Joy of Sumo [Paperback]

David Benjamin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1992

Throwing away the rituals, this book takes a humorous look at sumo as a sport—from locker room drama to the farce of the 'sumo interview.'

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (March 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804816794
• ISBN-13: 978-0804816793
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Love Sumo without turning into a Stalker/Groupie, December 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Joy of Sumo (Paperback)

I'm living in Japan and I became interested in sumo mainly because of my high school judo background. To get to know the sport I read all the English sumo books I could get my hands on, plus some Japanese books as well. Books written by total nerds, books that try to make sumo look cute and taffy, books that are info-packed but drier than the Sahara, books that give the wrong info, all kinds of books. And I tell you, the JOY OF SUMO is what you got to have to make you fall in love with the sport and the athletes in it. It glorifies the sport for what it is--a grand sport for everyone, and you don't have to go lick the toes of the rikishi in order to be a part of the wonderful world of sumo. It is the ideal book for anyone getting a little bit interested in sumo, or for "old" fans like me who read all the nerdy or syrupy books first and then wondered how these authors/experts could write in so boring and dry a manner about a sport that is bristling with life. To counter this, Benjamin and Holfeld put together a fun-filled, action-packed, thoroughly engaging book on sumo, and once you start reading you won't want to stop. The book puts sumo in a wonderfully new dimension--as a cool sport that is very much alive and very real and in touch with reality and full of athletes to get to know and like/dislike.

Sick of the sumo nerds? I am, and this book does absolute justice to sumo as a sport. Thinking of sumo as a mysterious cultural experience? Well, come live in Japan for some years and you'll soon get sick and tired of that point of view, so buy the JOY OF SUMO and learn about sumo in a way that you'll never ever get sick and tired.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for those curious about sumo., September 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joy of Sumo (Paperback)

Ok, so I don't know much about Sumo. But I like to think I do. I have seen a couple matches on Japanese TV, and have my favorites. But when I saw this book, I had to have it. It is the perfect book for the person that wants to know more about sumo, but does not want a technical manual. Sumo is supposed to be fun, and this book reflects it beutifully. Every page has great humor and is thoroughly informing. The author truly loves the sport for that sole reason, it is a sport, it is to be fun, and boy does the book reflect it. It forgoes all the useless vocabulary and the trifle things that trully don't matter to the essence of the sport and gets down to what it is. How it feels. Most of the know how to the game of Sumo that I know comes from this book. And if your wanting to know more or want a good sports read, I deeply recomend this. Written in 1991, it is getting a little dated, but still worth it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fresh and funny intro to a weird sport, January 2, 2003

By 

Robert Wormley (lakebay, wa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joy of Sumo (Paperback)

Sumo is one of those sports that it is difficult to take seriously at first by gaijin. Unless you are into shinto, you will have great difficulty understading all of the symbolism etc. in a sumo tournament. You will probably turn to one of the authoritative guides to the Sport, a big mistake, because those authors take the sport much more seriously than you will be able to.

Turn instead to the Joy of Sumo. Written by an American journalist who lives in Japan, this book treats the sport from a fan's perspective. It makes Sumo fun to watch, and still will answer most of your questions.
What is that ref doing? Why is he yelling? Why don't they squash him?
Why do Sumo wrestlers throw matches?
What are the different winning moves?
Why are they so fa-at?

This book still makes me laugh after 10 years of reading it!