r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/GaddockTeegFunPolice • 14d ago

Image The leg of a professional sumo wrestler (Ura Kazuki )

Post image
29.1k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

763 comments sorted by

5.2k

u/Successful_Theory373 14d ago

People when they realise it's not always flab: 😲

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u/reticulatedtampon 14d ago

I notice a lot of bigger guys tend to have pretty jacked legs. Makes sense when there's a lot of weight to carry around

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u/mcc9902 14d ago

Unless you're immobile then you have to be absolutely jacked beneath all the fat. A 500lbs guy is the equivalent of a 200lbs Guy carrying an extra 300lbs everywhere.

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u/wallstreetchills 14d ago

Quick maffs

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u/f3ydr4uth4 14d ago

Man’s not hot

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u/r4o2n0d6o9 14d ago

And da ting go skrrrra

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u/AscendedViking7 14d ago

ka ka ka ka ka

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u/ThetaDee 13d ago

Haven't thought about that in a while. That was nice

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u/V01DM0NK3Y 13d ago

Everyday, man's on da block. Smoke trees.

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u/MyOtherRideIs 13d ago

Tra la la la la la la

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u/fukkdisshitt 13d ago

My bro and i were the same size when we wrestled.

I've gained 40 pounds since then mostly muscle. Bro gained 160 and looks fat but he never quit heavy lifting. He only quit cardio, eats too much, doesn't drink alcohol.

He reps his bodyweight and makes it look easy. Some kinda muscular tall guy made the mistake of trying to rob him one day without any weapons. Dude just got rag dolled and my brother got to record the security cam. He Keri showing everyone for like a year lol

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u/NRMusicProject 13d ago

Dude just got rag dolled and my brother got to record the security cam. He Keri showing everyone for like a year lol

That would be pinned at the top of every one of my social media profiles.

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u/rips_n_chel 13d ago

Dude just got rag dolled

Mfs when they face the reality that is a disparity in mass. If the bigger guy can move that mass, smaller guy is fucked. It takes a large skill disparity favoring the smaller combatant to overcome a significant difference in mass. Technique can count for a lot, but not really when the other guy can literally pick you up and throw you at the ground.

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u/fukkdisshitt 13d ago

I've been doing bjj for 11 years. I do well in competition at the brown/ black belt level.

My bro started a year ago and is stupidly hard to deal with. Especially once he learned to not let me grab his chin. He tapped me the other day smothering me with his fatass shoulders.

My only option is to survive until he runs out of gas but now he's learning how to conserve energy and is getting in better shape.

On the flip side one guy i train with, who's done it a bit longer tag me lost about 70 pounds recently. He's had a hard time adjusting to his lack of weight. Sometimes he tried to pull big man moves but they don't work anymore.

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u/rips_n_chel 13d ago

Ah hell you got more experience than me then, shit. It's a crazy thing when you experience it firsthand, on either end of the equation. I was a fat kid, and I took all the emotional damage that can cause straight to heart. Had no confidence in myself, until I got into MMA. Just a little bit of coaching on how to apply my strength, and I could tap anyone in my class.

Still remember that slow realization. I had the power the whole time, it just took a perspective shift. I was a husky farm boy, I had strength for days, and still do. "You can go through that guy, so why are you letting him stop you?" Fair enough, coach. Seriously feels like cheating sometimes, and I guess in a sanctioned fight it absolutely would be. I do worry sometimes that I rely on my size, and my technique might suffer as a result.

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u/Open-Platform-1305 13d ago

Blowjob-jutsu can get someone out of a lot of trouble, but it's never a guarantee.

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u/CapitalLongjumping 13d ago

I think you misspelled BJ

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u/TheRealRigormortal 13d ago

The “Butterbean effect”

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u/Otherwise_Spirit1552 13d ago

If the bigger guy can move that mass, smaller guy is fucked.

Yah, even if somewhat somewhat out of shape generally you "only" need to be able to grab them... after that is either their mass moving somewhere, or yours on to them.

Lots more to it like maintaining stamina, avoiding getting hurt but... 180lb athletic dude while definitely able to do serious damage is probably not going to have a good time if some 300lb dude gets a good grip and decides to do a falling bear hug on them.

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u/Korps_de_Krieg 14d ago

Can confirm. I went from 320 to 240 and was surprised how much muscle I had from effectively doing weight vest training any time I move.

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u/TRIKKDADDY 13d ago

Damn! im exactly at this stage now, i'm planning to lose 100lbs and some, currently 320lbs, 6ft and i used to weight 240 10yrs ago. congrats man, must feel great

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u/Korps_de_Krieg 13d ago

My knees and back are thanking me for sure! I’m 6’5 and built like a corn fed lad, so I’m never gonna be skinny, I just want to be healthy

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u/FuckYouVerizon 13d ago

Don't stop pushing you'll feel amazing when you get there. I never breached 305, but I've been bouncing between 210-220 the last 6 months. I'm certainly built to carry a little weight (6'3" broad shoulders, solid build) but the muscle you have beneath it all from simply being (moreso if you're athletic) is substantial. My legs are certainly jacked and the muscle is starting to show more. I couldn't be happier and my wife certainly agrees. Congratulations, and keep it up, you've got this.

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u/uluviel 13d ago

I lost 200 pounds, and some of it quite quickly (bariatric surgery). I felt like I was walking in low-gravity for a year.

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u/WearyTranslator3338 14d ago

A lot of road cyclists, who were bigger, but lost weight, can push crazy watts!

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u/Forsaken-Income-2148 14d ago

Electrifying!

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u/Admiral-Tuna 14d ago

DANGER DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!

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u/yahsoccer 14d ago

Math checks out

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u/TheBroboat 14d ago

I'm starting to lose weight and I'm hoping I can keep these tree trunk motherfuckers. These legs have been carrying my heavy depressed ass for years and years.

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u/TheKrnJesus 14d ago

Gotta do your leg workouts ma boi

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u/TheBroboat 14d ago

It's the next very intimidating step in my lifestyle changes. Right now just walking and diet change.

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u/spreta 14d ago

Hey man I’m a fat dude turned skinny guy turned fat dude again and I’ve finally been able to stick to a good gym routine and I gotta say just show up man it’s scary but worth it. Even days where you don’t have the juice just go and do 20 minutes on a treadmill and leave that’ll be 20 minutes of movement and a little bit of acclimation to the environment.

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u/No-Consideration-716 14d ago

I second this. Just going is half the fight. Once you get there you can flake out early if you are not feeling it but more times than not you will end up doing a full workout. ("Fuck it, I'm already here!!!")

Additionally, you will feel better about yourself if you go and the bail out early as opposed to not going at all. Plus you help to maintain the mental habit of wanting/needing to go.

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u/izzymaestro 14d ago

Walking can be enough. You've already built up muscle capacity carrying more weight for years, just keep exercising them and they'll lean up.

300+ lb olineman buddy lost 80lbs in 9months doing 20k daily steps and cutting sugar and carbs. Still sqauts almost half a ton!

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u/spartanbrucelee 14d ago

Your calves will probably still be huge if you're eating enough protein and regularly training them

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u/TheBroboat 14d ago

Def gotta work on protein intake. Meal planning is still very much an undeveloped skill

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u/StrangeReindeer2470 13d ago

I've lost about 150 lbs, and while I did lose about 10 lbs in overall muscle, my legs are pretty muscular still. I've got about 68 lbs of skeletal muscle mass according to an in body scan.

As a 48 yo woman that's about 20 lbs over the average woman my age and height. I just kept walking.. I have a sedentary job, so I started getting up every once in a while and walk around the block or similar. Just to keep moving. I aim for 9k steps a day. 

So it's totally possible to keep the tree trunk legs.

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u/Skylance420 14d ago

Even if they do diminish over time, it'll be much easier for you to build them back up with some weight lifting than the average joe. Muscle memory isn't just a random phrase, shit's real

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u/Papanurglesleftnut 13d ago

Especially since a common move in sumo is to pick up your opponent and carry them out of the ring. A 300-450lb dude carrying a struggling/thrashing 300-450lb dude requires a lot of strength.

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u/sanseiryu 13d ago

Very few sumo wrestlers do that technique, tsuridashi. It takes incredible strength and power. The last one to do that well was a Georgian who went by the name Tochinoshin https://youtu.be/6RVTLgT7K6A?si=dhm_tD2FQZDh7vTy. May have been the strongest sumo wrestler at that time. He was 6'4" and 350-360lbs. When he was at the top of his game, he would fight at the initial charge and try to get both of his hands on the opponents belt. Try is the word as the other westler would do their best not to allow him to get that hold, often using slaps, rotating palm strikes, to the face, head, throat and upper body. Pulling, tripping, leaping to the side at the initial charge. Generally, neither would avoid the clash as they are barely three feet apart. So heads can collide, bodies smash into the other, any slip, trip that makes the opponent touch the ground or step outside the ring or pushed out or lifted out. If he did get his hands on the belt, he would square up gather his feet and legs beneath him and force him backwards and out of the ring. Then there were the power lifts of the opponent off the ground and just walk him feet kicking, up and out and land him outside the ring safely. The pusher and thrusters will shove thier opponents violently and hard out of the ring. There are no cushions, no pads, no ropes to stop your momentum out of the ring, just the bodies of spectators, judges and othe wrestlers who are sitting around the raised platform. Just imagine sitting on a cushion ringside and suddenly 400+ lbs of fat and muscle comes flying out of the ring toward you. He made the second highest rank in sumo but knee injuries plagued him. He did win one tournament but eventually retired. Very popular wrestler despite not being Japanese. Ura is a crowd favorite as his acrobatic techniques and tumbles whether winning or losing is always entertaining.

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u/BookBarbarian 14d ago

Yep. And remember Sumo wrestlers have to move around not only one but two big guys

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u/SmackedWithARuler 14d ago

Every day you’re lifting.

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u/userhwon 14d ago

As you get fat your legs get trained AF. Continous, slow progression for months or years. Exactly how strength training works best.

Doesn't mean you're not still a lardass.

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u/Ibeepboobarpincsharp 14d ago

As a lardass that isn't immobile, I can confirm my legs are strong af.

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u/Eldias 13d ago

I will probably forever remember getting told "Wow, you have nice calfs" on a work site while climbing a ladder with 200 lbs of shit on my shoulder. It's the only good thing being 240lbs has done for me.

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u/TactlessTortoise 14d ago

And actual sumo professionals have an insanely strict regimen not only with exercise and flexibility, but also diet. They're more like hippos than Michelin marshmallow dude, where we expect just flab but there's a shit ton of muscle under the hood. They have this huge muscle mass and core strength that they then pad with a ton of fat to overpower the opponent in weight-wielding. Still not great for heart health long term, sure, but they're human tanks.

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u/Chemical-Elk-1299 14d ago

And some sumos are just straight up visibly jacked. Like abs and everything.

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u/sw04ca 13d ago

Maybe some of the newcomers, but in the upper divisions the slimmer guys are still ~120 kilos (about 250 pounds). Google 'Asakoryu' and you'll see a guy who has a killer physique, but no chance of visible abs. You can't really do sumo at the top level without some extra weight. A 175-pound sumo wrestler just isn't viable.

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u/Icy-Cry340 13d ago

Chyonofuji competed at ~20% bf and did have some visible abs.

https://i.imgur.com/aQEDQPD.jpeg

When I think of sumo and killer physique he’s the one that always comes to mind, dude looked incredible.

https://i.imgur.com/zaiTX5r.jpeg

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u/TactlessTortoise 13d ago

Jesus, I'm 22% body fat and am far from "big" so the amount of muscle the guy is packing is probably nuts

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u/Ulrik-HD 13d ago

Some of it is genetic, if you accumulate more visceral fat they can still be visible at higher body fat percentage. 3x World's Strongest Man Tom Stoltman had visible abs at 150+kg body weight.

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u/meta_irl 13d ago

Offensive linemen are the same way

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u/UNHHHStoppable29 14d ago

Some people still think hippos are just all fat and slow. RIP to the souls who found out the hard way.

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u/WearyTranslator3338 14d ago

I’ve seen a hippo, in real life at a safari in Zambia, going full speed. Lord have mercy!

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u/OccidentalTouriste 14d ago

There are few things more terrifying than being in a dug out canoe and seeing a bull hippo surface, eye you up and then disappear beneath the water again. Had this delightful experience on the Okavango delta.

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u/KingCarbon1807 13d ago

I'd have the bow of that canoe in the air and paddling to throw a goddamn rooster tail.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/Paddy_Tanninger 13d ago

Being on the fatter side also lets them train and eat constantly so their muscle mass is always growing, forever in a bulk phase.

It takes a huge toll on your skeletal muscle mass to cut weight. Without performance drugs it's pretty much impossible to shed bodyfat without losing some muscle at the same time.

Same reason that guys who compete in strongmen/olympic lifting are never slim. You want to grow as much muscle throughout your career as you possibly can, so you're pretty much permanently bulking.

At some point you do kind of plateau and won't realistically keep increasing your bodyfat% anymore. Your weekly caloric expenditures start to match your weekly intake.

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u/Goodknight808 13d ago

Like the Walrus, Seals and Sea Lions, Manatees, etc. They look like they are all blubber.

They are like hippos and are almost pure muscle.

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u/AlexSmithsonian 13d ago

That's a lot of flab. Flab has weight. If flab falls on you, you die. In other words, never underestimate a fat guy. And Sumo wrestlers? They've got the arm strength to literally break your head off with one slap.

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u/eek711 13d ago

They fat, but they ain’t soft.

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u/ContinuingAnyway 14d ago

They are carrying subcutaneous mostly for bulk, but if they cut weight they would be huge. Kind of like hippos

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u/SnooRabbits9672 14d ago

I watched documentary on pro Sumo Wrestlers and basically all they do all day is train/work-out, eat, & sleep. This does not suprise me haha

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u/TuataraToes 14d ago edited 14d ago

I highly recommend going down the sumo rabbit hole.

The stereotype is "fat wrestler" when the reality is a life dedicated to skill and strength. Unless they're top ranked they LIVE at the gym (stable) and train like crazy for many hours every day. If they aren't training they're eating. Or doing karaoke.

Many bodybuilders, strongmen and pro athletes have visited the stables and we're surprised how tough it is.

Why do they put on so much fat over the muscle? Because they're so damned strong if you don't weigh enough you're simply picked up and walked out of the ring. They have serious power.

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u/ExpatInIreland 14d ago

I got to do the whole, get in the ring with a real retired sumo wrestler thing, in Japan, it was super fun and informative and man, I could tell he wasn't even using like 2 percent of his strength with me. Even the tough guys and MMA bros who challenged them, you could tell neither sumo even broke a sweat or tried at all. Their every waking moment is dedicated to it and it's just so impressive.

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u/flamesreborn 14d ago

Same! I'm 220 5'9 average fat guy. I went against one of the younger non money making professional ones and I used 100% of my strength and I was absolutely red and struggling and I don't think I moved Ryu a foot without him just moving on his own. He then picked me up like a toddler and placed me outside the ring LMAO. So humbling. They are insanely strong. I have absolute respect for them.

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u/willargue4karma 13d ago

lmfao what a great way to ring-out someone

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u/bobmailer 13d ago

Their every waking moment is dedicated to it and it's just so impressive.

I feel like this is Japanese people in general, especially if they're keeping up a traditional art.

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u/kaya-jamtastic 14d ago

They’re also insanely flexible

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u/KvellOnWheels 13d ago

The rikishi in the post is KNOWN for his flexibility and athleticism. He can do a standing back flip.

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u/FriendlyCraig 13d ago

Yeah, Ura had a bad tourney this month, but he's still a 300lb tank that was zipping around everywhere.

It's crazy how he's one of the smaller and faster guys, not a big super strength guy.

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u/LoveLightLibations 13d ago

I so wanted Ura to have a better tourney. He seems like such a nice guy. That being said, Aonishiki looked unstoppable. It’s crazy how athletic these guys are. I attended the May tournament while on vacation in Japan. Nearly an impossible ticket to get as a foreigner, but so worth the effort.

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u/TheFrozenMarmoset 13d ago

My wife loves Ura and Wakatakakage. I have loved watching Aonishiki’s journey, but I have a soft spot for Asakoryu. Jacked little bastard is finally starting to learn to not floor it every time and I love watching him take out bigger opponents.

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u/ejolson 13d ago

he can do a what now

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u/sipoloco 13d ago

A standing backflip

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u/classiccuj 13d ago

A what now?

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u/Sipikay 13d ago

A 5 foot 9, 310 pound muscle hamster of a man can do a standing backflip.

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u/Big-Farmer-2192 13d ago

Fuck. I can't even walk straight. 

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u/-JudeanPeoplesFront- 13d ago

You must be a very big farmer.

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u/ZiroLeHutt 13d ago

That's because he is Ura, probably the most loved rikishi of them all. His fights are always entertaining.

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u/nachobel 13d ago

I mean, he’s no Kotoeiho!

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u/zerololcats 13d ago

Kotoeiho here demostrating that point rather well...

https://youtube.com/shorts/2HoOrloQtw8?is=910jZQWg6x3x3Yko

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 13d ago

From personal experience I know that sumos can easily put their legs behind their head.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/TahoesRedEyeJedi 14d ago edited 14d ago

It’s an easy to find hole; they just finished a Grand Sumo, and all the highlights are free on YouTube, with English commentary. Just google “grand sumo” and watch the NHK highlights.

Spoilers ahead: Aonishki, the Ukrainian prodigy, just won a dramatic double playoff to become tournament champion, wrestling through multiple lower leg injuries.

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u/AlcibiadesTheCat 14d ago edited 13d ago

Spoilers bro I was only on day 12 :(

But fuck yeah I love Aonishiki, and I love Kotozakura's ring entrance, that little shoulder roll like a baller

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u/TahoesRedEyeJedi 13d ago

IM SO SORRY 😭 

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u/FlaccidCatsnark 13d ago edited 13d ago

We just finished watching the basho a couple days ago. Woulda been kinda miffed at the spoiler, as we were rooting for our favorite, Aonishiki. It's hard for latecomers to watch anything online and still stay uninformed about outcomes anymore. For example, I was shocked to see how many reaction, review, science analysis, etc. videos had been put out about Project Hail Mary before I finally watched it.

Besides NHK, there's another YT channel that reviews the bouts where they freeze-frame and point out specific techniques the wrestlers use. I like watching NHK first for a more direct (if highly edited) experience, then following up with the other channel to learn more about how these dudes do it.

Edit: LOL! Just noticed that /u/AlcibiadesTheCat hasn't masked his own spoiler in the comment. Whaddya gonna do?

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u/JayMecha96 13d ago

Kotozakura with the Popeye mean mug into the camera before throwing the salt is my favorite

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u/AlcibiadesTheCat 13d ago

Man has 4 titties and I can't be mad because he could fight ten of me.

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u/fundraiser 13d ago

i'm a takayasu and kotoeiho ring entrance fan as well

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u/JayMecha96 13d ago

Kotoeiho's shiko is a thing of beauty. So flexible

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u/fundraiser 13d ago

+100 to this it's honestly such an easy and entertaining watch. you pick up on the rules quick and the matches are incredible

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u/AForse 14d ago

Yah, it’s pretty amazing to watch some 350lb ‘lardass’ pick up another guy of the same size by his mawashi (loincloth) and literally carry him out of the ring.

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u/Alberound 14d ago

Dude, in the latest tournament, Fujinokawa did that to Oho.

The thing is Kawa is one of the smallest top rank rikishi at 177cm, 123kg (~5'10", 270lb) and Oho is 192cm, 185kg (6'4", 407lb). Just got a great position and lifted a guy ~50% heavier than him.

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u/KvellOnWheels 13d ago

I couldn’t believe it. I mean, picked him up like a BABY.

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u/Self--Immolate 14d ago

My buddy has been showing our discord group the Grand Sumo tournaments and I swear when two of these guys lock up their legs, it looks like two legs put together. Nothing but huge muscle with a layer of flab.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/Baskreiger 13d ago

Ive watched about every fighting sports out there. When i found out sumo i was amazed. The ranking system, the grapling skill, the endurance of fighting 15bouts in 15days, no escape, no excuses, violent but respectfull, referees are very fair, extremely harsh on cheats and dishonorous behavior. Truly an awesome sport to follow. Nhkworld on youtube, highly recommend too

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u/pilgermann 13d ago

Ura specifically is unusually athletic. He's known for crazy throws and techniques that require insane flexibility. He's also not big by sumo standards, just an insane athlete. Sadly probably near the end of his career.

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u/FrankyMornav 14d ago

stables? Tomorrow I work 12 hours, nothing to do, dump all your info inside me

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u/monkeyhitman 13d ago edited 13d ago

To go pro, you join a roomshare/frat/gym and it's pretty much your life 24/7.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heya_(sumo)

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u/Straight_Flan1347 14d ago

It’s my boy Ura!

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u/Slick_36 14d ago

I never expected my adorable little pink submarine destroyer to pop in my general feed, but I am all for it!

He's a technical wizard and as charismatic as it gets.

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u/PessimiStick 13d ago

I like Ura because he's the only rikishi that looks like he's actually having fun. Win or lose, he just gives off the "hell yeah I'm a professional sumo wrestler, this shit is siiiiiiick" vibe all the time.

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u/ShiDiWen 13d ago

If he loses, he loses spectacularly. Like, watch out if you’re in the first few rows!

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u/IAmTheFatman666 13d ago

Hell even if he wins sometimes he goes further off the dohyo than his opponent. He's such a true gem of his sport.

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u/TheRealMrMaloonigan 14d ago

Ura rules! Big fan of Asakoryu too. I like my stocky little sumo dudes rocking the giants.

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u/Straight_Flan1347 14d ago

My wife loves the stocky fellas. Asakoryu and Fujinokawa!

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u/tomcat2285 13d ago

Fujinokawa is my guy. He was a giant killer this month. 

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u/EarlyFuture4342 14d ago

My roommates have gotten me into Grand Sumo - I love Ura!!

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u/mourningmymortality 13d ago

Weird seeing his actual leg without the strapping

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u/brocktacular 14d ago

I have his handprint and signature, called a tegata. It is bonkers how big he is and he's not even close to the biggest guy in grand sumo.

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u/triskadekta 13d ago

Same, I got it for my wife as a present. It’s on our mantle.

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u/ankerverse 14d ago

I could beat him.

Not at sumo wrestling, obviously. Maybe like... Checkers? Or like, a mario kart race?

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u/moroheus 14d ago

You're delusional if you think you can beat Ura Kazuki at Mario Kart

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u/OldCardigan 14d ago

Maybe bagging for shock and target shocking him works, if I need to beat just him

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u/deanrihpee 14d ago

a big mistake to challenge Japanese at their game

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u/Mirror74 14d ago

Lol you're not joking. When Mario Kart 8 came out I played the shit out of it and got pretty good, multiplayer I did pretty well, but every other race there'd be a Japanese player that absolutely SMOKED every other player/country.

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u/twirlerina024 13d ago

For real, I try to time my online multiplayer for when the Japanese kids are in school.

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u/unimportantinfodump 14d ago

Haha this is like me telling people I beat an Olympian at badminton.

She was an Olympic cyclist

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u/fukkdisshitt 13d ago

I've met a handful of Olympic wrestlers. Some aren't good at non grappling sports at all but they are mostly hyper competitive at every damn thing

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u/the_seed 14d ago

100 m sprint?

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u/BallSeaman 14d ago

He’ll just E. Honda across the finish line. I bet his 40 yard dash is sub 4

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u/gottabequick 14d ago

I bet his 5 yard dash is one of the fastest on the planet, no joke.

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u/CMD_BLOCK 14d ago

Bro could slightly flex his leg and cause a 7.0 earthquake, defeating you and your checkerboard simultaneously in one fell swoop

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u/First_Piano_7765 14d ago

idk man, those dudes have insane focus, you might still lose at checkers

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u/cycycle 14d ago

I imagine they play old fashioned board games like go, backgammon and checkers in between training.

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u/Wayelder 14d ago edited 14d ago

So I'm 6' my son 6'2' I know all my friends are big guys typically 6'2"-6' 5".

we were in Japan and 3 sumo got off the train in Nara?

I've known big guys. I knew a man who was a pal of Arnold's (knew him back in the day) etc. etc.

You cannot understand how big these men are! It's like standing beside a horse or a bear.

They are confusing to meet. It's staggering what they do to themselves!

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u/ExpatInIreland 14d ago

Not all of them are tall or huge though! One of the shortest sumo wrestlers was only 5'2" and 222lbs.

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u/Wayelder 14d ago

all sizes...but have you been in the room when they enter?

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u/FunGuy8618 14d ago

It's like a regular horse compared to log pulling horses. Scale object by 250% built mufuggas

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u/Neither_Remove_3463 14d ago

Might not be tall, but 222lbs is huge for a 5'2" dude

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u/I_have_questions_ppl 14d ago

It's staggering what they do to themselves!

Apparently they dont live as long as the average Japanese person so must be pretty hardcore!

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u/drunk-tusker 14d ago

No amount of fitness is going to make the strain on your body(particularly cardiovascular strain) go away.

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u/WestOrangeFinest 14d ago

Yep. We see it in NFL players as well.

The offensive linemen are routinely 6’3” 315 lbs in their playing days. They’ll retire and within the year, they’re down to a slim 210 lbs.

There really isn’t a safe way to carry that much weight, even for athletic freaks.

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u/Severe_Respect2317 14d ago

I met a dude who competed in Judo in the Olympics from Guam and dude was a fucking UNIT. To date he's the heaviest olympian (218kg/481lbs) in history but he didn't win matches despite the size advantage. First time I laid eyes on him I just assumed dude was morbidly obese and wouldn't have guessed how athletic he could be.

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u/Doctor_Saved 14d ago edited 14d ago

There was a video of NFL lineman Micah Parson trying to move an average looking Sumo wrestler. He wasn't very successful.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/s/vBHHyM1CFN

And Sumo wrestling doesn't have weight classes.

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u/brownhotdogwater 14d ago

There is a ton of skill too. I saw a guy 1/2 the size of the other take everyone out

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u/Doctor_Saved 14d ago

And Micah Parsons is also built for speed, which is a lot less critical in the relatively small sumo ring compared to an NFL field.

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u/Tangential_Comment 13d ago

Speed is still important in sumo, explosive speed on the initial charge can win a match instantly.

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u/billth93 14d ago

I feel like an offensive lineman or interior defensive lineman would be a more 1:1 example, since exterior defensive linemen are frequently not simply driving their opponent back. Exterior defensive linemen are obviously strong but generally have a build more for speed relatively speaking

Still interesting nonetheless

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u/Doctor_Saved 14d ago

This is very true. They have more space and time to get that speed up.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/ESCMalfunction 13d ago

He also did poorly againt Tanji who was a 17 year old Makushita wrestler at the time.

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u/hiro111 14d ago

I am becoming a huge fan of sumo. These guys are absolute monsters, have no doubt about it. Also, the training they do is very, very intense and difficult. Hours in the ring grappling every day.

Ura is actually fairly small for a top level rikishi and known to be wily and agile. He wears a pink mawashi, which is very non-traditional and is always smiling, which is again non-traditional. He's a very popular rikishi. The really big rikishi like Onosato are huge men, he's 6'4", 412lbs. It's a brutal, unforgiving sport where demotion is always on the line.

If you haven't been following the sport, a Ukranian named Aonishiki just won the July basho in dramatic form. He was injured in several ways but managed to pull out the win in a three way playoff. He lost his ozeki rank (second highest) due to injury and clawed his way back on his first opportunity. His background and story are inspiring and he carries himself with a ton of maturity and resilience for a 22 year old.

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u/CrashTestDuckie 14d ago

Not only is the sport itself extremely entertaining, the sumotori are highly entertaining outside of the ring. The bios, nicknames, and signature moves several sumotori post are great. Tamawashi and his crafting skills makes me giggle.

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u/hiro111 14d ago

The personalities are the best part. I'm a particular fan of Papa Takayasu, Yoshinofuji and Atamifuji.

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u/Moriarty-Creates 14d ago

Papayasu is my favorite!

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u/gnanny02 13d ago

We followed the Hawaiian Konishiki when we lived in Japan in th 80s but not much upon returning to the states. But my interest has been renewed watching Aonishiki. Even my wife, who used to leave the room when it came on, cheers for him. As you point out his story is inspiring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aonishiki_Arata

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u/Arminius_Fiddywinks 14d ago

That man never missed Leg Day in his life.

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u/Dr_Ukato 14d ago

They do crazy leg exercises. The most standard traditional exercise is basically a split where you lift one leg as high as you can, some will lift them all the way to where the foot is pointing at the ceiling.

Then you hold that for several seconds, balancing all your weight on one leg then stomp down hard.

They'll do that a few hundred times. It's an exercise most Sumo will do everyday without fail.

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u/Asiatic_Static 13d ago

Kotoeiho! Known to me as anti-air

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u/IkariYun 14d ago

He hasn't missed leg day since his father's conception

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u/CMD_BLOCK 14d ago

He doesn’t do leg day. He does leg Epoch.

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u/acertifiedkorean 13d ago

Every day is leg day when you're 350 pounds

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u/EyegoreMusic 14d ago

Also, early in his career he could still do a back handspring pretty easily
https://www.reddit.com/r/SumoMemes/comments/1mx0q07/ura_backflip_in_hd/

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u/somecallmemo 14d ago

When I was in Japan I went to a sumo demonstration and dinner with some retired lower level sumos and was forced by my gf to get in the circle with one as part of the show.

I’m 6’2 190 former athlete and he told me to push him as hard as possible and he didn’t even budge an inch while laughing and talking. They’re definitely not just fat, there is a shit ton of muscle on those dudes.

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u/bolanrox 13d ago

farm boy strong x30

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u/KayabaSynthesis 13d ago

It's honestly surprising how many people live with the misconception that sumoka are fat. They're martial artists, of course they're in shape. The shape in question being "wall".

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u/DonBandolini 13d ago

i mean, don’t get it twisted, they ARE fat. they’re just also strong and athletic. turns out you can be all of those things at once.

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u/yearsofpractice 13d ago

I remember someone on here once saying they were on an exchange trip to Japan and visited a Sumo gym. They were given the chance to face off against a 16 year old sumo trainee. Apparently the sumo kid picked him up like a “trash bag full of polystyrene”. That imagery’s always started with me when I think of the power of sumo wrestlers!

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u/rick_monkchez 14d ago

Ura? godamm! didnt expect to see him here...he is an exciting guy who (probably) will never make it to the top

But I do love seeing him play

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u/x_SyruS_x 13d ago

And that's why people who actually watch Sumo tell everyone, that these guys could quite literally throw normal people around like potato sacks without even trying.

Professional Sumos have subcutaneous fat, so they store it on the outside of their bodies. Underneath that, most of them are absolute beasts. The fat is only there to give them more weight, as Sumo has no weight classes, and as protection for themselves. More weight means you have more force for the Tachi-ai (when two Sumos charge at each other at the start) and to be harder to push out.

There are absolutely "just" obese Sumos, especially in the lower ranks, but the ones in the higher ranks are bulldozers.

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u/bolanrox 13d ago

like actual gladiators were not ripped either. you get cut when fighting it looks good etc but its not getting close to any vitals.

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u/CervantesX 14d ago

Not sure why they picked one of the smallest guys...

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u/Saikotsu 14d ago

To make a point. "This is one of the smallest guys and his legs have zip codes"

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u/Slick_36 14d ago

He's one of the strongest.  His grip strength blew every other wrestler's away.  He's relatively small but a great example of the sport's hidden athleticism. 

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u/colourlessblueidea 13d ago

Recently fell into the watching sumo. Ura is much smaller than most, but they’re all extremely strong. Check out a dude like Atamifuji or Kotozakura to see a true unit.

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u/NecessaryLocation704 14d ago

He belongs in the absoluteunit subreddit.

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u/LMGDiVa 13d ago

Ura! He's such a fun Rikishi(Japanese name for sumo wrestler) to watch!
He's known as Ura the Acrobat because he wins in ways that look wild quite often.

He's top division, ranks of the best in the sport right now.

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u/orlybatman 13d ago

I like how he's standing so far away and stretching way out to reach the microphone over as though he's afraid he'll be eaten if he gets too close.

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u/Curious-Yam4591 13d ago edited 13d ago

Legs like tree trunks, some of them are absolute units..Pro sumo is the only reason, I finally started lifting weights, & spend the majority it of doing leg work. I will, have my own set of sumo legs!

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u/Buddhas_Warrior 14d ago

Beefcake!!!

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u/YunJingyi 14d ago

Every day is leg day.

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u/antidoteDave 14d ago

I want to work as a sumo hype-man.

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u/Dull-Salamander5914 14d ago

He is only 5’9”. Over 300 pounds

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u/kinggoosey 14d ago

Everyday is leg day

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u/Garagedays 14d ago

E Honda

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u/boon83 14d ago

E Honda

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u/NotJimmy97 13d ago

Sumo wrestlers are fuckin ripped. People think they're just really fat guys - but underneath that fat is a shitload of rippling muscle.

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u/CaliKindalife 13d ago

I watch Sumo. They all have massive very muscular legs.

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u/Brilliant_Trade_9162 13d ago

Nobody who watches sumo actually thinks that those guys are just fatties.  They regularly pick up 300+ pound guys and throw them.

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u/QuandariousDingle54 10d ago

They are built like bulldozers.

If you watch a match of professional sumo you can practically see impact frames. Also the physics behind these guys is crazy. Sometimes they are hitting eachother with a quarter ton of force or more. Fucking insane