The world champion in sumo told that in the Northern capital isn't present not only a hazing at schools of this sport, but also schools

Until recently Petersburger Natalia Bobkina was the real star in the sumo world. the 21-year-old girl came to traditional Japanese wrestling from judo and in a year of occupations won the World Cup. Then one more. Then — at the beginning of the 2000th years — Petersburg, on an equal basis with Moscow, was the center of the Russian sumo. Here the best athletes trained. And then everything sharply changed. Now in the Northern capital didn't remain any school of sumo. Isn't present more and athletes who would win world competitions. Natalia Bobkina told "MK" in St. Petersburg" why in Petersburg anybody to sumo doesn't have business.

Fire hydrant between feet

Natalia Bobkina isn't so similar on sumatori (the  wrestler of sumo) and the more so to the double world champion. Neither the bloated person, nor the huge stomach which is hanging down to knees, a plod, so characteristic for sumoist. On the contrary, it — very nice girl with two higher educations and without problems with an excess weight.

Natalia never dreamed of sumo. All her thoughts were occupied by judo: from 8 years Natalia diligently comprehended this martial art and more than once became the champion of Russia. Everything changed when to the girl was 21 years.

— Once my judo coach approached to me Alexander Korneyev and suggested to go on the championship of Russia on sumo — Natalia Bobkina tells. — In the late nineties these sports in our country only started developing, and I had of it very vague idea. Therefore at first opposed as could: "Sumo? ! In body stockings to wrestling? With the fire wrestler shlagy between feet? (Mavasi — a characteristic loincloth of sumoist — in Russia do of the dense, rigid material reminding a fire hydrant. And here in Japan it make of silk or flax. — Edition) Yes you that!"

But the trainer insisted on the. Natalia entered into the Petersburg team on sumo and went in 2000 on the championship to Moscow.

— And I casually won it — the sportswoman speaks. — I banged there all. Simply in these sports very simple rules: it is impossible to overstep the bounds of a ring (dohe) and it is forbidden to concern its surface any parts of a body, except feet. The one who will push out the opponent for a circle wins or "will throw" it. Except me in team there were athletes, judoists, the athletes who are engaged in free-style wrestling, masters of the Tuva national wrestling. None of us weren't engaged before in sumo. And schools where to it would teach, in the country then yet weren't.

Really, the majority Russian sumatori, as well as Natalia, came from other sports. In duels they skillfully apply elements of the "native" single combats, and therefore to compete with them very difficult. Probably, including, and therefore a women's Russian team on sumo — one of the strongest in the world. Our sportswomen are capable even to overcome Japanese, and after all with sumo — it after all national wrestling of the Country of a rising sun. So, for example, Natalia Bobkina outdid more than once the competitors: in a year of occupations of sumo she won the World Cup in Brazil. And in 2001 I won first place and in the World Cup in Japan.

The horsehair will rescue from spirits

Nobody can call even approximate date of emergence of sumo. But in this respect it is enough legends. It agrees one of them, the first duel occurred between two gods for the right of possession Japan. However, both inhabitants of heaven for achievement of a victory used magic.

— Since then in Japan sumo is considered sports of gods — Natalia Bobkina tells. — And to  wrestlers there treat as the most esteemed people. Our football players even nearby didn't stand. All Japanese top models dream to marry sumoist. They there like sex symbols.

Any duel of modern gods doesn't do without observance of traditional rituals. Before wrestling both  wrestlers rinse a mouth "cleaning" water which gives force. Besides, sumoist surely make certain manipulations with hands which allow "to wash away dirt" from a body.

— In the World Cups dohe cover with clay, from above salt,— Natalia explains. — It allows to protect  wrestlers from evil ghosts who shouldn't disturb wrestling of gods. In total it is good, but only approximately on the tenth duel of a foot start sliding desperately on this clay surface. And to fall very painfully. Once, having fallen, I got a serious trauma.

Now sumo can be divided on professional (it are engaged only in Japan, women in these sports don't take, after all men can be gods only) and amateur (develops in all other world though rules are indistinguishable from professional). In Europe sumo appeared only in 1996: then began to hold the first international competitions. And here in Russia Federation of sumo created two years later.

— At first Japanese were categorically against in their national sport were engaged worldwide — Natalia Bobkina explains. — They opposed and participation of women in sumo. And then, when understood that these sports "played", and began to expose on the international competitions the team: athletes entered into it from judo and other types of wrestling. And here sumoist from professional sports don't participate in the international competitions. They wrestling only with each other.

The more thickly, the more ridiculously

Sumo — is prompt sports. One fight lasts, as a rule, 10–30 seconds. The victory in many respects depends on the first start when opponents terribly rush towards to each other. And force of this collision is quite comparable with front blow of two cars. Especially if both  wrestlers in a body.

— On the World Cup ending in Brazil I had a duel with the Dutchwoman — Natalia tells. — And here we with it as two engines, faced foreheads. So it turned out. My head sustained, and it - No. As a result the Dutchwoman got serious concussion. Before fight it is necessary to count the opponent at the level of extrasensory perception: as it will start, in what point. And then it is possible to beat it in the first second: here it flies as a shell, and you slightly moved a little, and all — the opponent departed for a circle. That is, I lost.

And here the weight of a sumoist, appears, plays not such an important role. In amateur sumo there are weight categories, and the 200-kilogram athlete never comes to a ring against a sumoist - "fuzzes". In professional sumo of such categories isn't present. But there will surprise nobody if the huge  wrestler blows to 90-kilogram "crumb".

Far behind an example it isn't necessary to go: the heaviest athlete in the world — the former pupil of the Petersburg club of sumo Anatoly Mikhikanov (he is the only European who now is engaged in professional sumo and trains in one of Japanese clubs) weighs 270 kilograms, but deafening victories in the Country of a rising sun doesn't achieve …

— Professional sumo — it first of all show, circus — is told by the children's judo and sumo coach Stanislav Cheprakov. — The person is more fat, the to look more ridiculously how he falls. For this reason sumoist in Japan specially fatten. At Japanese schools — and their of everything 30 about the country — the athlete can even strike few times with a bamboo stick if he eats a little. And in general sumo schools in Japan are more similar to army: athletes live there, sleep in one room, at the same time wake up, then three-hour training, a lunch break, again training …

Sumoista if, of course, they want to remain in sports, have no right to marry. And in Japanese clubs the hazing is very developed. The senior pupil easily can wake in the middle of the night "colleague" and demand that that bowed to it. And will surprise nobody if more skilled athlete unexpectedly breaks a beer bottle about the head of the not so titled clubmate.

In Petersburg there is no tsar of the mountain

In Petersburg now isn't present not only a hazing at sumo schools, but also schools. At the beginning of the 2000th years there was one businessman who decided to invest the money in development of this sport. And at once there were Petersburg athletes who in a trice entered into elite of world sumo. As, for example, Natalia Bobkina, Dmitry Platunov, Elmira Kurbanova. Then the businessman "fused", sections of Japanese wrestling were closed, and athletes dispersed who where.

— Now in Petersburg there is no sumoist who would win the international competitions — Natalia Bobkina speaks. — If at us in the city I was though one platform for occupations, I would began to train  wrestlers. But in St. Petersburg now all on sumo to spit. Except one person …

And this person — Stanislav Cheprakov. It by own efforts organized children's section of sumo in which about 40 boys are engaged. And they already win the European tournaments, bring home gold medals.

— Why I am engaged in it? Because of children — they like sumo — Stanislav shortly speaks. — These sports remind children's game in the tsar of the mountain. Push out the opponent — and you will win …

But while in Petersburg, except Cheprakov's small sumoist to win there is nobody …

— I now apply skills of wrestling only on the street — world champion Natalia Bobkina sadly speaks. — Freaks periodically come across to me … You go down the street, and any drunk man starts climbing to you. At first you suffer, you explain in an amicable way, and then if doesn't help, in the left lateral blow you send it to bushes. You look, more any woman won't offend …

By the way

Legends and about emergence of female sumo in Japan go. One of them says that the custom to measure swords as a real man there was in a quarter Yosivara — a traditional workplace of girls of "easy behavior". In fight for the next client they allegedly beat each other as could. Passersby very liked to take a look at these fights. And once someone from them suggested girls to wrestling by rules as in sumo, instead of it is simple to tear each other hair and to scratch eyes.

material: Ekaterina Dementyeva