Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion!

**Martijn (admin)** Tue Nov 08, 2011 7:02 pm

WEIRD SCIENCE:
Finger length may reveal a Sumo champion!

When looking at Sumo wrestling, the LAST thing on your mind is probably the Sumo wrestlers' hands. Much more likely, people will think about how they could probably get crushed by the ussually impressive amount of weight of a Sumo wrestler.

However, interestingly, hands do matter in Sumo wrestling! And last month a study revealed that a Sumo wrestler's hand might even reveal whether he is likely to become a Sumu champion.

Full article:
http://www.handresearch.com/news/weird-science-finger-length-may-reveal-sumo-champion.htm

Illustration from the article: 'Sumo winning percentages against 2D:4D finger length ratio':
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Sumo-handprint2

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Sumo-handprint2

Roosi Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:34 pm

Hi Martijn thanks for sharing this Thank you!

This picture in the center belongs to our Estonian hero Baruto Smile

who wants to become sumo’s first grand champion from Europe.
(he was promoted to sumo’s second-highest rank of ozeki on 2010)

Looks that he has a high ratio and I'm glad to hear that the effect size they found was smaller than in other sports, especially those requiring large amounts of endurance.

Here is more hand prints, for about 40 sumo wrestlers
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/sumo_goo/e/0e4c748e1f9c9ab4af3259aa834d39b5

sunny

**Martijn (admin)** Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:38 pm

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 4994444

Recently a new 'digit ratio' study revealed that index finger length correlates positively with hip circumference in females, and ring finger length correlates positively with waist circumference in males:
http://maxwellsci.com/jp/abstract.php?jid=AJMS&no=217&abs=07

(I think it would be appropriate to report this new 2012 study in this topic... because even though Sumo wrestlers always have 'big bellies' and a wide waist, we have seen in the earlier report posted in this topic that not all Sumo wrestlers have a small digit ratio, so this kind of shows that it is quite hard to translate these findings into practical guidelines regarding a hip-to-waist ratio in an individual)

**Martijn (admin)** Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:54 pm

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Chiyotaikai

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Sample_sumo

Fascinating... the handprint with authography phenomenon is in the Japanese Sumo wresting world known as under the name 'Tegata'; the handprint is usually made in red color.

Here's a website presenting 115 Tegatas:
http://www.sumoforum.net/tegata/

PS. A quick assessment of a few Tegatas indicates that many Sumo wrestlers appear to have an 'earth/air hand shape' or 'earth hand shape'.

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Sumo-w10

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Sumo-w10

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 2080_05

**Martijn (admin)** Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:43 pm

Here's a 1991 video showing how Tegata handprints are made in large amounts by Japanese Sumo wrestlers... probably with the purpose to sell them???

**Martijn (admin)** Fri Aug 15, 2014 10:40 am

Just added a hand print gallery of 10 TOP Sumo wrestlers:
http://www.handresearch.com/news/weird-science-finger-length-may-reveal-sumo-champion.htm#gallery

But at the Sumo Database there is an even larger collection available (the first 5 files featured with 'Tegatas' are presented below... but there are at least 128 available!!! - You can find them easily via Google Images):

64th Yokozuna: Akebono Taro
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 1

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 1

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Akebono-o1

65th Yokozuna: Takanohana Koji
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 2

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Takanohana-o1

66th Yokozuna: Wakanohana Masaru
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 3

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Wakanohana_iii-o2

67th Yokozuna: Musashimaru Koyo
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 4

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Musashimaru-o1

Ozeki (lower rank): Takanonami Sadahiro
Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! 5

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion! Takanonami-o1

**Felicity Martin** Sat Dec 19, 2015 1:40 am

Hi and thanks Martijn for posting the article on waist to hip ratios

I found this most interesting and it corresponds to my low ratio - more masculine- and a tendency for apple shaped as opposed to pear shaped configuration. Has there been any more search in this area? It is quite significant health wise.

Felicity

**nishaghai** Sat Dec 19, 2015 11:13 am

hello Martijin
Very nice and informative article on Sumo Wrestlers and Fingers

Assessment of the Relationship between Digit Lengths and Circumferences of the Waist and Hip
Nisha Ghai

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Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion!

Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion!

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Re: Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion!

Finger ratio and Waist/Hip ration

sumo wrestling

Re: Sumo wrestling in Japan: finger length might reveal the next champion!