How old is the sport of sumo wrestling? It's ancient, depending on your definition of "ancient." It also depends on your definition of "sumo." Of course, "wrestling" has been everywhere since the dawn of mankind, probably. Anyway, historical records of sumo first appeared in the 8th century, but you wouldn't recognize it as sumo wrestling from the perspective of today. What makes sumo wrestling different from other types of wrestling came a little at a time, and the impetus for most of those changes was money. There had to be things that distinguished professional sumo wrestlers from wannabes.
Therefore, many of the ancient traditions surrounding sumo were invented about 300 years ago. Sure, all traditions were "invented" at one time or another, and 300 years seems pretty ancient now. But these practices were called ancient traditions even when they were new. This TED-Ed lesson explains how and why sumo wrestling became what it is today. -via Laughing Squid
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