Guest Author - Taisha Turner
A simple lesson for wearing a mawashi. The mawashi is a silk or black cotton belt worn by the rikishi(Sumo wrestler). This is how a mawashi is worn.
1. Place the belt’s center between the legs.
2. Bring one belt end upwards and hold with chin.
3. Bring the other belt end up the back.
4. Make a tight holder(athletic cup) between legs.
5. Wind the back end around the waist.
6. Tuck the front belt end in the belt before the final wind.
7. Tuck the last of the material in at the waist.
The mawashi is the favorite clothing for the Sumo wrestlers in the National Stadium. Sumo pants, favored by the young, are banned.
The young Sumo wrestlers with a little practice and following the simple mawashi lessons are able to keep the tradition alive. They are proud to carry on a centuries old tradition.
Use the directions and wear a mawashi like a true rikishi (Sumo wrestler). Now on to the hard part, the practice of sumo wrestling.
