Photographer Lord K2’s new book showcases the glory and sacrifice of sumo wrestling
Sumo wrestling is at once a public spectacle and a hidden and secretive world. While some might get to witness the fights, few get to peek into the stables where wrestlers live and train under a strict, uncompromising regime.
Photographer Lord K2 (aka David Sharabani) was granted access to both of these worlds, and spent a year compiling a selection of images that brings to life the thrill of the stadium and the everyday hard graft of the training stables. Sumo wrestlers may not fit the classic image of an athlete, at least not those we are used to seeing on Western television, but as these images reveal, they train as hard as any professionals, with new recruits entering into a hard life of complete dedication to the sport.
Split into sections such as ‘ambition’, ‘obedience’ and ‘discipline’, these images allow us a peak into a world of ancient tradition and culture, one that has stood the test of time despite all the allures of modernity. Images of wrestlers out and about in the streets or queuing at restaurants reveal this curious clash, while those of the training ring bring home the sheer athleticism of these performers – not to mention their remarkable flexibility.
