sum, bigger is definitely better. Sumo, a Japanese style of wrestling, is a face off between two challengers in a ring measuring about 4.5 meters across. The goal of the match is for one wrestler to knock the other off his feet or push him out of the ring. The bigger the opponent is, the harder he is to defeat.

Sumo wrestling dates back over 1,500 years and has its roots in religious rituals. What started as a rough style of fighting with few rules gradually grew into a sport with rules and regulations.
Throughout the centuries, sumo has been used in royal court ceremonies, in military training and as a form of entertainment for the masses.

Today this battle between lumbering giants in loincloths is Japan's national sport. sumo wrestlers in Japan eat, sleep and breathe sumo. They live together in a complex called a "stable." which is run by a coach, or "stable master."  The stable master controls when the wrestlers sleep, what they eat and how they train. Because there are no weight classes or restrictions in sumo, it's important for the wrestlers to become as big as they can.

They achieve this through carefully planned, high-calorie diets and hours of rigorous training - sumo wrestlers are as athletic as they are large!

Grammar Tips:
What started as a rough style of fighting with few rules gradually grew into a sport with rules and regulations.
"What started as...grew into a...."- Start with humble and little as... then became famous and bigger..
What started as a rough style of fighting with few rules gradually grew into a sport with rules and regulations.

Vocabulary Tips:
face - off -对峙，对立，对抗，对争 two people face to face compete, against each other.
*Richard's face-off with his supervisor became more and more intense. 越来越白热化（紧张，紧绷）
*The face-off between these two basketball teams attracted many viewers. 吸引许多观众。
lumber-缓慢吃力的行动，沉重的行走。伐木
*My little sister lumbered along the street because she didn't want to go to school.
*A herd of elephants were lumbering across the field.
*This area was heavily lumbered.大规模，大量的被砍伐。
rigorous -严格的，严厉的。
*Rigorous safety checks are conducted everyday to ensure the safety of all passengers.
*The quality of our products can be guaranteed by our rigorous quality control.
rituals - something conduct in the ceremonies of religious.
masses- refer to "a large group of people."

Chat Room:
ring- 场地。Sumo相擈的场地是圆形的，叫"ring", Boxing拳击的场地虽是方形的，有绳圈起来，也叫"ring". (different sport play in different place不同的运动有不同的场地，英文称呼也不同。)
rink-溜冰和曲棍球的场地叫"rink", level, smooth and big place with ice.
hockey rink曲棍球场。
course-高尔球的场地，循着路线而打球。
court-有网子的，室内球场。
basketball court -蓝球场
tennis ball court-网球场
volleyball court.-排球场。

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