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The Home Of Sumo In The UK since 1985
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The British Sumo Federation
The British Sumo Federation
The British Sumo Federation has been the home of Sumo in the United Kingdom since 1985 and we're proud to be continuing this tradition.
Sumo is an ancient Japanese style of wrestling with a history dating back well over a thousand years. It is a fast paced style of wrestling that requires strength, skill and dignity.
Amateur Sumo is growing quickly all over the world and the British Sumo Federation is keen to give everybody, regardless of age or ability, the chance to participate in a sport that we love.
Unlike Professional Sumo, which is competed only in Japan, Amateur Sumo is open to both sexes and has multiple weight classes - you don’t have to be big and heavy to Sumo wrestle and many people from all over the United Kingdom compete in all of Amateur Sumo’s weight classes: lightweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.
Sumo is “an inch wide and a mile deep” - it’s easy to learn the basics but takes years to master. Don’t be fooled; body weight alone isn’t enough and excelling at Sumo takes great skill. Yet in only a single lesson you can learn the essentials that form the foundation of Sumo.
The history of the British Sumo Federation
The history of the British Sumo Federation
Great Britain was one of the first countries to compete in Japan, at the invitation of the Japanese, in the late 1980's. This was mainly down to the very well respected Mr. Syd Hoare whose love affair with Japan started in the early 1960's, and who was the youngest Judo Dan grade in Great Britain during his time.
Syd competed for Great Britain in the 1964 Olympic games in Judo. This followed very tough training in Japan and a highly competitive British trials.
Some of the early Sumo competitors were Jim Webb, Bill Etherington and Larry Stevenson. Around 1990, Syd organised the first European to train as a professional in a Japanese Heya.
In 1992, Syd organised a team to compete in the very first World Championships, which took place in Tokyo's kokugikan - the home of professional Sumo in Tokyo.
After Syd, the organisation was led by Steve Pateman, a former judoka and wrestler, with more than 25 years experience in the sport. Steve Pateman stepped down in 2024 and leaves an un-equalled legacy of promoting and growing Sumo in the United Kingdom.
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